Young Alumni on the Rise: ELLIE WEINSTEIN ’15

Recent graduates, nominated by members of the SCH community, open up about their found success, gratitude, and desire to do good.

Amidst the bustling world of aspiring professionals, a select group of recent SCH alumni are steadily carving their paths to success. Each of these individuals, no more than 16 years out of SCH, was nominated as someone who, according to our mission, “leads a life characterized by thoughtfulness, integrity, and a quest to effect positive change” by a member of the SCH community. Their stories, though marked by what some may call setbacks, have been fueled by a found interest, a passion to make a difference, and a healthy dose of resilience. 

These are their stories at a moment in time when they have found success through their professional endeavors, in part thanks to SCH. Where they will go next is undetermined, but after reading these profiles we think you’ll agree: These alumni will be aiming high.

“I love the freedom that comes with running my own business, because it allows me to speak out about causes I am passionate about, like trans rights in the U.S."

ELLIE WEINSTEIN ’15
Founder, CEO, Cocoa Press

“The spark for Cocoa Press happened in a senior year Intro to Engineering class at SCH,” says Ellie Weinstein, Class of 2015, who credits Peter Randall, chair of Robotics and Engineering, and then-teacher James Martin for paving the way for her success as founder of Cocoa Press, which produces chocolate printers. “This winter I was excited to give SCH a chocolate printer kit so that current students can cook up some new ideas with it!”

Weinstein, who has served as a mentor to the Upper School robotics team, built a business around her initial idea as a high school student, refining and developing various iterations of the chocolate printers over the past nine years. What began as a hobby turned into her capstone project at The University of Pennsylvania where she was an undergraduate and, finally, her business. As a transgender woman, having come out after graduating from SCH, she was also finding a way to fight for trans rights.

“I love the freedom that comes with running my own business,” she says, “because it allows me to speak out about causes I am passionate about, like trans rights in the U.S. I can even use the platform that Cocoa Press provides to raise money for trans people or start discussions around current issues that would not be possible if I was working at another company.”

There have been highs and lows over the years, she says, but she’s glad to have gotten to a place where she’s working full-time as the CEO of Cocoa Press and has sold over 100 printers that can create personalized chocolate creations without a mold. Her creation enables creativity in others, allowing food artists to make intricate designs that were previously impossible. But even those who aren’t artists can design intricate chocolates with the machine, which uses food-grade stainless steel and includes chocolate cartridges.

“It's been a rollercoaster,” she says. “My long-term goals are still up in the air, but I just strive to find joy, use my privilege to help others, and enjoy what I do.”

Photo credit: Leslie Barbaro

Read more of these profiles in our print edition, here.