Meet Jo Fairley, your 2026 host!
Jo Fairley co-founded Green & Black's chocolate with her entrepreneur husband Craig Sams . Their Maya Gold bar was the first Fairtrade-marked product to be launched .
Jo left school at 16 and quickly found her niche in journalism, becoming the youngest ever magazine editor.
The story of Green & Black's began in 1991, when Jo discovered two delicious remaining squares from a prototype bar of the world’s first organic chocolate on the desk of her soon-to-be husband.
She became a trailblazer, embracing the social responsibility of food producers, and it wasn’t long before the brand was receiving awards and transforming the fortunes of the Maya Indians who grow the cocoa beans. The name reflects their ethos: environmental values (green) and high-quality cocoa (black).
Jo is an inspiring speaker whose presentations demonstrate how determination and a willingness to take risks can build a successful business and unlock niche markets. She shares how a business that does good can also be good business—covering branding, ethical profitability and the intelligence of the consumer.
Her journalistic and PR skills helped build Green & Black’s brand without spending a single penny on advertising for the first eight years.
Jo Fairley is also the author of more than a dozen books, including the Beauty Bible series. She has been Contributing Editor to the Mail on Sunday’s YOU Magazine and has written for publications including Tatler, Elle and Here’s Health. She also runs her own fragrance blog.
She is Chair of a Soil Association committee and runs an organic bakery and health centre. Jo lives in East Sussex with her husband.
The tale of Green & Black's has become a blueprint for sustainable business, studied in business schools and featured in publications from Newsweek to The Daily Telegraph .
