Design Conversation with Maura Sacach, Co-Founder of Maya Moon Cacao
Cacao has deep roots in Mesoamerican cultures—used for thousands of years not just as food, but as medicine, currency, and ritual. Join us for a powerful Design Conversation with Maura Sacach, co-founder of Maya Moon Cacao, as we explore cacao’s cultural, ceremonial, and social origins and consider what it means to design with respect for tradition and Indigenous knowledge.
Maura, a member of the Kaqchikel Maya community in Guatemala, works alongside her sister Elizabeth to preserve and share their ancestral practices. Maya Moon Cacao supports Mayan single mothers and youth with disabilities by providing living wages and creating access to fair trade opportunities with partner farms. Their work centers cacao as a sacred plant and a symbol of resilience, community, and care.
What to expect:
- Learn about the traditional preparation of ceremonial-grade cacao and its role in contemporary spiritual practices.
- You'll have the chance to sample this sacred ceremonial cacao drink
- Take part in a Q&A with MauraQ&A session with Maura will follow the talk.
- Purchase ceremonial cacao to take home.
About Maura and Elizabeth Sacach:
Maura and Elizabeth are indigenous Kaqchikel Mayan sisters, born and raised in the village of San Marcos La Laguna, located on the shores of Lake Atitlan in the mountains of western Guatemala. As co-founders of Maya Moon Cacao, they are passionate about sharing their cultural heritage and ancestral traditions.
Their mission is to provide a dignified living wage to Mayan single mothers and youth with disabilities in San Marcos La Laguna, as well as fair trade opportunities to their farmer partners. Their team works diligently to bring the purest artisanal organic cacao for sacred cacao ceremonies or as a healthy addition to smoothies.
About Maya Moon Cacao:
Maya Moon Cacao sources its cacao beans directly from fair-trade partners at the Lachua farm, located in a remote village in Guatemala’s mountainous Alta Verapaz region. Farmers at Lachua grow the cacao organically and handle every step—harvesting, fermenting, and drying—on-site.
From there, the beans travel to San Marcos La Laguna, where a team of Mayan mothers roasts, hand-peels, and stone-grinds them into blocks of 100% pure cacao paste. Maya Moon also offers hand-grated cacao for easy preparation at home.
Rooted in Kaqchikel Maya tradition, Maya Moon Cacao shares not only ceremonial cacao but also a superfood rich in heart-supporting compounds. Their work invites people to approach cacao as more than a treat—as a sacred, nourishing experience prepared with care and, always, with love.
Maura and Elizabeth say:
“In a world filled with ultra-processed chocolate and high-caffeine beverages, ceremonial cacao is emerging as a powerful coffee alternative and dark chocolate substitute. But at Maya Moon Cacao, we know it’s more than a wellness trend—it’s a living tradition rooted in ancestral knowledge, nourishment, and presence.”
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