Boulder candy company rides natural, organic wave

BOULDER — Jeremy Vandervoet was the director of confection and snacking marketing for Nestle S.A. when he left to join a small candy startup in Boulder. It was 2016, and he was on a mission to acquire brands for Nestle. That’s when he met Chris Mears, Little Secrets LLC founder and CEO. 

“We had done a lot of consumer research, and we knew that — and Hershey’s and Mars kind of knew the same thing — this [premium products] is the future of chocolate,” Vandervoet said. 

Vandervoet is now president and COO of the Boulder company.

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Mears created Little Secrets to compete directly with well-known chocolate bars by creating similar products with natural and certified Fair Trade ingredients. Its “chocolate pieces” are similar to M&Ms. The “crispy wafers” resemble the Kit Kat bar. The company boasts about its omission of high fructose syrup and artificial flavors and colors.

According to the 2019 National Confectioners Association report on chocolate consumption, Millennial consumers have driven an increase in demand for specialty, organic and ethically sourced chocolates.

Since its creation in 2014, Little Secrets candy has hit shelves in 5,000 locations. It also doubled its staff size from six to 12 employees. Production of the crispy wafers is outsourced to a company in Spain, while production of the rest of the products is outsourced to companies in the U.S. and distributed from a warehouse in Indiana. Little Secrets raw materials are sourced through Fair Trade. 

In 2019, Little Secrets joined a star list of Boulder organic food products to sell in Whole Foods, a list that includes Bobo’s Oat Bars and Justin’s.

“We take great pride as a center for entrepreneurship and innovation in new products, and then we love to see them off to become national brands that are respected and appreciated,” said John Tayer, president and CEO of the Boulder Chamber.

The Boulder Economic Council, the economic-development arm of the Boulder Chamber, identifies natural products as one of the six key industries in the city. The community’s devotion to producing and purchasing ethically sourced items, sustainability and living a healthy lifestyle allows startups such as Little Secrets to succeed, Tayer said. He added that the city is a nurturing home for entrepreneurs. 

“All of that combines to make a place that is the perfect recipe,” Tayer said.

Mears said that the local health-food startup community is tight-knit. Little Secrets is a part of Naturally Boulder, a nonprofit that encourages the industry through programs, education and financial support. Through the organization, Mears and several other CEOs meet once a quarter to share business advice.

“It’s a community here in Boulder where everyone wants to see everyone succeed and there isn’t that competitive secrecy,” Mears said.