About Us


Pandora's Pops illustration and purple lollipop

Pandora’s Pops, led by Jena Chambers, grew from a hobby into a business in 2012, ran a successful Kickstarter in 2013, consistently generates 5-star customer satisfaction reviews, and now appear in select stores and at special events. Photo: custom illustration by Coburn Creative.  Kickstarter video by Stefan Pildes

MISSION STATEMENT

Candy dream boatPandora’s Pops are here to facilitate joy, vitality and unity through unexpected means. Our organic lollipops are as healthy as possible for those that taste and create them, including care for our ingredients’ integrity.  We encourage personal, creative expression and spontaneous play, integrating healthy and authentic experiencing of sensuality, sexuality and fun.  We represent believing in and moving toward love, in all its forms.  Photo: a Temple Children mural in Hilo, HI: an inspiring solar-powered floating confectionery 

HISTORY AND DEVELOPMENT

Pandora's Pops origins in San FranciscoThere are generations of candy makers in my family, but none of us saw this coming. I helped my mother mass-produce treats and was fascinated with my great-grandfather’s stunning confections (he brought Dutch methods to bakeries around the world). This grew into a hobby of creating elaborate cakes, pies, and candies. Being a romantic and loving seeing people in love, I also enjoyed making aphrodisiacs. This came to a crescendo in 2011, when I integrated my holistic health background, infusing treats with potent aphrodisiac herbs and sharing the results with larger circles in NYC. The resulting racy and romantic episodes encouraged me, as well as the requests for more.  

making gold lollipops with tea kettleSuddenly the idea and method to put aphrodisiac herbs into organic lollipops arrived. I made my first Aphrodisiac Pops in June 2012 and brought them to a wedding. The guests loved them and were knocking on the door for more. Consulting with master herbalists, a library of texts, and my own intuition, I performed hundreds of tests. The results kept saying yes! 

selling lollipops in alchemists kitchen New York City I then branched out beyond aphrodisiacs into herbal lollipops for other health and lifestyle-boosting purposes. These include Calming Pops, Happy Genius Pops, and Smoke-Stop Pops. In February 2013, we ran a successful Kickstarter campaign (thank you backers!), and Pandora’s Pops now ships worldwide, sharing love, smiles and healthy adventure.  

Cheers from my lollipop to yours,
Jena Chambers 

FOUNDER AND CEO  

Jena Chambers founder and CEO

Jena Chambers is a seasoned holistic health entrepreneur, educator and advisor. She is a former massage school director and Duke University graduate. Paradoxical wellness confectionary began as a hobby in 2011 and moved her between New York City and California, now increasingly worldwide. It remains her unexpected creative medium for sharing joy and connection.  Her latest initiative is Academy of Treats.

Ms. Chambers devoted most of her previous career to directing and advising holistic medical businesses. She was Director of the Center for Massage & Natural Health (a vibrant massage school and clinic) from 2001-07, and then founded Volcano Island Bodywork Experience (a boutique transformative treatment center in NYC) and Torch Holistic Educator Services (consulting nationally).  She graduated from Duke University with a double major, then completed 1500 hours of holistic health education.  She has been fostered by and allied with the 5 Rhythms movement practice, Harbin Hot Springs, Burning Man, and close relationships with people, animals and plants of many perspectives. 

 

DIRECTOR OF CULINARY OPERATIONS

 

Jaime Dessecker whips our kitchen into shape, so sweetly our carefully-sourced ingredients rejoice when she walks in the door. Before joining Pandora’s Pops in 2014, Jaime was Kitchen Manager at beloved New York City bakeries: Momofuku Milk Bar and Sweet Melissa Patisserie.  She was also a Bakery Specialist/Buyer at Whole Foods Market in Oakland, CA and Retail Supervisor at Bouchon Bakery in NYC.  She has supported us from the beginning and was one of our original Kickstarter backers.  Jaime has a Bachelors in Business Administration from Ohio University.    

ADVISORS

Pandora's Pops continues to be supported by an incredible team of advisors, including master herbalists, expert candy-makers, friends, and family.

Carter Draves, Clinical Western Herbalist, MS. Carter has provided expert herbal suggestions and guidance to Pandora's Pops from day one, influencing and validating herb choices on all of our recipes. After many years studying herbal folk traditions, she graduated from Tai Sophia Institute in 2007 with a clinical degree in Herbal Medicine. She offers herbal consults and teaches herbalism in Larimer County, Colorado. Carter is a guide to help restore traditions of utilizing fundamental plant knowledge for optimum health and vitality.  
    
Mai Lovaas, Clinical Western Herbalist. 
Mai is a graduate of Ohlone Center for Herbal Studies in Berkeley, CA. She is currently practicing and offering Mai Wild Medicinals. She divides her time between her native land of Norway and her home of 15 years in California.  After years of studying theater and traveling and exploring, it is as if the plants answered a prayer and filled in a deep longing for healing, connection and meaning. Although she would say the main reason she is working with medicinal plants is because it is a lot of fun.  Mai collects plants both all over California and Norway, and loves to brew up a dinner for two or twelve, as well as medicinal concoctions. Mai has an innate curiosity about what it means to be a human being, and has been studying consciousness, the body and the mind for many years.