R&D Roots
Lab technicians including extract technician Alex Kato (left) and Cuong Nguyen (middle right) check lab results at R&D in Kiva's chocolate factory on Friday, August 11, 2017, in Oakland, Calif.. Kiva research and development staff experiment with new formulations. Kiva turns trim into cold water hash for its chocoalte, but also has ethanol and CO2 systems.
Small Batch
Cannabis infused mint irish cream chocolate mixes at Kiva. Through trial and error, Kiva learned cannabis oil complements flavors like mint, irish cream, and blackberry. Kiva has 25 different products at three potency levels. Mint irish cream milk chocolate in the pour room at Kiva's chocolate factory on Friday, August 11, 2017, in Oakland, Calif..
Handmade
A worker pours melted, mixed chocolate into molds for hardening. The cannabis world's idea of "industrial" is the normal world's idea of artisanal. Production lead chocolatier Nick Dellipizzi pours mint irish cream milk chocolate into molds in the pour room at Kiva's chocolate factory on Friday, August 11, 2017, in Oakland, Calif.
Precious Cargo
Kiva custom sources their chocolate 500 pounds at a time for flavor, texture, and mouth feel — with no waxes or fillers. "It has to have a silky smooth texture," Knoblich said. John Tate moves molds of poured mint irish cream milk chocolate into the cold room at Kiva's chocolate factory on Friday, August 11, 2017, in Oakland, Calif.
Final Look
Kiva started with a single mixer on a residential kitchen counter. "Chocolate is extremely scalable," Knoblich said.
Mint irish cream milk chocolate bars prepared for packaging at Kiva's chocolate factory on Friday, August 11, 2017, in Oakland, Calif.
Signed, Sealed
Edible cannabis chocolate bars by Kiva, at medical cannabis dispensary The Apothecarium in San Francisco, CA, on Wednesday November 22, 2017. "We're not a mom and pop business anymore," Knoblich said. "We've built a brand people trust."
Terra-tory
"That's like gold that he's pouring out into these containers," Knoblich said. Panning technician II Tarin Ford measures Terra Bites Chocolate Covered Blueberry Bites on a weight scale after doing quality checks at Kiva's chocolate factory on Friday, August 11, 2017, in Oakland, Calif.
?
"Panning is seen as an art rather than a science," Knoblich said. "You're like forming a snow ball." Panning technician II Train Ford does quality checks on Terra Bites 120mg Chocolate Covered Blueberry Bites at Kiva's chocolate factory on Friday, August 11, 2017, in Oakland, Calif.
Stack Them High
Kiva: Terra Bites 120mg chocolate covered blueberry bites placed in tins measured on weight scales at Kiva's chocolate factory on Friday, August 11, 2017, in Oakland, Calif. Every Friday, employees get free gift bags of misshapen Terra bites dubbed "terra-flops".
Down the Line
Cleanliness protocols at Kiva include bug zappers, hair nets, beard nets, gloves, coats, hand-washing and HVAC scrubbers. Ashley Chantler makes samples at Kiva's chocolate factory on Friday, August 11, 2017, in Oakland, Calif.
Weigh Out
Kiva: Terra Bites 120mg chocolate covered espresso beans placed in tins measured on weight scales at Kiva's chocolate factory on Friday, August 11, 2017, in Oakland, Calif. Kiva workers get full benefits including medical, dental, and vision. Kiva picks up 90 percent of the cost.
Adult-Use Changes
Recreational legalization could mean a 400 to 700 percent increase in demand with a 30-day lead time. That's 60,00 units a day, I remind Knoblich. She covers her mouth and says, "Oh my god — I guess so."
Endless Days
Incoming cannabis waiting on test results at Kiva's chocolate factory on Friday, August 11, 2017, in Oakland, Calif. Kiva tests for 280 different pesticides.
It’s the American dream: start a business in your home kitchen and grow it to become a leader in the Golden State. Today, Kiva Confections co-founder Kristi Knoblich Palmer and husband Scott Palmer are living that dream. She says has ‘pinch me’ moments “like 150 times a day.”
“I haven’t slept in eight years,” said Knoblich who studied photography at the now-closed Brooks Institute in Santa Barbara where she met her now-husband.
Founded in 2010 in Knoblich’s childhood San Leandro home, the 85-employee Kiva now handcrafts 15,000 cannabis-infused chocolate units per day in their factory in Oakland, California to serve roughly 1,000 retail outlets across California. Kiva has also licensed its intellectual property to offshoot Kiva companies in Arizona, Nevada and Illinois.
With modern legal marijuana regulations, Kiva’s journey cannot be replicated.
“It’s both good and bad. It’s unfortunate you need millions and millions [of dollars] to get started, but it’s a good thing to get product safety standards and people operating above board,” Knoblich said.
Growth has been so torrid, Kiva has run out of space. And due to high local taxes in Oakland, Kiva has also begun looking to relocate for recreational sales.
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