Longtime Chicago residents may miss the chocolatey fragrance wafting from Blommer Chocolate Company's now-shuttered West Loop factory. However, despite the closing of the factory, the Chicago headquarters and laboratories of one of North America’s largest cocoa processor remain. 

In one of those labs, you'll find Bo Kim, R&D Scientist - Innovation. For the past four years, Kim has been hard at work researching novel ingredients for chocolate. The alumna of the College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences (ACES) at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign uses her ACES background to blend creativity, sustainability, and science into her work in researching chocolates that fit into the ‘better-for-you’ space. 

What’s it like to work with chocolate every day? Kim says her role involves market research, scouting, networking, and conducting research into novel ingredients that make chocolate even better. One of her proudest accomplishments at Blommer Chocolate Company was a project comparing and contrasting the functionality of various chocolate ingredients. Her skills in video editing allowed her to simultaneously showcase the ingredient trials, giving her team the opportunity to visualize the data in an elevated way. 

“Every day and each project feels like an adventure,” Kim says. “It brings me joy when I am able to improve or elevate project work quality.” She credits much of that joy to her supportive team, who make the adventure at Blommer Chocolate Company exciting and fun. 

Kim’s journey into the food industry was inspired by her personal experiences growing up, watching her mother navigate dietary challenges, including diabetes and hypertension Her mom’s struggle sparked a desire to create better food options for individuals with health-related dietary needs. “I’ve wanted to be part of the change which would provide more and better options to consumers with dietary restrictions,” Kim says. She moved into the chocolate space to help create sensible indulgence that everyone can enjoy. 

Kim enrolled in the Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition at ACES to fulfill her dream of pursuing an R&D career in the food industry. 

“ACES puts tremendous effort in providing opportunities and resources for students to connect with industry leaders,” she says. “This gave me the chance to learn directly from the experiences they’ve shared and helped build connections.”

Kim’s active participation in research labs, student associations, and extracurricular activities significantly influenced her future success. These experiences allowed her to build a strong network of industry professionals, guiding her towards her passion for R&D. Additionally, her time spent in research labs taught her the best practices to successfully conduct experiments, as well as how to successfully operate in a laboratory setting. 

Reflecting on her time at the university, Kim fondly remembers the tight-knit ACES community. With the department still growing during her college years, she and her classmates were able to develop strong bonds. “I used to book a room in the ACES library and hold study sessions with everyone in class,” she says. “I still remember us gathered around in the cozy warm library room stressing out about our next exam.” The connections she made during her time at U. of I. remain invaluable, and her memories are filled with a deep sense of nostalgia. 

For those looking to follow in Kim’s footsteps, her advice draws from her experiences of growth and collaboration. She emphasizes the importance of embracing the journey and the lessons it brings. “We can always spruce up our resume with many activities and internships, but it’s what we’ve learned throughout our journey that gets us where we need to be,” she says. “Be brave and don’t be afraid to make mistakes along the way.”