Justice and the cloud are key ingredients for Dutch chocolate company Tony’s Chocolonely

The origin story of Dutch chocolate company Tony’s Chocolonely is different than most. In 2002, its founder Teun van de Keuken – an investigative reporter – discovered that chocolate companies that had signed an agreement to end forced child labor weren’t upholding their promise.

Fueled by this injustice, he took matters into his own hands. In 2005, he created Tony’s Chocolonely, with a mission to deal directly with West African cocoa farmers, enabling their families to earn a living wage so that their children could attend school, instead of being forced to work for a living.

A whimsical workspace at Tony Chocolonely.

“Unlike other companies I’ve worked for, our goal isn’t about maximizing profit for our company,” says Tony’s Chocolonely marketing communications manager Angela Ursem. “Money is just a means to our mission. We’re an impact company, out to not just be profitable, but to change the whole industry. And we do it in a fun way.”

Since its humble beginnings, the company has grown, with more than 100 dedicated employees across Europe, West Africa and the US. With so many people spread across the globe, reliable and efficient communication was a top priority to ensure that things ran smoothly.

While the Amsterdam-based company grew quickly, its original collaboration apps didn’t support its international expansion or its work-life balance ideals. The solution lay in a backbone built on Microsoft 365, allowing staff to communicate, work together, build relationships and share ideas, via the collaborative power of the cloud.

Visit Microsoft News Centre Europe to meet the Dutch chocolate company that dared to be different.