Who We Are

Andrew Day, Farm Manager
Andy joined the team in June 2022. He oversees all the daily on-farm activities from managing the trees to fermenting and drying the beans. Andy has a B.S. in Biology and is a certified horticulturalist. Andy was previously an urban farmer in Edmonton, Alberta.

Chris Somerville, Managing Partner
Chris conceived of the idea for Ninole Cacao in late 2016. Chris is a very experienced plant biochemist. After a long career making ground-breaking scientific contributions to the fields of plant photosynthesis, lipids, cell walls and plant development, Chris decided to spend his time working for a philanthropy. In his free time he advises startup companies and keeps the Ninole team motivated and on task.

Pierre Broun, Founding Partner
Pierre joined Ninole Cacao as a Founding Partner in 2017. Pierre is an experienced plant biochemist who spent many years heading a Nestle research center and and at Olam. Pierre is now working on sustainable agriculture in NEOM. When he's not on globe trotting adventures (in non-pandemic times), Pierre is challenging the Ninole team to try some new ideas.

Heather Youngs, Founding Partner
Heather joined Ninole Cacao as a Founding Partner in 2017. Heather is a plant biochemist who spent a decade working in renewable energy and now works at a philanthropy. An avid gardener, Heather also likes to experiment with chocolate.

Shauna Somerville, Research Team Lead
Shauna joined the Ninole team in 2019. Shauna helps the team manage pests and pathogens. A very experienced plant pathologist, Shauna had a long career making ground-breaking discoveries in academia and is now a master gardener. In her spare time, Shauna is an avid reader and deep thinker and provides the team with sound advice in all things.