Becoming CFO of an Innovative Dessert Company

Drexel's Close School of Entrepreneurship and Baiada Institute provided me the opportunity to work in a startup called ChocAmo, run by a cookie-loving entrepreneur, Michelle Silberman. I joined ChocAmo in February of 2016 and since then, I have helped the innovative dessert company expand its brand presence and raise its revenue enough for the company to be self-sustaining.

I have helped the innovative dessert company expand its brand presence and raise its revenue enough for the company to be self-sustaining.

First, I overhauled the bookkeeping practices of the startup. Then, I was able to learn about how the company produced their Cookie Cups and worked to make the production process more efficient. I helped Michelle figure out her goals for ChocAmo and understand how to reach those goals. The first step that I suggested to her to reach her goals was to run a Kickstarter to get the company noticed and as a great platform to raise consumer sales. We ran our Kickstarter from the end of October through November and ended up exceeding our funding goal, raising over $20,000.

Working for ChocAmo taught me a lot about running a startup and managing company growth. The faculty of the Close School of Entrepreneurship as well as the entrepreneurship classes I was taking alongside working at ChocAmo, gave me the guidance I needed to bring real value to the table and learn invaluable skills that will help me when I start my own company.

Jacob Sheldon is an Entrepreneurship major from Old Tappan, NJ.