Partner Elite has entered into its tastiest partnership yet by welcoming Jack Rabbit Chocolate Studio and its founder, Stephanie Ceronio, into the extended Raizcorp family.
Stephanie, who started her business on a budget of just R8 000, is now at the helm of an all-female team of skilled pâtissiers. Her award-winning artisanal dessert studio, which is based in Waterkloof, Pretoria, is known for its imaginative flavour combinations and colourful, art-like creations, and its products are exported around the globe.
The initial meeting between Stephanie and Raizcorp CEO was a chance encounter when Stephanie sought his business advice as a guest on The Big Small Business Show. A week later, Stephanie received an email with a game-changing proposition.
“I’ve been approached by potential investors in the past and I’ve always said no. I’ve spent so much time building my business and I didn’t want anyone coming in and telling me what to do. But, as an entrepreneur, you can get lost in the day-to-day running of the business and I felt I needed some kind of leadership,” explains Stephanie. “It just felt right when Allon Raiz approached me to join Partner Elite. They weren’t just looking for a quick return on their investment, they wanted a real partnership where there’s sharing of knowledge and contacts. Every entrepreneur needs to have someone who’s going support you and be in your corner, and that’s Raizcorp.”
Allon Raiz says, “We’re so excited to partner with Stephanie. She is already successfully exporting to Japan and we want to expand further to other countries across the globe. Partner Elite backs entrepreneurs who are driven and willing to put in the work and our role in this partnership will be to help scale the business through our expertise and networks.”
