A Fundraising Event

For the Love of Cacao

With Manari Ushigua, Florencia Fridman
& the Naku Foundation

Monday June 10th

6:30-9pm
GOSPËL NYC

Join the Movement June 10th! 

Monday June 10th

Doors open: 6:30 - Journey begins 7pm
GOSPËL NYC: 281 Lafayette St, New York, NY

Join us in supporting the recalibration of our planet through the sacred fruit of Cacao, the forest and Earth guardians. Through the integration of people from different walks of life (indigenous nations and urban folks) with the plant of Cacao, we are working on innovative solutions that weave ancient technology (such as indigenous ways of tending to the land, community values, and other forms of regenerative agriculture) with modern technology and global reach accessibility to build a Cacao forest, support communities in growing Cacao in sacred symbiosis between the people and the Earth.

Through agroforestry systems, trees support one another in growth and nourishment, letting the land + ecosystem flourish. This is what we hope to do through the Naku Foundation, being guided from the wisdom of nature and tested models across the value chain to restructure the ways Cacao is being grown and shared globally.

We would love to have you be a part of this movement.

“When we open our hearts, we are offering back our energy to the heart of the Earth.”

Manari Ushigua

Let’s gather for a beautiful evening of storytelling and solution driven missions.

We will begin by connecting with the sacred beverage of Cacao, dive into the state of Cacao today, the solutions we are creating not only for the plant spirit of Cacao but also indigenous nations and the planet.

We will then open the space for questions.

All funds from this gathering will go to bringing forth this profound vision.

To learn more about the work being activated through Naku Foundation join us June 10th.

Why Cacao?

Cacao is at a very critical point and so is our planet. In March of 2024 Cacao’s global market’s price went from $2K a ton to $10K a ton IN JUST ONE MONTH. Rain, drought, and inconsistency in weather patterns are affecting production and harvest. Mirids, cacao pod borer, and other pests are affecting the production in Ecuador and South America while other pests are affecting Africa’s harvest as well. Monocropping can cause soil erosion through increased runoff from bare soil and soil compaction. Due to these factors, we are seeing a high decline in yielding of Cacao.

Not all Cacao is created equal but all Cacao beans are valued the same in the Cacao industry.  CCN-51 (GMO strain) is replacing heirloom crops due to its productivity and resistance to pests and weather. As globalization continues to evolve, many indigenous communities are left with no option but to sacrifice their territories for extraction of natural resources (oil, mining, logging, etc.) as well as migrating to larger cities instead of tending the lands that many of their previous generations may have done. 

We feel Cacao can teach us so much about individual well-being (through the incredible amounts of physical benefits and how it supports our mood, creativity, focus, etc.) while activating human connection when consumed with others. Cacao can also reach its optimal flourishment when grown in biodiversity and so it can be an example of going back to agroforestry systems, recovering heirloom strains, and protecting other plants that can grow in their ecosystem. Cacao can also create an alternative solution for a more harmonious economic system.

IN COMPANY WITH…

  • MANARI USHIGUA

    Manari Ushigua is the leader of the Sápara Nation in the Ecuadorian Amazon. He is a traditional healer, dreamer, and defender of indigenous rights and lands. He also has founded the Naku Center which is an ecotourism project that intends to protect the rainforest, connect visitors with the spirit world, and immerse themselves in the magic of the Amazon rainforest.

    Ushigua’s ancestors were powerful shamans of the Sapara Nation who live in the Amazon rainforest along the border of Ecuador and Peru, and he was designated as the successor to his father, his grandfather and his great-grandfather, taking on the role of healer and leader of the nation – the akameno (authority).

    Once a nation of about 200,000 people, the Sápara are now in risk of extinction with a population of about 700 due to enslavement during the rubber boom, land grabs and intermarriage with neighbouring tribes. Today only 3 people speak their native language fluently. Manari and the Sapara have opened their teachings to the world to keep their wisdom alive.

  • FLORENCIA FRIDMAN

    Florencia Fridman is a self-empowerment artist working globally with heart opening therapies involving Ceremonial Grade Cacao, yoga, sound journeys, and breath as instruments for transformation. Florencia is passionate about supporting the voices of indigenous nations, wisdom keepers, and guardians of the sacred lands. She works with the Mayan tradition from Guatemala and the the Sapara Nation of Ecuador.

    She shares her passion for Theobroma Cacao through education and ceremony globally. Florencia has opened for Deepak Chopra, has facilitated ceremonies for the corporate world at Spotify, and has been a guest to teach at NYU.

    Florencia is the co-Founder of Cacao Laboratory, a Ceremonial Cacao brand aiming to bring awareness of a regenerative world through the voice of Cacao. She is also the founder of Florecer Community, bridging modern and ancient wisdom to create a more beautiful world our hearts know is possible.

We’d love for you to join us

Let’s share a conversation from the hearts.

Please reach out with any questions to hello@flourishingonesness.com