Today we’d like to introduce you to Parker Wozniak.
Hi Parker, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
There are three moments I am reminded of when I imagine the origins of truffles 4 transformation. I think back eight years ago when I first learned how to create a chocolate truffle in the small mountain town of Flagstaff, Arizona. The second is the home of a friend offering “t4t” as the name to propel my business forward. The last and perhaps most significant moment is the realization of how expensive gender-affirming medical care is in the transgender community. It is at the intersection of these three moments, plus a lifetime of passion, that manifests the creation of truffles 4 transformation.
My name is Parker Wozniak and I am the sole owner and chocolatier of truffles 4 transformation. I am a white, disabled, queer, and trans nonbinary human. I have always enjoyed baking and experimenting with chocolate creations in the kitchen. It feels like a science experiment at home! While I learned the practical skills necessary to make chocolate truffles over eight years ago, I began investigating new ways to make chocolate truffles at the start of the pandemic. In particular, I was interested in creating vegan and allergen-friendly truffles. This became my pandemic hobby.
Once I was confident in my new truffle creations, I began sharing them with friends. I quickly learned and was encouraged to start selling the truffles. At the same time, I was navigating how to save a serious amount of money for my own gender-affirming surgery. The idea clicked! I could sell truffles and save money for the surgery all at the same time. The business launched and I committed myself to further investing in the 2SLGBTQIA+ community. Specifically, I wanted to recognize and honor Black Trans leaders and their history within the community. We simply wouldn’t be where we are today without them. To achieve this goal, a portion of the proceeds directly impacts the Black Trans community through #YouAreEssential in partnership with Plume.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
It has been a journey! A journey balancing different passions of my life. I officially started truffles 4 transformation over the summer of 2021. During that same time, I had just finished my first year of school as a graduate student at the University of Texas at Austin. I study critical disability and accessibility in theatre. Most of my day is typically spent in conversation and play with the local disabled and theatre community. Since launching truffles 4 transformation in October 2021, the company has rapidly grown. At the same time, I am one person. It has been a challenge to balance my time as a theatre – maker and chocolatier. In addition, it is important to me that the company growth is sustainable and honors the needs of my bodymind. As a disabled human solely running the company, my health and wellbeing is a priority. These are all passions I care deeply about and will continue making time to share.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
The truffle business is called truffles 4 transformation, or t4t for short. We create small-batch, handcrafted chocolate truffles. This means all of the truffles are hand-painted with colored cocoa butter and are made in small quantities to ensure each truffle is given the attention and care they deserve. What I absolutely LOVE about our truffles is that they are all flavored with loose leaf steeped tea. This provides a lot of creative flexibility in crafting the most delicious flavors. The flavor combinations are truly endless! Another exciting element of our truffles is that they are all vegan, gluten-free, and soy-free. We prioritize creating vegan chocolate truffles by using real dark chocolate and coconut cream. This ensures our truffles are allergy-friendly, with the exception of coconut, while delivering exceptional flavor. Most of our teas are organic and fair trade as well. We use only the best to make these tasty sweet treats.
Risk taking is a topic that people have widely differing views on – we’d love to hear your thoughts.
I maintain a curious relationship with risk. Risk looks different for every individual and body. The same is true from a business perspective. I took a risk centering social identities as a foundation for this company. That risk often presents itself as an invitation to actively lead with and embrace my transness, my queerness, and all of the ways my disabilities and whiteness intersect. This is a dance I am imperfectly learning every day. How these social identities impact me on a daily basis varies; however, these identities are essential to name as they directly influence the ways in which I show up as a business owner and human.
Pricing:
- Box of 4 truffles – $10
- Three Boxes of 4 truffles -$25
- Box of 8 truffles – $18
- Three Boxes of 8 truffles – $50
Contact Info:
- Email: truffles4transformation@gmail.com
- Instagram: @truffles4transformation
