DoChéri Chocolate – An American Tale

It’s a significant time to profile Maryna Steadman. When our country is celebrating its semiquincentennial, her story reverberates the simple message our forefathers fought to uphold. Life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness, which is all beautifully packaged in a box of chocolates. (Sorry Forrest Gump, this is a different story.) Not only is Maryna the founder of the recently opened DoChéri Chocolate, she made a momentous journey from her home country in Ukraine.

Homeland security

Maryna’s journey to the United States began after she met her husband Reid Steadman. They were introduced through mutual friends and colleagues back from her finance days. A long distance relationship ensued for almost two years. After completing the legal process, she moved to the U.S. with her daughter, Sofi, from her first marriage, who was five years old at the time.

Although this move marked an exciting new chapter, it was also emotionally challenging. “I still felt quite lonely in the beginning because my entire family remained in Ukraine. The nostalgia and longing for home were very real and deeply felt,” she says.

Before the war, Maryna would travel to Ukraine in the summer and winter seasons for extended periods to visit with her family. At present, she has only returned a few times, mainly to see her father and cousins.

Family is vital to Maryna and, with five children collectively, each member contributes to the vibrancy. There’s Levi and Daniel. Levi is currently in college. Daniel is completing his senior year at Darien High School. Together, they have a middle daughter, Katrina, and son Alexey. Says Maryna “My children teach me something new every single day — both literally and figuratively. They are bright, kind, adventurous and incredibly creative — very much like their mom.”

Included in their unity is Maryna’s mother, Irina, who recently relocated to join her here in Darien. Maryna feels blessed by her mother’s support with the children, emotional wisdom, and constant presence.

What’s in a name?

DoChéri Chocolate is derived from “daughters” in Russian. It represents family, continuity and legacy. Reid helped Maryna decide on the name, which Maryna says fits her concept perfectly. “I often joke that my daughters will help run the business one day, while my son might take on the financial side, just like his mom and his dad, who also works in finance,” she says.

Street cred 

Maryna holds a master’s degree in finance and banking, which she earned in Ukraine. Her father was an early influence, as he led a major department at the National Bank of Ukraine. Her career in banking began in Ukraine, where she worked for eight years in various international banks established in the Ukrainian market. In these roles, she helped integrate international best practices into the local financial landscape.

Additionally, she led a banking committee that facilitated the adoption of best practices from international banks for the Ukrainian market. For two years, Maryna worked on a project supported by the Canadian embassy, which aimed at helping Ukraine with its reforms during that period. 

As she prepared to move to America, she began contemplating a more creative and flexible path. “I wanted to start a new chapter in my life, expand my family, and find a new passion that would allow me the flexibility I needed.” This led her to embrace her artistic side in the culinary world, focusing on European pastry.

It happened one night

When Maryna first arrived to the United States, her research on the local pastry market stymied her. “My mind was constantly occupied with these thoughts, and then something unexpected happened — one night I had a very clear moment of inspiration. I often joke that I literally dreamed about working with chocolate, but it’s true — the idea came to me at night, and it felt absolutely right,” she recalls.

Despite delineating from her original plan, she found that chocolate percolates with creative energy. The practice had been one of the disciplines in her culinary education. While Maryna grew up in Kyiv, she visited her grandparents in the countryside. “They gave me a connection to nature and family heritage, even though I wasn’t raised rurally.”

The taste of fresh milk, the feeling of milking a cow with her grandmother, and the simplicity of roaming out in the pasture left a lasting impression. Her love for art comes from her grandfather, who was an artist. “I feel like making chocolates is a form of artistic expression for me, like painting,” she says. Her maternal grandfather was a beekeeper, which taught Maryna about the importance of natural, quality ingredients and respecting nature.  

She recently discovered a small farm less than two hours away that raises cows with zero stress. The find connected her to her cherished memories growing up. The importance of natural, sustainable practices lends itself to chocolate-making. Maryna is passionate about using ingredients from pure sources and this natural, high-quality approach reverberates in everything she creates. As a chocolatier, she is able to tap into creativity, precision, artistry and the ability to offer something unique that’s not widely available in the marketplace.

Turning a dream to reality

When she homed in on her chocolate making skills, especially while pregnant with her second daughter, she shared the chocolates with friends, family, teachers — anyone she could. The feedback was consistently positive and encouraging, which strengthened her motivation to make her dream come to fruition.

During one of her visits to Ukraine, Maryna completed an intensive two-week course with a professional chocolatier, focusing specifically on chocolate techniques. Later, when pregnant with her son, she took a job at a small chocolate shop located far from Darien but within county lines. The experience confirmed her love of the trade and that she needed to do something on her own.

Maryna values authenticity, craftsmanship and meaningful experiences. “Artisanal chocolate is more than just a product, it is a form of edible art and a way to slow down and reconnect with quality and intention,” she says. “I also want to teach the community to value not only taste but also the visual appeal and European aesthetic of high-quality chocolate.”

Do what you love

Chocolate-making is both a profession and passion for Maryna. When she works with chocolate, she enters a deep flow state she describes as meditative. Her passion for aesthetics, beautiful presentation, and storytelling sets her apart. This is not only experienced by the exquisite taste of her chocolates, but also in its presentation and photography. She is meticulous in capturing the shine and intricate details of each piece. European traditions, such as community and supporting small businesses, also are significant to her.

Locally grown

Darien has been Maryna’s home for eight years. She first came to town because it’s where her husband and his children from his first marriage live. It now holds greater meaning because it’s where DoChéri has been established. “This makes Darien the perfect place for me to live now. I have also found wonderful support within the local community and made many great friends who make me feel warm and comfortable.” As a vendor, she participates in various community events, and volunteers with parent initiatives at her children’s schools.

Creating a family-centered environment for her kids means embracing both the traditions and the cultural values of her adopted home and Ukrainian heritage.” On Christmas Eve, they prepare the 12 traditional meatless dishes, which is part of the Orthodox custom. For Easter, they bake their own Easter bread and have it blessed. “We want our kids to remember where they come from and to keep the language and culture alive by speaking both Russian and Ukrainian at home. It’s a way for us to blend the old with the new and keep those meaningful traditions alive.”

Entrepreneurial ingenuity 

Could it be that the U.S. awakened Maryna’s entrepreneurship? Says Maryna, she never pictured herself running a small business. “I came from a background in corporate, government, and NGO work  — environments far removed from the world of local entrepreneurship. But this community changed my outlook.” Inspired by her new relations, many of whom successfully run small businesses while staying connected to their families, gave her the motivation to set out on her own. 

Hidden package

DoChéri Chocolate is more than just sweets, for Maryna it embodies the spirit of family, heritage, resilience and the courage to start anew in a new country and build something meaningful from the ground up.

The themes she represents are universal and rooted in America – immigration, reinvention, creativity and balancing family with ambition. “My journey shows that sometimes the most meaningful paths are the ones that come unexpectedly, when we listen closely to ourselves and follow what truly feels right.”

If our friends at Willy Wonka have taught us anything, it’s that chocolate tastes better when it comes with a story. The best way to end Maryna’s narrative is with a bite of one of her creations. In a box brimming with selections, like a mod bubble gum pink orb, or one in the color of a rich cabernet sauvignon, I chose a golden pear that could be riffed from an Old Master painting. A bite emits crackling chocolate shards, which releases a silky sweet essence that takes you to dairy farms, open pastures and — truly — a labor of love.

For more information on DoChéri Chocolate, please visit docheri-chocolate.com