In 1991, Seattle Chocolate began crafting truffle bars and bonbons in the Pacific Northwest, known for their signature melt-in-your-mouth texture. For a decade, the company quietly grew, establishing a reputation for quality chocolate in a region that valued fine food. Then the ground shook — literally.
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| (Mave/Facebook) |
In 2001, the Nisqually earthquake destroyed the factory. Jean Thompson took over and, while rebuilding, began asking new questions about chocolate.
First, Jean redesigned the packaging, wrapping bars in vibrant jewel tones that stood out in a sea of brown on the chocolate aisle. This small change signaled a larger shift within the company.
Then, Jean started traveling to Peru, West Africa, Tanzania, Ecuador, and the Dominican Republic. She met the farmers who grew the cocoa beans that would become Seattle Chocolate's products and learned about the complexity of their work, the knowledge it requires, and how little money often makes it back to those doing the hardest labor.
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| (Jean Thompson/LinkedIn) |
These conversations led Seattle Chocolate to begin trading directly with farmers, eliminating middlemen. In Peru, they went a step further, roasting and lightly processing beans into cocoa liquor on site to keep more value at the source. Where direct relationships were not feasible, they chose Rainforest Alliance Certified cocoa, which tracks not only environmental practices but also monitors for forced labor, child labor, discrimination, and workplace violence.
In 2024, Jean asked farmers in Ghana what they needed. Their practical answers included wells for clean water, new seedlings, and savings and loan programs to help manage money in the off-season.
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| (Maeve/Instagram) |
Seattle Chocolate began funding these projects, installing wells in women's cooperatives, planting seedlings, and helping establish village savings and loan associations. The company now directs 10% of net profits to support farmers and has partnered with programs teaching regenerative agriculture, like maintaining soil health and increasing biodiversity. Chemical fertilizers and pesticides were replaced with organic compost and natural alternatives.
In 2019, Jean's daughter, Ellie, officially joined the company. Together, they imagined reaching beyond the Pacific Northwest to offer people across the country chocolate that balanced ethics and taste.
In March 2025, Seattle Chocolate became Maeve, named after a fiery first-century Irish warrior queen. The rebrand reimagined the company as a confectionery built on direct farmer relationships, environmental responsibility, and delicious chocolate.
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| (Jean Thompson/LinkedIn) |
More than three decades after its founding, the company's recipes remain largely unchanged. But how they're made, where ingredients come from, and who benefits has been completely transformed. Jean took what could have been the company's end after an earthquake and turned it into a new beginning.
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