west valley
Volume 28 Issue 46 Avondale, AZ
August 23, 2017
Verrado woman’s death leads to ‘sweet’ business ByChristinaFuoco-Karasinski
IN THE BIZ
Richard Elwell speaks adoringly of his late wife, Melinda or “Mindy.” But when he talks about her love of chocolate and her desire to help people, his voice lowers. “Mindy is my wife,” said Elwell, of Verrado. “She always wanted to help people. It didn’t matter who they were or what they were. She would stop whatever she was doing and say hello, and give them the time and give them the respect.” When Mindy died in 2016 after a fiveyear battle with brain cancer, Elwell yearned to keep her spirit alive. So, he, Lisa Urrabazo and Adalberto Castellanos combined their careers in the luxury packaging industry with Mindy’s love of chocolate to “create a new way for people to give and spread love.” This month, the Avondale-based MAE Fine Foods was born. The company, named after Mindy’s initials, is rooted in gift giving at its 2,500-squarefoot, state-of-the-art kitchen. The corporate-gifting company offers chocolate bonbons and French macarons in flavors like pistachio, sea salt caramel, matcha green tea, chai lovers, passion fruit, palat d’or and hazelnut crunch. Elwell is taking MAE Fine Foods’ evolution in phases. The company’s website went live August 1. Organizations wishing to order gifts for their employees or clients, can download addresses to drop ship to up to 1,000 locations. Next is to partner with charities. “Who can we help? How can we help? That’s where we’re at right now,”
he said. “Beyond that, we’re in the planning stages.” Also in MAE Fine Foods’ future is a liquor license, so the trio may pair wines and champagne with the chocolates. Coming to Arizona Elwell’s luxury packaging company, Global Packing Group, had branches in Boston, Dallas and Phoenix. While living in their hometown of Boston, the Elwells visited Arizona during Christmas 2004. They fell in love with it, bought a house in Verrado, and moved in August 2005. “We were going to come for a year,” said Elwell, the father of three. “It was hot and then it rained for three weeks straight. It was humid. We thought, ‘What did we do?’ But then we realized we would be in shorts and flipflops the rest of the year. That was a long time ago.” During her struggle with cancer, Mindy penned the 211-page book Defy and Conquer: A State of Mind Against Terminal Brain Cancer (Balcony Media and Publishing, $17.99). It includes MRI analyses; surgical notes for needle biopsies and tumor removal procedures; pathology reports; educational contributions from a renowned tumor researcher; and a comprehensive overview, tips, food choices, menus and guidelines for the Ketogenic Diet, all from her team at Barrow Neurological Institute. “She said, ‘It’s not so scary. Here are some of the things I did,’” Elwell said about the book. “The spiritual chapters in there are really from the heart. I’ve given a lot of those books away.” (USPS 004-616) is published weekly
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Mailing Address: 250 Litchfield Rd., #130 Goodyear, AZ 85338 (623) 535-VIEW • 535-8439
Steven Strickbine, publisher Christina Fuoco-Karasinski, editor Connor Dziawura, Assistant Editor
When Mindy was ill and Elwell was serving as her caretaker, Urrabazo and Castellanos told him, “We have your back.” “Caregiving is full time and then some,” Elwell said. “We’re a tight-knit family. We appreciate each other. From that came chocolate because Mindy loved chocolate.” Urrabazo said she’s amazed by the clients who have come to her through MAE Fine Foods. Many of the connections are through cancer and loss. “It’s the connectivity,” she said. “We’re building relationships with the community and other people. You know you’re not alone. There are other people who have gone through it. There is joy in the after. You’re shattered and you’re broken, but there are ways to keep moving forward. You need that community support.” Urrabazo called MAE Fine Foods the perfect avenue to honor Mindy because the company’s goals are “the essence of who she was.” “The company is going to grow itself,” she said. “Not because we’re trying to manipulate the story. The heart of this is to keep building this legacy for her family. It’s important for his children to see their dad moving forward and keep dreaming.” MAE Fine Foods’ corporate office is at 1250 N. Fairway Drive, Building C, Suite 105, Avondale. To place orders, call 1-800-454-4MAE, email service@maefinefoods.com or visit maefinefoods.com. Subscriptions are $26 for 2 years, $14 for one year. Periodicals postage paid at Phoenix, AZ 85026.
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