Today we’d like to introduce you to Matthew Holguin & Richelle Drost.
Hi Matthew Holguin &, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
We’re Matt and Richelle, college friends who founded Havilah & Co. with a wild dream—to prove that a candle company could change lives around the world. Our journey started with life-changing trips to Central America where we met incredible entrepreneurs doing amazing things with so few resources.
The name “Havilah” comes from Matt’s tiny hometown in the Sierra Nevadas—it means “mountain of gold,” but for us, it represents finding precious potential in people who just need someone to believe in them. We realized we could create luxury candles that people love *and* use those sales to fund dreams in developing communities. It’s the perfect collision of our values: adventure, faith, giving, and making really amazing-smelling candles!
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
We’re a family-run operation with little ones tearing around the house—picture trying to perfect fragrance formulations while managing beautiful chaos!
The biggest challenge has been staying true to our 50/50 giving model, where we donate 50% of our profits to fund our charity work. People kept saying it was “too generous” or “not sustainable.” But we’ve seen firsthand what happens when someone gets that boost they need—those moments remind us why we’re doing this differently.
As you know, we’re big fans of Havilah & Co. . For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
We’re in the business of lighting two flames at once. When you buy a Havilah candle, you get this gorgeous, non-toxic candle with sophisticated fragrances designed by world-class perfumers, made with 100% natural coconut wax. But you’re also literally lighting up someone’s future, because 50% of our profits go directly to funding vulnerable entrepreneurs in Central America.
We don’t just make candles; we tell stories. Each collection is inspired by beautiful people we’ve met—like our “Purity” collection inspired by Ale’s story in El Salvador. With every candle purchase you will get to experience a real story of someone’s life being changed, and you can feel good knowing that your purchase makes a difference – you can make a difference.
What sets us apart is simple: we’ve flipped the business model upside down. Most companies donate a small percentage and call it “good”. We give away half— we’re literally splitting our success 50/50 with the communities we serve.
But it’s not just about giving. We’re obsessed with quality—we work with world-class perfumers, source ingredients from places like Australian sandalwood farms where wallabies hop between trees, and our candles burn for 40 hours in beautiful vessels that look like art pieces. We’re proving that luxury and impact can coexist beautifully.
Can you tell us more about what you were like growing up?
I’d like to answer this question: How do you define success?
Success for us isn’t measured in traditional metrics—it’s measured in lives transformed. Sure, we want to build an amazing business, but our real scorecard is different. How many entrepreneurs have we funded? How many families now have food on the table?
We’ve got this saying: “Live to Give.” Success is when someone in Guatemala can start their business because of a candle bought in California. It’s proving that you don’t have to choose between profit and purpose. We’re showing that a company can make exceptional products, be transparent, and give generously. At the end of the day, we want to know we used our business as a force for transformation. That’s success to us.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://givehavilah.com/
- Instagram: @givehavilah
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61558785032648
