Ashley Ugarte

ASHLEY UGARTE

Founder, Hijita

Ashley is the founder of Hijita, a Mexican chocolatería based in Austin, Texas. She is known for her innovative and delicious chocolate creations, her passion for Mexican chocolate culture, and her commitment to supporting Mexican heirloom cacao farmers through direct trade. Prior to founding Hijita, Ashley was head chocolatier at Dandelion Chocolate, San Francisco where she co-spearheaded the launch of their award-winning confections program. A Rice University grad, Ashley has worked alongside Turning Green for over 9 years, serving as an intern, fellow, and program coordinator of both Project Green Challenge, and the Conscious Kitchen.