Chocolate startup embracing Asian heritage
LOS ANGELES — Chris Young, the co-founder and chief executive officer of a chocolate startup, recently observed a lack of diversity in leadership behind established and even emerging brands in the category. He and his two co-founders “felt like we needed to conceal our Asian heritage for this industry to take us seriously,” Mr. Young recounted in a LinkedIn post. He described the “uphill battle” the founding team has faced over the past four years since launching Pocket Latte, a brand of chocolate squares infused with coffee, noting, “at candy trade shows, we frequently got asked questions like ‘where do you import this from’ or ‘what part of China’ is this from.” “Today, that all changes,” he added, revealing a forthcoming launch of chocolate coated almonds featuring Asian-inspired