2026 Board of Directors

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Born in California to a family with agriculture on both sides: The Lydgates going back to Laupahoehoe sugar plantation on Hawai'i island in the 1870’s, and the Hibbs family who raised corn and soybeans since the early 1900’s in Iowa. Will grew up with a latent fascination for plants and agriculture and a thirst to discover his family’s Hawaiian history. Also an accomplished musician Will has a B.M. from Berklee College of Music in Boston and an M.M from their Valencia, Spain campus. Will runs his family Cacao operation -- pioneers of ag-tourism in Hawai'i, and is helping to show growers the important keys to profitability contained in value-added sales. Will understands the challenges value-added and ag-tourism operations face and can explain how to address them. Will is also an accomplished public speaker and his Ted talk ‘Changing the Way We Think About Chocolate’ sheds light on the specialty chocolate movement, which is based on fine flavor in chocolate growing and post-harvest processing.“Let’s harness the power of value-added sales to our thriving Hawai'i visitor industry and make agriculture a lucrative sector again in Hawai'i.”- Will Lydgate, Owner & Manager, Lydgate Farms, LLC. lydgatefarms.com

 Maria Carl (Rogers) is an 8-year HCCA Board Member and past President. She is currently serving as our Vice President. She and her husband, Michael Rogers, are co-owners of 21 Degrees Estate Cacao Farm in Kahalu’u, on O’ahu’s windward coast. Maria is a retired Air Force colonel. Before entering the cacao and chocolate business, she spent most of her career as a corporate Communications and Marketing Executive. She has since completed a MS in Agriculture Entrepreneurship and a certification as a chocolate sommelier. 21 Degrees Estate is a 10-acre mid-sized cacao farm established in 2014 and includes approximately 800 cacao trees at varying levels of maturity and harvest production, as well as multiple tropical fruits, flowers, nuts and other plants. The farm also houses laying hens and over12 honeybee hives for honey production. The farm conducts regular educational agri-tours alongside hosting wellness and cacao oriented events.  Follow the farm & all their upcoming events on Facebook @ 21 Degrees Estate Cacao Farm or visit their website 21degreesestate.com

Greg D'Alesandre has a 30 year history in Cacao, Chocolate, and Technology. Graduating from Brown University with a Master’s Degree in Electrical Engineering, he spent the first part of his career working in a variety of startups in Engineering, Consulting, and Project Management capacities leading him to working as a Group Product Manager at Google. Starting in 2012 Greg shifted his work to Chocolate as the Chief Sourcing Officer for Dandelion Chocolate. In that capacity he’s worked with cocoa producers all over the world as well as helped build out Dandelion’s production and business. More recently he has started a private consultancy called Sourcerer Solutions where he’s working with cocoa producers all over the world. He has visited over 30 cocoa growing countries and hundreds of farms and fermentaries. He’s co-author of “Making Chocolate: Bean to Bar to S’more”, occasional co-host on Craft Chocolate TV, and Producer for the Craft Chocolate Experience San Francisco.

Today Greg is an Independent Consultant working with Chocolate Makers and Cocoa Producers around the globe.

Dylan Butterbaugh is the Owner and Operator of Mānoa Chocolate. Mānoa Chocolate Hawai'i is a bean-to-bar chocolate factory located in Kailua on the island of O'ahu. In Hawaiian language, mānoa means "thick, solid, vast; depth" and refers to the depth of flavor and complexity found in dark chocolate. Founder and Chocolate Maker, Dylan Butterbaugh was born and raised on O'ahu and started the factory in his home town. While still in college, Dylan was exposed to small-batch chocolate making at the University of Hawai'i College of Tropical Agriculture where his friend was researching the potential for theobroma cacao cultivation in Hawai'i. By lending a hand in the lab and witnessing the process of setting up micro-ferments, roasting beans and tempering bars, he became fascinated with the art and craft of transforming cacao beans into dark chocolate. Upon graduation in 2010, he launched his own company with a focus on developing a Hawaiian cacao industry.  In addition to sourcing beans from emerging growers throughout the Hawaiian Islands, Mānoa Chocolate Hawai'i is passionate about producing ethically sourced single origin chocolate from around the world.   

Benjamin Field is a nurseryman from Kahalu'u, O'ahu. Green Field Nursery is a family owned and operated wholesale plant nursery specializing in contract   growing. Ben's involvement with cacao started in 2008 by planting a few seedlings in his yard. This has since turned into Mapele Fields LLC, a cacao farming side-business. At present, this company provides post-harvest services to over 2,000 trees and is actively installing orchards on the windward side.  Find Mapele Fields on Instagram @mapele_fields

Susan Bassett owns Mauna Kea Cacao with her husband, John Bassett. As Susan planned an early exit from her chemical engineering and environmental consulting career, she and John bought a 20-acre farm near Pepe’ekeo on Hawai’i Islands’ Hamakua Coast and began planting cacao during vacations. The cacao orchard was 1,000 trees strong and the oldest trees were producing when Susan moved to the farm. Now  with 1,500 trees and four years of experience fermenting and drying cacao, Mauna Kea Cacao is known for its quality cacao, which is sold to premium  bean-to-bar chocolate makers in Hawai'i and on the U.S. mainland. Mauna Kea Cacao also provides weekly farm tours and chocolate tastings. Susan actively promotes the cacao industry and mentors new farmers on Hawai'i Island. 

maunakeacacao.com

Michael Rogers, along with his wife Maria Carl, founded 21 Degrees Estate in 2014 and have been active in the Hawai'i cacao community throughout.  21 Degrees Estate is a family operated, boutique cacao farm located in Kahalu`u, Oahu.  Their 10 acre farm has approximately 700 cacao trees and numerous other fruit and native Hawaii trees.  They also maintain 13 bee hives producing a Good Food award-winning honey.  The farm conducts regular educational agri-tours and hosts wellness and cacao oriented events.  Michael served a career in the Navy prior to establishing 21 Degrees Estate.  21degreesestate.com

Amy is President of Special Events Hawaii, a leading marketing, advertising and event planning firm handling events statewide for over 30 years. In 2008 she was asked to join the Governor's Task Force on the Hawaiʻi Cacao Industry where she recommended establishing a festival and in 2011 she founded the Hawaiʻi Chocolate Festival. Amy was the catalyst for the formation of the Hawaiʻi Chocolate and Cacao Association by hosting industry leaders at the state legislature providing a forum for stakeholders to discuss the formation of an organization. She is also responsible for the designation of February as Hawaii-Grown Cacao Month, the production of a Hawaiian Airlines in-flight video promoting Cacao that reaches millions, the Honolulu Star-Advertiser front page coverage entitled "Cacao" and is a strong industry advocate. Continuing her childhood passion as a chocolatier, she creates chocolate just for fun under the label Aloha Chocolate Company by Kealoha.