When ZoRaw Chocolates co-founder Gigi Gill graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Biochemistry from the University of Waterloo in 2016, she imagined a career that would make a real difference. Like many science graduates, she considered medicine or pharmaceuticals, but instead, her path was shaped by personal health challenges with type 2 diabetes, a scientific mindset and an unexpected source of inspiration: chocolate.
Growing up, Gill experienced autoimmune issues that affected her well-being, and she was later diagnosed with type 2 diabetes in her early twenties. Determined to regain control, she changed her lifestyle and eliminated refined sugar from her diet. The results were transformative. “By changing the foods I ate, I was able to drastically reduce my health issues and even put my diabetes into remission,” she explains. Yet one sacrifice remained difficult: giving up chocolate.
That changed during a trip to Peru, where she toured a local chocolate-making workshop. Inspired by its natural purity, she returned home and began creating her own chocolate, free of refined sugar and artificial ingredients. What started in her basement, seeking a chocolate option for her type 2 diabetes, soon grew into a bigger vision: to reinvent chocolate for others seeking healthier options. “I realized there was nothing like this in the market, and knowing that 1 in 3 Canadians are either pre-diabetic or diabetic, I knew I could help others like myself have a healthy addiction to chocolate.”
Gill partnered with her co-founder, Tanveer, and consulted with experts in food science and using her background in biochemistry, approached chocolate-making with a scientific lens. After more than a year of research, trial and persistence, they achieved a breakthrough and created the world’s first sugar-free, fibre-rich chocolates fortified with protein. “Chocolate-making is incredibly scientific, and my education gave me the foundation to experiment and problem-solve until we found a formula that worked,” Gill says.
ZoRaw was officially born. What started in a home kitchen is now a full chocolate factory producing thousands of bars each day. The company has grown to a team of 12 employees, with its products sold in more than 4000 stores across Canada. ZoRaw has been featured on The Amazing Race Canada and was recognized as one of six $200,000 grand prize winners in Canada’s largest small business contest sponsored by Telus. Gill herself is a mentor with the Women Business Enterprises Canada Council (WBE Canada).
Today, Gill sees her purpose as broader than building a company. With diabetes and obesity on the rise, she wants ZoRaw to play its part in building a healthier society by helping people develop a better relationship with food. Gigi Gill is redefining chocolate and showing that when knowledge, resilience and vision come together, one idea really can change an industry.
“This journey deepened my appreciation for technology, creativity, and manufacturing fields where innovation thrives and where we need to see more women. It also reinforced my belief in the power of the human mind because it’s not just about big ideas—it’s about execution, tapping into abilities we never knew we had, taking small steps forward, and overcoming challenges that seem impossible. I’m passionate about taking everything I have learned and continuing to learn to advance manufacturing in Canada, and I hope ZoRaw’s story inspires others—especially women—to be creative, push boundaries, and recognize that every small step today lays the foundation for something extraordinary tomorrow.”
