Arizona, United States
United States

About TCL
Since 1998, Clay has worked in the fields of cocoa and chocolate as an independent author, journalist, consultant, and sales professional. While he has specialized in craft and specialty chocolate and cocoa – focusing on sourcing, quality, new product development, manufacturing, marketing, and consumer education from the farm to the factory to the table – his experience includes work with some of the largest chocolate makers and equipment manufacturers in the world as well as state and federal government agencies in cocoa-producing countries. He has made his knowledge, experience, and network available to many influential cocoa suppliers, chocolatiers, and chocolate makers, including dozens of startups and some of the world’s largest chocolate companies.
In 2001 he launched chocophile.com, a blog featuring news and reviews, developing a unique rating system, and is the author of “Discover Chocolate” (published in October 2007).
Since 2008 he has been the publisher and moderator of TheChocolateLife.com, a global online community serving over 15,000 registered members and uncounted visitors in more than 160 countries. While in lockdown during the 2020 coronavirus pandemic, Clay launched TheChocolateWire, a specialized Press/PR service, joined International Confectionery Magazine as their Technical Editor, hosted 149 episodes of TheChocolateLife on Clubhouse. He has also hosted 145 episodes of TheChocolateLifeLIVE, and more than 90 episodes of PodSaveChocolate, both twice- weekly podcasts streamed to YouTube, Facebook, and LinkedIn. In December 2024, he announced The Chocolate NewsWire, a twice-monthly subscription newsletter covering topics in chocolate, confectionery, and cocoa.