Our Story 1
Our Story 2

Origin Story

We love connecting with people and this picture perfectly captures us together. We are both “all-in” when it comes to this principle. We also love what we do on a daily basis. We wanted to give something back to this world as it’s given us so many gifts; the gifts of family, the beauty of our children, and the ability to connect with different communities around the world. That is why we put all of our intentions into creating K’UL.

In 2014 we did something a little uncommon for our honeymoon. We decided it was as important to give back during the time celebrating our union as much as honoring our new path together. With that intention, we choose to help distribute Vitamin A in remote villages of India with an amazing organization called Vitamin Angels. It was during this trip that we witnessed the true spirit of people living life with a full heart. There was happiness that we witnessed, even though the living conditions were challenging. We saw joy and contentment that really caught us off guard. It was during this trip that we committed to building a business that gave back to the world and that directly supported communities in a way we could only dream of doing a year earlier. 

 

People vs. Profit

We have made it the mission of our company to operate as a social enterprise to elevate those that work so hard to bring something as cherished as chocolate to our tables. You see, it’s people that inspired us to begin the journey of K’UL. We believe that people are far more important than profit. We are also firmly set on the belief that if you support women, they will, in turn, strengthen their families and their communities.

We have come to understand that the most effective work is done by communicating and working directly with the people that inspire us. By partnering with these communities, we can have a better understanding of the work that is needed to be done in order to provide an economic balance between grower, producer, manufacturer, and retailer.

We invite you to follow K’UL’s efforts in sharing the human story behind chocolate; it’s something that we are thrilled to take part of together.

Our Story 3

Paul Newman
FOUNDER

Paul Newman is a social communicator and documentary photographer whose work has been featured and awarded in magazines and online visual journals worldwide. His photographic work has been exhibited in galleries such as the Tate Gallery London and New Mexico Natural History Museum, and he has given numerous lectures internationally on how visual communications promote social responsibility. One of his long-term projects Shadows of a Revolution follows the children left displaced and homeless on the streets of Bucharest, Romania after the fall of Nicolae Ceaușescu in 1989. This project follows the lives of youth who have lived on the streets over the duration of the 15-year project between the years 1997-2009.

 

Working with many of the most influential companies in the natural products industry for over 15 years, Paul has developed insights on how companies have an obligation to the whole supply chain. Equally, he has learned first-hand the importance of telling the ‘human story’ revolving around the products consumers purchase and how they can persuade companies based on their shopping habits. Paul also believes that in today’s interconnected global community, promoting and encouraging social change should be a brand’s primary objective to foster trust with their customers.

 

Paul is also the co-owner of K’UL, a mission-driven company that uses chocolate as a means to increase consumer awareness around the inequity between the increasing wealth of manufacturers, and the exploitative practices used with growers, and producers globally. As a company, K’UL focuses on supporting and empowering women and is working towards directly supporting 20-24 cooperatives throughout the Equatorial belt by the year 2025.

 

These direct-trade partnerships have increased their communities’ economic prosperity by being able to provide the world market with organic cocoa products. These groups have built strong relationships with local growers to strengthen their communities further. Together these two programs have created a direct, positive impact on over 25,000 people combined.

Our Story 4

Ari Lee-Newman
FOUNDER

Growing up in the small town of Lander, Wyoming my parents ensured my brother’s and I were aware of the needs of those around us and taught us that people mattered above all. It seemed so simple, care for each other, look out for your neighbor and yet as I grew up, I began to realize this small-town mentality really was unique and special.

 

The experience that lit the fire within and drew me to find a way to help others came from a medical mission to Honduras when I was 16. It was my first experience with possible danger and also with poverty, the kind of poverty where running water, electricity and plumbing were a luxury. I embarked on the trip with a naivety that everyone lived like I did, and returned with an awareness of human compassion and struggle.

 

In the jungle of Honduras, after taking a prop plane and dug-out canoe to reach people who had never seen doctors and dentists, I saw people line up before the sun came up and travel amazing distances to get help from a physician or dentist. To say I was humbled would be an understatement. I felt gutted from the inside out by the need of the communities we saw. I also saw a joy that was palpable and genuine. I saw happiness, simplicity and love unlike anything I had ever witnessed. These people, who by all western standards had little, were happier than any group of people I had ever witnessed. They were not obsessed with what they did not have, but were joyful in daily tasks, connected and in the flow of life. The experience left me with a desire to understand more, to find a way to help and to be around communities free of the burden, isolation and disengagement that sometimes comes with technology. To find a way to slow life down, to tame the busyness and fear of the future that guides so many decisions.

 

With the birth of our son Koen, my entire perspective changed. I knew I needed to follow this passion, this truth that had gripped me so long ago. I also knew I needed to be a model for him; to take risks, to follow my heart and to pursue what I believed in even if it is not the easiest path. We saw a chance to combine our knowledge of products and our love for people, we took the leap. K’UL is more than chocolate (but it’s darn good chocolate), at its core, it’s about the person behind the bean, the ones that put their heart and souls into the crops and the harvest that we want to ensure makes their fair share. Our goal is to equalize the playing field for our partners and our intention is to honor them with a product that is pure and simple. 

origin story

We love connecting with people and this picture perfectly captures us together. We are both “all-in” when it comes to this principle. We also love what we do on a daily basis. We wanted to give something back to this world as it’s given us so many gifts; the gifts of family, the beauty of our children, and the ability to connect with different communities around the world. That is why we put all of our intentions into creating K’UL.


