2026 Conference Speakers

LYDGATE FARMS

Fifth generation of the Lydgate Ohana, Will’s agricultural roots run deep in Hawaii. An initial planting of 80 trees in 2002 has grown to over 4,000 cacao trees, on multiple sites. 

Will participated in the founding of HCCA in 2012, won top 50 best in the world in 2017, 2021, and the Cacao of Excellence Gold Award in 2023. Will wants to make Hawaii the global center of excellence for cacao quality, research and education, and chocolate tourism. He believes that Hawaii can position our cacao and chocolate 

The Lydgates go 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

HCCA

Gracie is an Oʻahu born & raised sales leader, storyteller, and relationship builder with a deep-rooted passion for elevating local experiences and connecting people to place. With over eight years leading sales and brand development for Mānoa Chocolate Hawaiʻi - one of the largest craft chocolate makers in the United States - she played a role in expanding the company’s reach, forging strategic partnerships, and transforming Hawaiʻi-grown chocolate into an immersive, education-driven experience grounded in sustainability and community.

Now serving as Director of Sales for Hawaiʻi Nautical, Gracie leads strategic partnerships and revenue growth across Oʻahu, Maui, and Hawaiʻi Island, helping shape unforgettable ocean experiences that reflect the spirit of the islands. She also serves as the acting Executive Director of the Hawaiʻi Chocolate & Cacao Association (HCCA), supporting its mission to advance research, education, and agri-tourism within Hawaiʻi’s cacao & chocolate making industry.

Rooted in a 7 generation legacy that spans architecture, real estate, and deep connection to the islands, Gracie brings a kamaʻāina mindset grounded in authenticity, hospitality, and a genuine desire to make people feel seen and welcomed. Known for her ability to bring people together - with heart, humor, and a touch of well-placed mischief - she is passionate about uplifting local businesses, fostering meaningful connections, and celebrating the stories of Hawaiʻi - old & new. 

TERRATON INDUSTRIAL

DANDELION CHOCOLATE

Greg 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. 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.

In recent years, Greg has devoted his energies to founding bio-char company, Terraton. Terraton is a climate-tech company that helps agribusinesses in emerging markets build and operate biochar carbon removal facilities. By providing financing, equipment, and a purpose-built software platform, the company turns agricultural waste into revenue-generating biochar and verified carbon credits. A business dedicated to changing the world. Ask him about it!

LYDGATE FARMS

Kailey is the VP of Agriculture and Research at Lydgate Farms. She received her Bachelor of Science in wildlife biology from Colorado State University and began a career in conservation. In 2021 she joined Lydgate Farms as an agricultural researcher and farmer. Kailey is now working on her masters thesis studying cacao fermentation in the Tropical Plant and Soil Science Department at UH Manoa.

21 DEGREES ESTATE

Maria is a long-time 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, a boutique enterprise 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 producing award winning cacao and chocolate, as well as multiple tropical fruits, flowers, nuts and other plants. The farm also houses laying hens and over 12 honeybee hives for honey production which won the 2020 Good Food Awards competition. The farm conducts regular educational agri-tours alongside hosting wellness and cacao oriented events. 

MANOA CHOCOLATE

Owner and Operator of Mānoa Chocolate Hawai’i, a bean-to-bar chocolate factory located in Kailua on the island of O'ahu. Dylan 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. By lending a hand in the lab and learning 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. While finishing his last year of university, in 2010, he founded Mānoa Chocolate with a focus on developing a Hawaiian cacao and chocolate industry.  In addition to sourcing beans from emerging growers throughout the Hawaiian Islands, Mānoa Chocolate is passionate about producing ethically sourced chocolate from around the world.  

Dylan Butterbaugh is also the creator of Craft Chocolate TV, a Youtube channel dedicated to supporting chocolate makers around the world, with over 45K followers.

FAREHARBOR

Mauricio is the General Manager & Head of Strategic Growth for Hawaii & DESK at FareHarbor, where he works closely with tour operators and hospitality partners to help grow and scale their businesses through technology. With over a decade of experience in Hawaii’s tourism industry, Mauricio has been part of FareHarbor’s development from the early days through its expansion into one of the largest reservation platforms for tours and activities in the world.

