About the Team
Chicago Chocolate Tours is brought to you by a team of Tourguides, Managers and more, all called Choc Stars!
Mary-Kate Arnold, Tourguide
Favorite chocolate: Dark chocolate with nuts
Mary-Kate loved knowing that the individuals on the tour have had a wonderful and festive experience that they will never forget! Besides my insatiable love for chocolates, she really enjoys helping others have a fun time and thinks it’s very important to find happiness in the “little things” in life. When she's not serving as a Tourguide, she is focusing on her acting career.
Sarah Fiorello, Tourguide and Talent Coordinator
Favorite Chocolate: Chocolate and caramel
Sarah loves being a Chicago Chocolate Tours tourguide because she loves sharing the gift of chocolate, she loves people and she is a natural performer! She joined the team in January of 2011. Sarah's favorite thing about giving chocolate tours is having the opportunity to introduce others to special chocolate gems around the city. When not leading tours she is an actor, singer and songwriter.
Megan Gallacher, Tourguide
Favorite chocolate: Milk chocolate, especially with peanut butter
Megan loves being a Tourguide because she has the ability to meet so many interesting people and to share a smile over chocolate with others! Her mother had to buy her the VHS to “Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory” three times as a child because she watched it so much the VHS wore out. Megan just moved to Chicago from LA, so she spends her spare time exploring the city, as well as acting, pilates, baking, and traveling (been to 22 countries and 38 states so far!)…and seeing how much chocolate she can incorporate into her wedding!
Bailey Heinz, Tourguide
Favorite Chocolate: Dark chocolate with sea salt or mint
Bailey not only loves chocolate, but also knowing where her food comes from (it’s roots, its journey and how it is made). She combines that with a love of people and sharing new information to provide a chocolate filled experience in the wonderful city of Chicago. When Bailey isn't leading tours she is a student at Columbia College Chicago working towards a BA in Theatre: Acting.
Heidi Holladay, Tourguide
Favorite Chocolate: Dark Chocolate
Heidi has been a Chicago Chocolate Tours Tourguide since July of 2008. She has a background in education so she naturally likes to teach. Chocolate is now one of her favorite subjects! She also took a year off from teaching to go to pastry school here in Chicago where she fell in love with chocolate. She has also traveled and taken lots of tours, therefore she knows how to create an enjoyable outing for guests. Heidi loves being a Chicago Chocolate Tours Tourguide because she gets to share information about chocolate and meet all of the wonderful guests. When Heidi is not serving as a Tourguide, she is teaching second grade at The Laboratory School at the University of Chicago.
Becca Kravitz, Tourguide
Favorite Chocolate: Dark chocolate with almonds and semi-sweet chocolate with hazelnuts
Chocolate is a unifying force in Becca's family. It always begins as a special treat and ends with laughter, stories, and love. From the time she was a young girl chocolate has always been her reward, her pick-me-up, and her go-to stand-by. When not leading chocolate tours, Becca is an actor and a retail sales associate. She joined the Chicago Chocolate Tours team in October of 2010. Her favorite part about being a Chicago Chocolate Tours tourguide is being able to experience the joy of chocolate with so many new and interesting people each week.
Kerri Morrison, Tourguide
Favorite Chocolate: Milk Chocolate with Peanut Butter
Kerri loves chocolate and performing and working at Chicago Chocolate Tours she gets to combine those two worlds into one! Could it get any better? Kerri has been working with Chicago Chocolate Tours since May 2010 and loes being a Chicago Chocolate Tours tourguide because she is able to share hidden treasures of the city and her love of chocolate with new people. When Kerri is not touring, she is an actress and improviser around Chicago.
Jenny Nelson, Tourguide and Photo Manager
Favorite Chocolate: Dark Chocolate
Jenny joined the Chicago Chocolate Tours team in July 2010. She loves being a Chicago Chocolate Tours Tourguide because she loves to entertain people and finds its even more fun to entertain people when the subject is chocolate! When she is not touring, she is a performing artist and dancer in the Chicago area.
Alyssa Vera Ramos, Tourguide
Favorite Chocolate: Dark chocolate with raspberry, strawberry, or mint
Alyssa loves taking people around the city and sharing all the tucked-away chocolate boutiques. She likes to meet new people while learning about and sharing chocolate. When Alyssa isn't giving tours she is an actress, director and teaching artist.
Jean Rebovich, Acting Tour Manager
Favorite Chocolate: Dark chocolate and raspberry chocolate mousse
Jean loves chocolate! She says she believes she's a great people person and loves sharing information, especially food information, with others. She loves being able to share chocolate with others, and says chocolate can make almost anyone’s day better. Jean joined the team in October 2010.
Kirsty Rivett, Tourguide
Favorite chocolate: Milk chocolate with caramel
Kirsty loves Chicago, chocolate and people! Her love of chocolate includes learning about and eating it while meeting new people. When she isn't leading tours she's an actress and serenades her neighbors with musical theatre tunes.
Carly Robinson. Tourguide
Favorite chocolate: Dark chocolate with sea salt
Carly loves chocolate, people and Chicago. She is passionate about the rich history of chocolate making and is excited to have the opportunity to educate people while cultivating an appreciation for the various local Chicago Chocolatiers. And of course, sampling chocolate! Carly is a professional actress/dancer, babysitter, and an avid reader. her hobbies include writing, working on films, choreographing, exercising, and being a great friend/daughter/sister!
Serra Saridereli, WIN Intern
Favorite chocolate: Dark chocolate with orange peel
The things Serra loves most in life are reading, traveling, family and of course, chocolate! She has grown up in an extremely sweet environment amidst her grandmother's chocolate cakes and her father's boutique chocolate shop. Her favorite childhood memories include watching the making of chocolate in that small atelier, the thick paste being churned and placed into containers that gave them crazy shapes, or being delicately molded into delectable pralines and truffles in the hands of the German chocolate maker. One of her ambitions is opening up her own bakery and waking up every morning to the smell of coffee, fresh baked goods and chocolate before getting ready to people-watch and write. Serra is currently an undergraduate in the University of Chicago studying sociology, and in her free time she likes to yoga, read German books, explore Chicago and uplift through chocolate!
Rachel Wells, Tourguide
Favorite Chocolate: Dark Chocolate with Espresso Beans
Rachel became a Choc Star in June of 2009. She loves being a Chicago Chocolate Tours Tourguide for multiple reasons: she enjoys telling stories and entertaining large groups of people, she's fascinated by Chicago's amazing history and architecture, and she gets to devour all kinds of delicious and unique chocolate! When she is not touring, Rachel works as a freelance actor and educator. She is also a company member and Education Director of The Suitcase Shakespeare Company.
In the office...
...and on a Choc Star outing!
Learn about our founder Valerie here.
Chicago Chocolate Tours
500 N. Michigan Avenue, Suite 300, Chicago, Illinois 60611
312-929-2939 info@chicagochocolatetours.com
Uplift Through Chocolate!