In 2014 we did something a little uncommon for our honeymoon. We decided it was as important to give back during the time celebrating our union as much as honoring our new path together. With that intention, we choose to help distribute Vitamin A in remote villages of India with an amazing organization called Vitamin Angels. It was during this trip that we witnessed the true spirit of people living life with a full heart. There was a happiness that we witnessed, even though the life conditions were challenging. We saw a joy and contentment that really caught us off guard. It was during this trip that we committed to building a business that gave back to the world and that directly supported communities in a way we could only dream of doing a year earlier. 

 

People vs. profit

We have made it the mission of our company to operate as a social enterprise to elevate those that work so hard to bring something as cherished as chocolate to our tables. You see, it’s people that inspired us to begin the journey of K’UL. We believe that people are far more important than profit. We are also firmly set on the belief that if you support women, they will, in turn, strengthen their families and their communities.

We have come to understand that the most effective work is done by communicating and working directly with the people that inspire us. By partnering with these communities, we can have a better understanding of the work that is needed to be done in order to provide an economic balance between grower, producer, manufacturer, and retailer.

We invite you to follow K’UL’s efforts in sharing the human story behind chocolate; it’s something that we are thrilled to take part of together.

Our Story 3

Paul Newman
CO-FOUNDER

Paul Newman is a social communicator and documentary photographer whose work has been featured and awarded in magazines and online visual journals worldwide. His photographic work has been exhibited in galleries such as the Tate Gallery London and New Mexico Natural History Museum, and he has given numerous lectures internationally on how visual communications promote social responsibility. One of his long-term projects Shadows of a Revolution follows the children left displaced and homeless on the streets of Bucharest, Romania after the fall of Nicolae Ceaușescu in 1989. This project follows the lives of youth who have lived on the streets over the duration of the 15-year project between the years 1997-2009.

 

Working with many of the most influential companies in the natural products industry for over 15 years, Paul has developed insights on how companies have an obligation to the whole supply chain. Equally, he has learned first-hand the importance of telling the ‘human story’ revolving around the products consumers purchase and how they can persuade companies based on their shopping habits. Paul also believes that in today’s interconnected global community, promoting and encouraging social change should be a brand’s primary objective to foster trust with their customers.

 

Paul is also the co-founder of K’UL, a mission-driven company that uses chocolate as a means to increase consumer awareness around the inequity between the increasing wealth of manufacturers, and the exploitative practices used with growers, and producers globally. As a company, K’UL focuses on supporting and empowering women and is working towards directly supporting 20-24 cooperatives throughout the Equatorial belt by the year 2025.

 

These direct-trade partnerships have increased their communities’ economic prosperity by being able to provide the world market with organic cocoa products. These groups have built strong relationships with local growers to strengthen their communities further. Together these two programs have created a direct, positive impact on over 25,000 people combined.

Our Story 4

Ari Lee-Newman
CO-FOUNDER

Growing up in the small town of Lander, Wyoming my parents ensured my brother’s and I were aware of the needs of those around us and taught us that people mattered above all. It seemed so simple, care for each other, looks out for your neighbor, and yet as I grew up, I began to realize this small-town mentality really was unique and special.

 

The experience that lit the fire within and drew me to find a way to help others came from a medical mission to Honduras when I was 16. It was my first experience with possible danger and also with poverty, the kind of poverty where running water, electricity, and plumbing were a luxury. I embarked on the trip with a naivety that everyone lived like I did, and returned with an awareness of human compassion and struggle.

 

In the jungle of Honduras, after taking a prop plane and dug-out canoe to reach people who had never seen doctors and dentists, I saw people line up before the sun came up and travel amazing distances to get help from a physician or dentist. To say I was humbled would be an understatement. I felt gutted from the inside out by the need of the communities we saw. I also saw a joy that was palpable and genuine. I saw happiness, simplicity, and love, unlike anything I had ever witnessed. These people, who by all western standards had little, were happier than any group of people I had ever witnessed. They were not obsessed with what they did not have but were joyful in daily tasks, connected, and in the flow of life. The experience left me with a desire to understand more, to find a way to help, and to be around communities free of the burden, isolation, and disengagement that sometimes comes with technology. To find a way to slow life down, to tame the busyness and fear of the future that guides so many decisions.

 

With the birth of our son Koen, my entire perspective changed. I knew I needed to follow this passion, this truth that had gripped me so long ago. I also knew I needed to be a model for him; to take risks, to follow my heart, and to pursue what I believed in even if it is not the easiest path. We saw a chance to combine our knowledge of products and our love for people, we took the leap. K’UL is more than chocolate (but it’s darn good chocolate), at its core, it’s about the person behind the bean, the ones that put their heart and souls into the crops and the harvest that we want to ensure makes their fair share. Our goal is to equalize the playing field for our partners and our intention is to honor them with a product that is pure and simple.