Through his work, Mauricio has a front-row seat to the growth of agrotourism — seeing how farm tours, chocolate experiences, and locally rooted businesses are becoming a key part of Hawaii’s visitor economy. He focuses on making technology practical and accessible, helping operators turn authentic experiences into scalable, sustainable growth.

LYDGATE FARMS

As General Manager, Ryan runs day-to-day business operations, overseeing a team of 35. He is responsible for Lydgate's primary revenue channels — farm tours, retail, and online sales. Originally from Portland, Oregon, Ryan spent 25-years in marketing and advertising, working for ad agencies like Wieden + Kennedy and running his own mission-driven brand consultancy, GoodGallagher. He graduated from the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, Canada and is a former Peace Corps volunteer (Burkina Faso, West Africa). When not pounding the keys of his laptop, he is a proud girl dad, avid birder, and dark beer connoisseur.

HONOLII ORCHARD

Colin grew up farming, went to school for farming, and now runs Honoliʻi Orchards, a cacao and coffee farm in Paukaʻa on Hawaiʻi Island. Raised on his family's farm, Colin has been involved in agriculture for most of his life and planted his first cacao trees in 2005. He earned a Master's degree in Tropical Plant and Soil Sciences from the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, where his research focused on improving fermentation and drying practices in the state. Colin is passionate about helping establish Hawaiʻi as a world leader in fine-flavor cacao. In addition to serving on the Board of Directors of HCCA he is Vice President of the Synergistic Hawaiʻi Agriculture Council (SHAC), where he advocates for policies and programs that support local agriculture. He regularly works with growers, researchers, and policymakers and participates in state and federal initiatives aimed at advancing agricultural research, education, and industry development in Hawaiʻi. Colin loves spiral phyllotaxy, pho, and cigars.

USDA

Dr. Matsumoto joined USDA ARS DKI PBARC in 2002. She served as the Acting Curator of the USDA ARS NPGS Tropical Fruit, Nut and Beverage repository in Hilo from 2011 to 2025. The Hilo repository is the backup location for the cacao collection housed in USDA ARS Mayagüez, Puerto Rico. Tracie has worked on the characterization and evaluation of new germplasm accessions and new cacao cultivars for the specialty market with emphasis on horticultural and horticultural practices to improve yield and quality. She also worked collaboratively with her colleagues across USDA ARS to understand fundamental aspects of cacao and conducts research to translate this to practical field applications.  Dr. Matsumoto has over 25 years of plant science experience and has worked closely with growers and stakeholders to address industry needs. 

USDA

Dr. Keith is a Research Plant Pathologist in the Tropical Plant Genetic Resources and Disease Research Unit at the USDA ARS Daniel K. Inouye U.S. Pacific Basin Agricultural Research Center (PBARC) in Hilo, HI. Her research on tropical fruit, nuts, and beverage crops is focused on detection, etiology, and control of invasive pathogens. Lisa uses a combination of lab, greenhouse, and field-based techniques to develop and deliver practical disease management strategies that can be adopted by growers. Lisa has been leading the PBARC cacao pathology efforts in Hawaii for more than 20 years, and her current research involves host-pathogen interactions of emerging and re-emerging diseases (CaMMV, Pod Rot, & Cacao Dieback), utilizing fungicides and biological control for management, and screening cacao germplasm for resistance to CaMMV and Phytophthora. Lisa appreciates and enjoys working closely with growers and other stakeholders to help increase productivity and profitability.oduct or service you'd like to show.

MANA PLANTATION

Chief  Sielu is a Samoan-born farmer, cultural practitioner, and agricultural professional based on the island of O'ahu. Raised with a deep connection to the land and to his Samoan heritage, he is passionate about sharing his knowledge of food, farming, and culture. His farm, Mana Plantation, serves as a welcoming gathering place for friends, family, and cultural events within the Samoan and broader Pacific Island community. Siaosi holds a master's degree in Botanical Science with a focus on Plant Pathology from the University of Hawaii at Manoa and previously worked as an entomologist with the Ministry of Agriculture in Samoa. He has also served as a plant quarantine officer with the USDA and currently works as an Agriculture Specialist with U.S. Customs and Border Protection, where he continues to blend scientific expertise with traditional knowledge in support of sustainable agriculture and biosecurity.

