Before he was a chocolatier, our founder Dale Anderson, worked as a counselor with young people in the court system for several years. Through this work it became clear that talk therapy—while helpful—was often not enough to overcome the many barriers that they faced. Dale wanted to find a better way to help them become successful members of society.

He considered starting a business to employ and train these youth on the job. After buying a box of fancy chocolates, he joked that maybe he should open a chocolate shop—and call it Confections with Convictions--a play on words that was soon to become a reality.

Dale spent three years studying and practicing the art of making fine chocolates and then put his construction skills to work renovating a building for his shop on Crosstown Parkway in Kalamazoo. Confections with Convictions has been serving the Kalamazoo community with handmade, artisanal chocolates since 2010. In 2023 Jennifer Fakettty joined Dale in managing the shop, bringing a passion for helping those in recovery as well. Stop by to see Dale and Jennifer’s inspiration put into action producing fine artisanal chocolates and fine citizens.