Michelle Silberman, 22, has been passionate about entrepreneurship from a very young age. Her first company was With Your Heart Do Your Part, a student-run non-profit organization that she created her sophomore year of high school. Today, Michelle is working on her second start-up.Michelle is the founder and visionary of Chocamo, an artisan dessert company that specializes in creating delicious cookie cups. Their unique recipes allow the cups to hold any liquid, hot or cold. The cups pair perfectly with milk, espresso, ice cream and liquor. Chocamo values new experiences and hopes that their dessert will help everyone indulge in the sweetest moments of life.
The idea was born in 7th grade when Michelle and her best friend were working on a project together. While brainstorming, they came up with this delicious concept. “I didn’t really make much of it back then” Michelle said. Fast-forward a few years to her freshman year at Drexel University. While in her entrepreneurship class, Michelle and her team pitched the idea behind Chocamo for a project. The professor approached Michelle after class and told her that she should seriously pursue it.
Along the way, the cookie cup team encountered numerous challenges. During Michelle’s freshman year, they began prototyping in her dorm. There was a lot of trial and error. Culinary arts students jumped on board to make sure that the cups were sturdy and delicious. Drexel’s Hospitality Management School was very supportive and had opened their kitchen for further prototyping. Finding the right balance of ingredients, equipment and kitchen space for prototyping was a big challenge for Chocamo. Now their largest hurdle is deciding which distribution path to take. There are so many options and. picking the proper channel is vital in developing the Chocamo brand further.
Michelle’s passion for Chocamo is very strong because she has always loved how food brings people together. Cookie cups are meant to encourage everyone to have a shared experience and even toast with a friend. Michelle said that her favorite part of it all has been the many lessons she has encountered along the way. “The journey has been quite crazy because you meet so many people throughout the process, without having any idea of where it might take you,” she explained.
Chocamo recently catered the LeBow Business School’s 2014 graduation and have moved into Drexel’s entrepreneurship incubator, the Baiada Institute.
After graduation, Michelle is hoping to take some time to travel, experience new cultures, and gain some inspiration for future cookie cup flavors!