ONE CACAO TREE

Since moving to Hawai‘i Island in 2010, Raven has been growing cacao and making chocolate. She brings curiosity and intuition for experimentation from her science background (Ph.D. in Molecular Biophysics & Biochemistry from Yale University) to cacao processing and chocolate making. She has many other interests, but you wouldn’t know it if you get her started talking about cacao. Raven is a certified Hawai‘i Master Gardener, a certified Hawai‘i Master Food Preserver, and a certified science communicator (University of California, Santa Cruz). She authored the tiny-batch guide book One Cacao Tree, curates tasting events, and occasionally sells garden-inspired, inclusion-abundant chocolates.

MILILANI ESTATE CACAO

Peter “Pete” Hix is a Hawaiʻi agricultural entrepreneur, cacao specialist, and managing partner of Southern Turf Hawaiʻi. He oversees large-scale turfgrass production across nearly 100 acres in Central Oʻahu while leading the development of Mililani Estate Cacao, one of Hawaiʻi’s pioneering orchard-style cacao farms.

Raised in a family deeply rooted in agriculture, Pete combines traditional farming values with an innovative approach to Hawaiian-grown cacao. Under his leadership, Mililani Estate Cacao has helped showcase the potential of Hawaiʻi-grown chocolate on the world stage, contributing to international recognition for Hawaiian cacao quality. His vision extends beyond farming, with plans to create immersive cacao farm experiences that connect visitors directly to the journey from tree to chocolate.

Peter is passionate about building sustainable agricultural businesses, developing high-performing teams, and creating opportunities for the next generation of Hawaiʻi farmers. Whether managing turf production, refining cacao fermentation techniques, designing farm infrastructure, innovating new ways to use cacao, he approaches every project with a hands-on commitment to quality and long-term stewardship.

When he’s not on the farm, Pete can be found wearing a “Cacao Boys” self branded shirt, working on equipment, improving diesel trucks, building new agricultural systems and planning the next phase of industry growth.

SHAC (Synergistic Hawaii Agriculture Council)

Suzanne is the Administrator for Synergistic Hawaii Agriculture Council, a consortium that represents Hawaii’s coffee, macadamia, floriculture, papaya and cacao industries. Her mission is to drive innovation in the specialty crop industry and secure Federal and state partnerships to meet the challenges growers face today, whether it is pivoting in the new economy or improving crop quality. Suzanne brings over 20 years of experience in Hawaiʻi small business, farmer-to-farmer education, and non-profit management. With SHAC since 2014, Suzanne has also served as a representative to the USDA Farm Service Agency State Committee, the USDA Coffee and Cocoa Crop Germplasm Committee as well as on multiple statewide and community boards, including the Hawaii Board of Agriculture.  Finally, Suzanne is a second-generation farmer based out of the Kona region of Hawaiʻi Island with her family coffee brand of Lions Gate Farms.

USDA

Roxana received a B.S. degree in Tropical Horticulture from the University of Hawaii at Hilo and a Ph.D. in Plant Pathology specializing in Nematology from the University of Hawaii at Manoa, College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources. She is currently employed as a Research Nematologist at the USDA’s Daniel K. Inouye U.S. Pacific Basin Agricultural Research Center where her responsibilities focus on the development of cost effective and sustainable approaches to the control of plant-parasitic nematodes. Her areas of research include evaluating methods of media disinfestation, testing the efficacy of nematicides in Hawaii’s agricultural systems, utilizing predatory nematodes as biological control agents, and developing crop plants with resistance or tolerance to plant-parasitic nematodes. She also uses entomopathogenic nematodes to manage invasive insect pests in multiple cropping

systems.

