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EPISODE · Oct 18, 2025 · 1H 7M

The Tech Founder Who Became America’s Best Chocolate Maker

from Warm Intro · host Chai Mishra

Todd Masonis makes the best chocolate in America—but he took an unexpected path to get there.Todd co-founded a startup with Sean Parker (yes, that Sean Parker from The Social Network). After selling it for over $150 million, he walked away from Silicon Valley to make chocolate in his friend’s garage.Seventeen years later, that experiment became Dandelion Chocolate—considered by many to be America’s best chocolate maker (not just a chocolatier, mind you).In this conversation, we talk about:– Building fast vs. crafting slow– What makes good chocolate truly good– Chocolatiers Vs Chocolate Makers– Why Chai thinks that Dandelion is the "Mike Tyson of chocolate makers"– Why thinking in centuries, not weeks, might be the secret to building truly big thingsIf you love stories about craftsmanship, purpose, and the pursuit of excellence—this one’s for you.Warm IntroA conversation, not an interview. Warm, sometimes weird, conversations with interesting people doing big things. Warm Intro is a video podcast. We're available on every major podcast app and YouTube.YouTube: @warmintroInstagram: @warm.introHosted by Chai MishraChai is the Founder of The Essential, an ethical commerce company funded by the leading lights of Silicon Valley.Chai served on the board of UNICEF, and has advised cities, universities, national sports teams and Fortune 500 corporations. A Forbes 30 Under 30 honoree, Chai’s work has also been covered in publications ranging from the SF Chronicle to Business Insider.Presented by WefunderWefunder created The Community Round.— allowing founders to raise funds directly from their communities  — allowing anyone to support their favorite founders and join their success.Raise on WefunderViews here are those of the host and the guest. Wefunder makes the show possible but doesn't control who we have on or what we say.

Episode metadata supplied by the publisher feed · Published Oct 18, 2025

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Todd Masonis makes the best chocolate in America—but he took an unexpected path to get there. Todd co-founded a startup with Sean Parker (yes, that Sean Parker from The Social Network). After selling it for over $150 million, he walked away from Silicon Valley to make chocolate in his friend’s garage. Seventeen years later, that experiment became Dandelion Chocolate—considered by many to be America’s best chocolate maker (not just a chocolatier, mind you). In this conversation, we talk abo...

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The Tech Founder Who Became America’s Best Chocolate Maker

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