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THE ITALIAN LEGACY IN THE DOMINICAN REPUBLIC
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return to Genoa, where he graduated with a thesis in philosophy of the law titled “Ethics, Religion and Law
in Kant and Kelsen.”
In 1999, in addition to a
pro bono
mission in Cameroon on behalf of the NGO Mondo Giusto based in the
city of Lecco, he won a competition through the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) for the evaluation
and preparation of the industrial and commercial plan for a project in the cocoa sector, for which Dominican
company Nazario Rizek CxA requested a sizable loan from the Washington, D.C.-based institution.
In 2000, a robust, ongoing relationship began with the Rizek Group, in which Massimiliano Wax has
overseen the modernization of the entire cocoa production chain—from the plantation to the development of
high-quality chocolate. Among the achievements of this period, we mention the important collaboration with
the Department of Food Science and Technology of the University of Milan; the collaboration with Solaris
Srl of Monza, Italy, for the drying of cacao beans with original methods and machinery; and various strategic
alliances and investments in association with multinationals in the sector that led to the creation of a branch of
Ristockcacao SA in Ecuador, in which Wax is a partner of the Rizek Group and of the German multinational
Storck AG.
In more recent times, mention should be made of the opening of KahKow-themed shops, created by Wax,
who is also a partner. These establishments have been designed to offer the public a 360-degree experience,
from cultivation of cacao to the production of fine chocolate, thereby contributing to the education of con-
sumers and turning them into demanding connoisseurs. In addition to the Dominican Republic, KahKow is
The Rizek Group’s farm
showcases a perfect
farming architecture
which is the basis
for the harmonious
development of
an excellent cacao
plantation.
© Rizek Cacao