The Gravette High School Business and Accounting classes, led by Mrs. Shannon Moots, had the opportunity to experience the world of business firsthand with a visit to Kyya Chocolate, a local company making a significant global impact. The trip connected classroom with real-world applications of their lessons in business management, international trade, and the financial fundamentals of running a company, such as profits, expenses, assets, and liabilities.
Kyya Chocolate, founded by entrepreneur Rick Boosey, began with a powerful mission. After working with a non-profit on an orphanage in Uganda, Rick was inspired to create a business that would help support the orphanage. He chose chocolate, as it is a crop grown in Africa, and launched Kyya as the first bean-to-bar chocolate company in the region. This origin story tied directly into the students' studies of international business, as Rick discussed how he navigated global markets and sourced cacao beans from Africa.
During the tour, Rick explained how Kyya manages day-to-day operations, from local marketing and sales to shipping logistics and production. The students gained valuable insight into how a business is managed, how profits are impacted by production costs, and the challenges of running a small business in a competitive market. These discussions reinforced the financial and management concepts the students have been learning in class.
One of the highlights of the tour was Kyya’s new bakery, which expands the company’s product offerings from chocolate and syrup to baked goods. The students learned about the process of designing packaging, branding, and developing new products—tying in directly with their lessons on product development and marketing. The tour also included a hands-on look at the chocolate-making process, where students observed cacao grinding, chocolate molding, and tasted raw cacao to understand the complexities of chocolate production and its pricing.
The field trip to Kyya Chocolate was an invaluable experience that brought business and accounting concepts to life. The students left with a deeper understanding of how these principles are applied in the real world and how a business can evolve and grow. Special thanks to Rick Boosey and Kyya Chocolate for providing such an informative and inspiring experience.
