Ayissi Nyemba’s Stories, Lessons & Insights

We’re looking forward to introducing you to Ayissi Nyemba. Check out our conversation below.

Ayissi, really appreciate you sharing your stories and insights with us. The world would have so much more understanding and empathy if we all were a bit more open about our stories and how they have helped shaped our journey and worldview. Let’s jump in with a fun one: What is a normal day like for you right now?
A normal day for me right now is a real mix of entrepreneurship, hands-on work, and family life. My mornings usually start early with emails and coordinating with our team, followed by production tasks, quality checks, and sometimes meetings with suppliers or partners. I often spend part of the day working on business development, planning new products, or handling logistics for our expansion. In the evenings, I focus on family time and catch up on any outstanding tasks. Every day is different, but it’s always busy, rewarding, and full of learning!

Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
My name is Ayissi, and I’m the founder of Emkao Foods—a woman- and minority-owned chocolate company based in Canada, with a new branch opening soon in Binghamton, NY. What makes Emkao special is our commitment to ethical, bean-to-bar chocolate: we source our cacao directly from smallholder farmers (including my own family’s farm), focusing on transparency, sustainability, and fair compensation.

I started Emkao because I wanted to create real change in the chocolate industry—connecting consumers to the communities behind their chocolate and making every bar a force for good. We handle everything from importing raw beans to crafting finished chocolate, which means we can guarantee quality and traceability at every step.

Right now, we’re working on expanding our product line and building our new facility in the U.S., which will help us reach more people and have an even bigger impact for the farmers we work with. For me, Emkao is about more than chocolate—it’s about empowerment, community, and making a positive difference through food.

Okay, so here’s a deep one: Who taught you the most about work?
The people who taught me the most about work are definitely my dad and mom. Both of my parents are PhDs, and while my mom was teaching and working, she was also running her own little farm—raising chicks and helping out wherever she was needed. My dad has always been incredibly dedicated too; even after waking up from a coma, he went right back to working. That kind of work ethic and commitment is really part of our family culture. My dad also maintained, trained, and certified our family farm as organic. Their example taught me that hard work, perseverance, and dedication are the foundation for everything we do.

Was there ever a time you almost gave up?
Absolutely—there was a time during the full year of 2020, at the height of the pandemic, when I almost gave up. We had to shut down everything, faced major supply chain issues, and simply couldn’t get our products to customers. Debts were piling up, and it felt like everything we had built was at risk. It was an incredibly tough period, but somehow, we kept pushing forward, found new ways to adapt, and are still here today. That experience really tested my resilience and determination.

So a lot of these questions go deep, but if you are open to it, we’ve got a few more questions that we’d love to get your take on. What would your closest friends say really matters to you?
My closest friends would probably say that what really matters to me is family, community, and meaningful work. Those three things are at the heart of everything I do and motivate me every day.

Okay, we’ve made it essentially to the end. One last question before you go. If you knew you had 10 years left, what would you stop doing immediately?
If I knew I had 10 years left, I would stop working in the business world and go back to the farm. I’d spend more time close to nature, with my family, and focus on the simple, meaningful things that bring me joy.

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Image Credits
Wendy photography

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