When Denise Schreiber ’99 started dating her would-be husband, she had no idea that relationship would bring more sweetness than she could have ever imagined into her life, eventually leading her to run a successful chocolate-making company, Chocolates Unlimited, more than 15 years later.
Schreiber’s initial connection to her future business endeavor developed through her mother-in-law, who always loved making chocolates and had a storefront in New Jersey with hundreds of requests for custom chocolate. Schreiber eventually had children of her own, and her daughter loved to make candies with her NaNa. When Schreiber’s mother-in-law passed away, Schreiber stepped up to provide her daughter with her beloved candy-making.
Schreiber, who was a Marketing and International Business major with a German concentration at Elizabethtown College, discovered that she had a knack for creating various chocolate items, and she had a fun time doing it. Schreiber created increasingly detailed chocolates, and began getting orders from her friends, then friends-of-friends.
“I have a sign in my office that says, ‘If the plan doesn’t work, change the plan but never change the goal!’” Schreiber said. “I live by that motto.”
Schreiber’s motto was true in her earlier years too — she started as a Political Science major but decided to switch to International Business.
“That process was so meaningful in so many ways,” Schreiber said. “I had to pivot and figure out what classes I now needed to graduate and make new connections. Thankfully, Etown is a small and supportive community.”
“The College has always been a huge support as far as my entrepreneurial endeavors, always supporting and encouraging me.”
Chocolates Unlimited is the original name of her mother-in-law’s business. Schreiber decided to carry on that legacy by continuing the business name and considers herself blessed to share her passion with clients.
Schreiber now has a successful Etsy storefront, with nearly 20,000 individual sales since 2016, garnering national attention. She describes her company as making handcrafted chocolate the artisan way… one piece at a time!
“I initially started my Etsy site as a platform to gain a new customer base,” Schreiber said. “I have recently been in talks with a national specialty retailer and hope to move forward with projects with them in 2024.”
Not only is Schreiber chocolate-savvy, but the business skills that she formed during her time as a Blue Jay keep her business and passion running. Schreiber obtained an internship with the Harrisburg Department of Economic Development her senior year and says the internship helped her land her first job.
Schreiber’s experiential learning experiences at Etown, such as studying abroad in Germany through the International Business program during her junior year, also provided her with the skills to better meet the needs of her customers.
“While I studied abroad, I met so many people and had a great experience that allowed me to better understand cultures and other societies,” Schreiber said. “Being able to help customers who are trying to add part of their culture to an event is always fun!”
Schreiber has regular orders available on her Etsy storefront, but does custom pieces, infusing the customer’s passion with hers.
Customers can make a purchase from Schreiber’s Etsy, and contact her for custom orders through the site.
