Creative Fellows

Ibagari Chocolate is the first cocoa processor that’s 100% funded with Honduran capital. Founded by Nancy Martínez Madrid in 2014, who against all advice decided to follow her true passion by studying chocolate and specializing in cacao tasting to become a Professional Chocolatier.

Nancy was in a moment of her life where she was looking for new opportunities, something that would fulfill her expectations of the labor market without having to leave her home country in search of a better option. The idea of beginning this journey first sparked for Nancy back in 2012 while on a trip to Gracias, Lempira - a small Honduran town. It was during this trip that she remembered one of her past experiences while getting her MBA in Taiwan, a chocolate show she witnessed a Belgian perform. Nancy started to play around with the idea of starting her own chocolate shop - talking to her parents about it, researching about the chocolate and cacao industry... and suddenly there it was, her passion!

Ibagari is a Garifuna word that means life. “I chose that name because it captures the essence of what this endeavor is for me. Ibagari is my life project, which has come to give me purpose.”