Good Girl Chocolate had been featured on ABC’s Good Morning America, California Live, and reviewed by Whole Foods Ambassador Tabitha Brown. In 2019, Carr was contacted by Penn Square Mall to open her store permanently. By accepting the mall’s invitation, she made Good Girl Chocolate the first black-owned business to have permanent residency in the mall. Carr’s store was set to open in early 2020. But, like many local businesses, she experienced delays in production due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Her dream may have been delayed, but her spirit kept her afloat. Carr’s faith led her to apply for a grant from the BeyGood Foundation, sponsored by Grammy Award-winning singer-songwriter Beyoncé. “I had almost forgotten about it. I remembered the day that it was due, and it was 10 o’clock and [the application] was due at midnight.” A few weeks later she saw an announcement of winners on the BeyGood Instagram, where her chocolate was among the few to receive $10,000. “It brought me to tears, because I know thousands had applied.” COVID-19 not only gave her the opportunity to receive the grant, but also time to prepare for the opening of her store the following year. She was able to work with a contractor to create her dream bean-to-bar factory for chocolate making. This plan included purchasing a tempering machine which was shipped from Italy. “Thank God I had a team in place that knew what they were doing when it came to styling a store and building a factory.” During the pandemic, she would make history. On July 3, 2021, Carr opened Good Girl Chocolate on the first floor of Penn Square Mall. She would use this blessing and opportunity to help others. “It was amazing! My parents had to tell me to take a minute to soak it in… We had almost 100 people come through. It was an amazing day, one that I will always remember.” The smell of her “dairy free, gluten free, soy free, non-GMO, organic plant-based sweetener, single origin, bean-to-bar” chocolate is enough to bring a smile to your face. As you tour the store, joy will radiate from Carr and her six other workers, four of which are current students in high school and college. Carr’s kindness is not confined within the four walls of the store. Her compassion is reaching across the globe. After losing weight and regaining her confidence, Carr returned to school to receive a doctorate in Naturopathy. 66