CTAHR — UH MANOA

Dr. Cheng is a Professor and Extension Specialist in CTAHR, UH Manoa, with over 23 years of research experience on biology, ecology, and management of turfgrass, landscape, and other pests, as well as on soil ecology, and environmental bio-indicators. Dr. Cheng runs state-wide turfgrass and landscape pest management research and extension program, and has also been directing the UH IR-4 Program (Specialty Crops Pest Management program) since 2018. His current and recent research projects in Hawaii include: control of coconut rhinoceros beetle, control of Ficus stem and leaf gall wasps, control of lobate lac scale, control of oriental flower beetle, control of foliar nematode on ornamental plants, control of root-knot nematode on ornamental plants, control of Plumeria rust, control of hala scale, control of frit fly on golf course, control of fungal disease mini ring on golf course, control of fungal disease take-all patch on golf courses, control of rover ant on golf course, control of coffee leaf rust, control of black pod rot on cacao, control of Chinese rose beetle on cacao, and more. Dr. Cheng has given presentations at many international, national, and local conferences, meetings and workshops. He serves as a peer reviewer for many scientific journals, including Journal of Economic Entomology; Journal of Nematology; Applied Soil Ecology; Nematropica; Proceedings of the Hawaiian Entomological Society; Journal of the American Society for Horticultural Science; and more. Dr. Cheng was the President of the Hawaiian Entomological Society in 2020-2021.

CACAO NOW HAWAIʻI 

Born and raised in Hawaii as the sixth generation, Corinne believes Hawaiʻi can become a world-recognized home of fine cacao products. As Cacao Now Hawaiʻi, she is partnering with the HCCA to lead an international chocolate expo, October 9-10, 2027 Neal Blaisdell Center, Exhibition Hall, Honolulu, Hawaii. Her connection to chocolate began early. At age five, her father gave her fine “chocolate noir” from Japan and that first taste grew into a lifelong appreciation.  In the 1980’s for her college botany class, she presented on cacao and secured one of the early cacao pods then being cultivated in the islands for the class.

A trip to Peru deepened her understanding of cacao's cultural roots. Invited by a member of the Bingham family to mark the 80th anniversary of Hiram Bingham III's bringing Machu Picchu to international attention, she visited Lima's renowned Museo Oro del Peru, Lord of Sipán treasures. This helped her understand the role of cacao in Mesoamerica. That passion carried into public life. Elected five terms to the Hawaiʻi House of Representatives, Ching became the crop's earliest and most devoted legislative champion. Her record includes a 2003 legislative resolution recognizing cacao as a diversified-agriculture crop, a Special Purpose Revenue Bond for a Big Island cacao company, HCR 326, 2008–2009 cacao roadmap, (HB 1598) "Hawaiian Grown Cacao Month"; initiated and helped organize the 2011 Hawaii Chocolate Meeting at the State Capitol, towards creation of HCCA, the first ever Hawaii Chocolate Industry Festival 2011 at Dole Cannery alongside the declaration of February as "Hawaiian-Grown Cacao Month." As a reminder, each Valentine's Day she placed a different Hawaiʻi-made cacao product on her colleagues' desks.  Long before most, she saw where the world of chocolate was heading. Invited to attend the Paris Salon du Chocolat over 20 years ago, in 2024 she attended the flagship event in Paris to explore ways to bring it to Hawaiʻi. Her daughter, Anna, now studying in Europe, keeps a finger on the pulse of the global chocolate scene.

Coming out of retirement to lead this landmark event in partnership with the HCCA, Ching returns to the cause that has helped to define her. With a vision to proclaim 2027 the “Year of Hawaii Grown Chocolate”, her conviction is as simple as it is enduring: cacao is good for the economy, good for the land, and ultimately, good for the people of Hawaii.re.

LYDGATE FARMS

Mason has worn many hats at Lydgate Farms for almost 4 years. He recently completed his 12 years of service in the US Army and is currently enrolled in the Agricultural Leadership Program Cohort XIX. He holds his Masters of Science in Outdoor Adventure & Expedition Leadership. Mason’s presence at Hawaii on the Hill 2026 in Washington, DC advocated for the potential Cacao has in Hawai’i as a current thriving agricultural corp. Born & raised in Kapolei, he resides in Kaua’i. 

SINGER / SONGWRITER

Drew is a Hawaiʻi Island-based singer-songwriter whose sound blends reggae, Americana folk, punk rock, and soul. A guitarist and vocalist, he is known for thoughtful songwriting and dynamic live performances. An active part of the local music community, he has performed alongside artists including Anuhea, The Green, and Paula Fuga. A 2026 Henry Kapono Foundation On The Rise artist, Drew continues to grow his catalog and audience through collaboration, live performance, and storytelling. Check him out @drewdanielsmusic