Robert Steinberg

Robert Steinberg (1947-2008), first investor in Xoco and co-founder of Scharffen Berger chocolate maker.

We at Xoco were deeply inspired by Robert Steinberg, who unfortunately passed away in 2008. Robert was a family physician, Harvard University graduate, and accomplished cook. After being diagnosed with a form of lymphoma in May 1989, he sold his medical practice and devoted time to things he loved – among them cooking and eating fine food, especially chocolate. This led to his founding of gourmet chocolate maker Scharffen Berger, which would become the leader in its field in the United States. After Robert sold his share in Scharffen Berger to Hershey's, he was the first to invest in Xoco. Because of Robert's passion for quality, he had always wanted to get to the roots of gourmet chocolate: the beans. During the years with Scharffen Berger he had grown increasingly frustrated by what he felt was the separation between gourmet chocolate manufacturers and cocoa bean producers. The separation was not only in physical distance, but also in philosophy. While gourmet chocolate production requires meticulousness down to the last detail, bean production has typically exhibited much less care. Many beans are mixed without the understanding of unique genetic flavor profiles. Moreover, growing practices and post-harvest processes often result in tremendous lack of consistency. Robert pioneered our emphasis on the identification of the best bean varieties and our insistence on top quality bean production processes. He is responsible for our vision to become the best in our class.