How We Started

We didn’t set out to start a chocolate company. We set out to work alongside communities in Cameroon and learn what sustainable development really looks like. Over time, that work grew into Moka Origins.

Building A Purpose Driven Brand

In 2006, Ishan Tigunait and Jeff Abella arrived in Cameroon as volunteers with the Himalayan Institute. They weren’t there to start a business. They were there to work alongside local communities on health, education, and small-scale development initiatives.

Over time, Ishan and Jeff, along with Jeff’s wife Chelsea and their team, came to consider Cameroon a second home. Years of living and working in rural communities reshaped their understanding of development and together with local partners, Ishan and Jeff partnered to found Moka Origins. They saw firsthand that while aid can meet immediate needs, long-term stability depends on sustainable income and access to reliable markets.

A question began to take shape: what would it look like to build a company that supported farmers not through donations, but through trade?

That question eventually became Moka Origins.

From A Cocoa Farm to A Chocolate Factory

Farmer Outreach in Cameroon

In 2015, we secured a plot of land in the Northwest Region of Cameroon. It was remote, off-grid, and completely undeveloped—no power, no running water, no roads. So we built it all by hand. Solar systems, wells, staff housing, tree nurseries, and irrigation took shape piece by piece, alongside local leaders like Blaise Fonyuy and Edwin Ngong, who continue to lead the work today. From this land grew a cacao and coffee farmer outreach program — run by local experts — and a large-scale tree planting initiative designed to help farmers expand their farms and increase their income. It became the heart of our mission.

Chocolate Factory In Pennsylvania

At the same time, back in Pennsylvania, we were starting just as simply. In 2016, Moka Origins began in a small shed on the campus of the Himalayan Institute. With no formal training in chocolate or coffee, we taught ourselves — experimenting in small batches, learning through trial and error. Over time, we moved into an old barn on the property and spent years renovating it into our dream chocolate and coffee factory. From making a handful of bars a week in those early days to producing over 3,000 bars a day now, our output is a direct reflection of our ethical sourcing and our commitment to the origins behind every bean.

slider01_3350x_dfa9cdf1-bc04-438f-87d5-908a275cb9b0

A Mission That
Outgrew Its Shell

As our trees matured, our impact expanded. Our nursery wasn't just fueling our farm; it was reforesting entire communities. Our training center wasn't just for staff; it was educating thousands of neighbors.

To truly honor this work, we needed to give it room to GROW!

Introducing grow camerooon

Passing the Torch

Today, those seeds have blossomed into GROW—an independent nonprofit leading our work on the ground.

While Moka Origins focused on sourcing and ethical markets, GROW Cameroon plants trees, trains farmers and helps communities grow.

Learn More About GROW