Barbara Eisl
Sales Private Label & B2B
The self-employed marketing specialist has had her sights set on the chocolate scene for years. Today, Barbara supports us in taking care of our private label customers. Trying out new recipes, especially with laflor chocolate, is also part of her diverse daily work routine. Her latest project is a tribute to Brioche, Tarte Tatin & Co.
Carmen Zumsteg
Administration
Carmen juggles debits and credits and has our bookkeeping firmly under control. She has laflor‘s back with her calm nature. In addition to her flair for precise, logical work with numbers, her heart also beats for boundless, colorful creativity. In addition to being a laflor accountant, Carmen is also a freelance illustrator and graphic designer.
Finn Ramseier
Chocolate Maker, Development
Welcome back. When laflor was founded on October 1, 2017, Finn joined us as a chocolate maker. He is responsible for the richly nuanced laflor recipes in our chocolate range that our customers love so much. We are very grateful to Finn for that. After a break, during which Finn worked for various farms in the Balkans, we are delighted that he has rejoined the team as a chocolate developer. If Switzerland were located in the tropical climate zone, he would devote himself not only to chocolate testing but also to the cultivation of cacao.
Fiona Jörrer
Intern Marketing & Administration
Fresh out of high school and looking for new experiences, Fiona is supporting our sales team. Before she starts law school, she wants to get to know the day-to-day work in the chocolate business at laflor. She enjoys spending her free time with friends and family, reading and traveling.
Heini Schwarzenbach
Co-Founder, Strategy
Heini is the fifth generation to run H. Schwarzenbach AG Genusswaren, Kaffee, Schokoladen. A visit of this store in the old town of Zurich, which was opened in 1864, is an experience for all senses for both people living in Zurich and guests from Switzerland and abroad. Heini has been in direct contact with chocolate producers for the past thirty years and has been able to acquire a tremendous amount of knowledge about chocolate. This has led to the Teecafé becoming the Schwarzenbach Chocolate & Espresso Bar in January 2021. There, you will find over 300 different chocolate bars from all over the world.
Ivo Müller
Co-Founder, Sourcing and Production
Ivo was brought up in Tuscany and Zurich, yet his heart beats for Italy. The chef and entrepreneur lives his passion for good food and beverages every day. After all, Ivo, the co-owner of Restaurant Rosso and Bar Basso, is known all over Zurich for his pizza. The Stazione Paradiso Foccaceria & Bar is another of his signature establishments and is particularly popular during summer. His latest baby is the restaurant Osso situated in the “Zollhaus Areal”, where you can enjoy meat on the bone, meat over the fire and so much more. In addition, Ivo regularly travels to tropical countries and maintains close personal contact with our cacao farmers.
Laura Schälchli
Co-Founder, CEO
Whoever meets Laura during a chocolate workshop, a guided market tour or at her legendary wine seminar “Schöner Saufen” will recognize her two great passions: good food and being with people. On the one hand, there is her commitment to sustainably and fairly produced food, because it simply tastes better. On the other hand, Laura’s heart beats for all the people – both at home and abroad – who put their hearts and souls into the cultivation and production of our food. She and her consulting company and competence center Sobre Mesa offer advice on all aspects of food, while serving the very best dishes and beverages.
Martina Holenstein
Design
Already during her Visual Communication studies at the ZHdK, we were able to count on Martina’s support in the completion of the website as well as in the realization of private label projects. Equipped with a great sense for trends and meticulous precision, she develops new ideas and implements them perfectly. In addition to her work at laflor, Martina works as a freelance graphic designer.
Meret Casagrande
Head of Production
As someone who loves good food made from excellent ingredients, the passionate food engineer (ETH) wants to know exactly how she can make the best chocolate. A thirst for knowledge and a love for experimenting drive her to implement new projects and ideas. In addition, she cares about good planning and organization.
Nikhil Khodabocus
Production trainee
An ambitious student who is keen to learn more about the chocolate-making process, Nikhil found his way to laflor and now gets to produce the things he loves to eat. In his free time, he enjoys reading books from a range of genres, from fantasy to classics.
Rahel Isler
Sales Retail & Stores
Getting people excited about something, in our case the best chocolate, is exactly Rahel’s cup of tea. A real organizational talent and bundle of energy, Rahel supports us in sales to retail stores and restaurants. This includes, among other things, on-site support and consulting. Besides laflor chocolate, Rahel’s heart beats for her three children, a healthy and sustainable diet, and lots of sports.
Sara Gruden
Workshops, events, sales
Qualified ski instructor, footballer who coaches a women’s FF15 football team. These are the leisure activities of Sara, who has just successfully completed her apprenticeship as an EFZ commercial employee at Ems Chemie. She approaches all tasks with a high level of motivation, a focus on her goals, prudence and plenty of team spirit. She works quickly and always has a mischievous smile on her face. Yes, of course Sara also loves laflor chocolate.
Sarah Kaiser
Chocolatière production
On a first-name basis with chocolate. Sarah learned the confectioner’s trade in Solothurn. Enthusiastic and inspired, she gained experience at Casa Nobile and Oro de Cacao, among others. Her interest in the production of chocolate and the origin of cacao eventually took her to Costa Rica, where she discovered her love of the bean-to-bar process. Transparency, quality and respect for the raw materials and all those involved have top priority for Sarah. With her work experience and the chocolate sensory license at the ZHAW Wädenswil, Sarah has everything that laflor needs to move forward.
Stefan Locher
Projects
Stefan is a passionate biologist with a strong interest in ecology and biodiversity. He holds a Master of Science (MSc) in Biology and his research work has taken him to South America, where he participated in tropical rainforest research projects. During his stay in Panama and Costa Rica, he discovered the diversity of tropical ecosystems and his love of chocolate. After graduating, Stefan worked in the pharmaceutical industry, where he applied and expanded his expertise in projects and process strategies. Today, he is involved in an agricultural project in Romania. There, he concentrates on promoting sustainable timber production while taking ecological principles into account. However, Stefan’s passion for chocolate is unbroken. In addition to his commitment to the environment and agriculture, he enjoys driving forward projects in the chocolate industry. His broad knowledge and experience make him a versatile expert from whom laflor can benefit.
Teegan Lüthi
Chocolate Maker
In conversation with Teegan, new facets of the talented logistician and all-rounder emerge time and again. During his internship at laflor, Teegan learned all the steps involved in chocolate production. Now the music enthusiast and vegan foodie is with us full-time.
Viviane Hansen
Production
Viviane combines a wide range of experiences and interests. After graduating from high school, she gained professional insights in numerous fields: She worked as a project manager in an advertising agency, gained production experience in a beverage company, worked in gastronomy and taught at the primary level.
Zelia Zadra
Co-Founder, Design & Marketing
The graphic designer with a ZHdK degree in Style & Design combines aesthetics and sustainability with great dedication and expertise. Zelia and Laura met while working on a food pop-up project together. It wasn’t long before the idea of founding a company dedicated to the fair and transparent production of chocolate was born. On top of that, the passionate surfer was upset about poorly fitting surf bikinis. As a result, she founded Oy surf, a label that produces high-quality textiles made from recycled plastic.