About Our Bites, Our Founder & Our Team
Our founder, Chief Energy Officer and leading sports nutritionist Lisa Dorfman looked at the energy snacks market and saw an array of sugar-laden, artificially flavored foods. Armed with the belief that the public deserved better, Lisa set out to create an alternative…
CHI Energy Bites™
With their infusion of superfood ingredients, CHI Energy Bites deliver real energy. Deeper and infinitely more nourishing than other options, our Bites start where other energy snacks finish.
Finally, you can say ‘goodbye’ to gas, bloating, stitches or snacking-induced guilt… Instead, choose CHI Energy Bites and say ‘hello’ to optimum health, fitness and performance, all underpinned by real-food ingredients.
Professionally Tailored Nutrition
By design, many energy products only target endurance athletes, or those with specific health issues. Others follow a one-size-fits-all recipe that fails to respect the body’s different energy systems.
Understanding that a busy mom’s needs aren’t the same as an athlete’s, Lisa formulated four unique varieties of CHI Energy Bites – Empower, Replenish, Sustain and Nourish. Each is tailored to the demands of different lifestyles, activities and objectives:
Sometimes we need to Empower ourselves to push through a vigorous gym workout, provide more energy to Sustain an endurance run, Replenish after a strenuous yoga class, or grab a quick, low-calorie snack to Nourish our bodies on the run, at work or at home with the kids.
“It’s our mission to help individuals attain and enjoy their personal best, ‘one Bite at a time’!”
As a successful career woman, wife, proud mom of three, and owner of pooch ‘Cookie’, Lisa knows what it means to juggle varied roles. The inspiration for CHI Energy Bites came from Lisa’s belief that world-class nutrition can help us survive and thrive in the face of life’s challenges.
CHIef Fitness Coach, Spanish and Portuguese, Ludmilla Marzano
Ludmilla “Milla” Marzano is a passionate dance and fitness coach who has inspired thousands of people from all over the world with her Zumba trainings in English, Spanish and Portuguese. Milla has appeared in various Zumba DVD’s, worked as a choreography director and presented at international fitness conferences and trade shows across Brazil, Italy, Portugal, Australia and more.
She started dancing ballet at the tender age of 3, so she developed an interest in healthy living when she was just a little girl. Originally from Brazil, Milla moved to Miami in 1996 to pursue a career in dance. She has a double B.S. in Dietetics and Nutrition and Physical Education from Florida International University.
Milla will be working alongside Lisa, conducting Spanish and Portuguese nutrition and fitness coaching, and leading our multicultural team of dieticians and coaches.
CHIef Athletic Ambassador, Malu Paredes
CHI Energy Bites embraces strong individuals who inspire others to reach their personal best in health, sport and life. Malu Paredes is an accomplished athlete, as well as a mother of three boys and a kindergarten teacher. She loves to share her passion for art and thrives on the energy of working with young children.
Malu has been running marathons since 2006. She has run the ING Miami Marathon, Chicago Marathon and New York City Marathon, among others, but where Malu really shines is in even longer distances – Ultras! Her top finishes are too many to mention but include the Icarus Florida UltraFest 24H and the Grindstone 100 Miler. As far as fitness goals, the sky is the limit. “There is always a new distance, trail or challenge to conquer,” she says.
Eager to be the best athlete she can be, Malu enjoys cooking healthy recipes and outdoor adventures. CHI Energy Bites give her an energy boost after a fitness routine and during long trainings and races. She also keeps them on hand for quick on-the-go meals.
CHIef Athletic Ambassador, Sandy Krigel
From his distinguished military career — he served as a Presidential Advance Agent to President Clinton and as the Commander of The Learjet Squadron assigned to fly the NORAD Commander in Colorado — to his current role as an educator and an advisor, Sandy Krigel has embodied the CHI lifestyle both in his professional life and his athletic pursuits. CHI Energy Bites have most recently been fueling Sandy’s fitness passions, which through the years have included eight marathons, numerous triathlons and various other high-level races. He is also an advisor to the Army Black Knights wrestling team in West Point, New York.
