Shawn Askinosie

Coming Up

A change of trade can still carry forward a working discipline. Before chocolate, Shawn Askinosie worked for years as a Criminal Defense Lawyer, building a practice around close reading, pressure, and accountability to clients. In 2006, he left law for chocolate, moving from courtroom work into a craft where sourcing, process, and finished flavor would become the measure. Small-batch chocolate making became the operating frame in 2007, when Shawn Askinosie founded Askinosie Chocolate. The work centered on bean-to-bar production and ethically sourced confections, with attention placed on the relationship between raw material, maker, and finished bar rather than on chocolate as a detached luxury product.

The Current Chapter

Bean-to-bar production at Askinosie Chocolate is organized around origin, supply relationships, and the finished expression of the cacao. Shawn Askinosie serves as Founder and CEO of Askinosie Chocolate, where the company’s Single Origin White Chocolate Bar uses Trinitario beans from the Soconusco region of Mexico. Askinosie Chocolate was the first small-batch Chocolate Maker to produce such a bar. Direct partnership is part of the company’s sourcing posture, not an afterthought to production. Shawn Askinosie’s stated position — “we have to come in as a partner, not as a great white savior” — defines the company’s approach from sourcing through production, keeping the farmer relationship inside the craft conversation rather than outside it.

Career - Founder and Chocolate Maker — Askinosie Chocolate, Springfield, Missouri (2007–present) - Criminal Defense Lawyer — (until 2006)

Signature

Signature chocolates include Single Origin White Chocolate Bar.

Accolades

Recognition for this work has come from both media and institutional channels. O, The Oprah Magazine named Shawn Askinosie among “15 Guys Who Are Saving the World.” The University of Missouri-Columbia awarded him an honorary doctorate for contributions to business and community. His book, “Meaningful Work: The Quest To Do Great Business, Find Your Calling, and Feed Your Soul,” became an Amazon #1 New Release, extending the public record of his approach to ethical business practice.

FAQ Who is Shawn Askinosie? Shawn Askinosie is founder and CEO. What recognition has Shawn Askinosie received? One of 15 Guys Who Are Saving the World.