This week on From Scratch:

SecondMarket is a private market place for buying and selling alternative assets including private company stock, bankruptcy claims, and restricted public stock. If you are an investor in a startup or an employee who wants to sell your company’s stock before the IPO, SecondMarket facilities this transaction. Companies trading on the SecondMarket exchange have included Facebook, Twitter, and Linked In.

Barry became a registered trader at 17 years old. He speaks with Jessica about the state of international capital markets, and how he launched SecondMarket, from scratch.

Listen to the interview

Artisanal chocolate has experienced a revolution, especially in the United States; but only a handful of producers actually go through the entire process of producing chocolate from the bean. Michael and Rick Mast were the first culinary craft men in New York City to make the “bean to bar” unchartered chocolate journey.  The two brothers from Iowa decided to walk away from their respective careers in film and music to start a simple, nostalgic chocolate company in Brooklyn dedicated to American Craft Chocolate.

The Mast brothers talk to Jessica about their resourceful approach to building their chocolate business, from scratch.

Listen to the interview