Lately, CHI Energy Bites have been fueling Sandy’s fitness efforts as he takes on the 75 Hard Challenge. “The 75 Hard Challenge is a program lasting 75 days with a simple set of rules designed to build confidence, self-esteem and grittiness through a no-excuses challenge,” he says. “CHI Energy Bites helped me big time, as they provided me quick and sustaining nutrition that kept me fueled up and ready to tackle each day of the challenge.”
CHIef Culinary Consultant, Chef Malka Espinel
Chef Malka Espinel credits her love of desserts to the hours spent in her grandmother's kitchen. These roots spur her artful fusion of Latin flavors and complex textures with classic American pastry art.
She earned a degree in Food Engineering in Bogota, Colombia, and in Culinary Arts from The Cooking and Hospitality Institute of Chicago, followed by a Masters in Hospitality Management from Florida International University.
Malka has worked at numerous celebrated institutions in Miami, Paris and Barcelona. In 2006, she filmed an episode of Sugar Rush, and appeared on Iron Chef America. She’s also graced the pages of Chocolatier and Pastry Art & Design.
Presently she’s building Malka Creative + Delicious, an online specialty cake and craft cocktail shop.
CHIef Marketing Consultant and Founder of Bits & Pieces Media, Vanessa Molina Santamaria
Vanessa is passionate about brand marketing, creative solutions, and turning ideas into showstopping content — all of which fuel your business.
Over the past two decades, she’s launched and managed print and digital products for the health + wellness, travel, and luxury lifestyle industries. Her projects have garnered more than 220 prestigious awards for editorial, design and photography. A University of Miami graduate, she’s worked with notable brands such as Baptist Health South Florida, Nicklaus Children’s Hospital, Marriott, Hilton, Travel + Leisure and Food & Wine.
A former custom publishing executive and marketing manager, she’s been a guest speaker and panelist at national media conferences, judged international publishing awards, served as an ambassador for the United Way, and enjoys mentoring aspiring journalists and creatives.
CHIef Legal Consultant and Founding Partner at The Saade Law Firm, P.A., Gabriel S. Saade, Esq.
Gabriel S. Saade, Esq. is a founding partner at The Saade Law Firm, P.A., which specializes in civil litigation, business law, complex commercial and business litigation, insurance coverage disputes, and real estate litigation.
His firm represents and counsels individuals, business and property owners, real estate developers, and commercial landlords and tenants in disputes relating to commercial, residential, and mixed-use real estate development projects, as well as construction and repair projects. He also works on claims involving insurance broker/agent liability — lecturing on this area of law throughout Florida and Massachusetts — and transactional matters in the entertainment and sports industries.
He earned his bachelor’s degree at Duke University and his juris doctorate from the University of Miami School of Law.
Our Partners & Consultants
Our Bites in the Media
Who would’ve thought these bitesize delights could create such a buzz? Explore the media coverage of CHI Energy Bites…
The Last Word...
Before sharing her new snacks with the world, Lisa road-tested CHI Energy Bites with hundreds of athletes and dieters. The last word belongs not to us, but to them:
“I just had to let you know that we love the CHI protein balls!!! They are amazing. And I say we because my husband tried them! And now he’s eating one every day too!!!”
“My favorite are the CHI Bites; the chocolate ones are amazing! Eating chocolate without the guilt.”
“These bites are an energy packed bite size brownie. I’m not a huge fan of chocolate but these Chi bites were a pleasant surprise. I will definitely recommend these bites to my pro clients who are constantly on the go and need a healthy energy snack.”
“These bites are only surpassed by their amazing taste. I can actually tell that they are from the cleanest and purest ingredients. No refined sugar aftertaste, just pure wholesome flavor. For sure a daily essential for training, traveling and snacking!”
“I’ve had the honor of using CHI Energy Bites more than once and let me tell you, they are the absolute truth! As someone with usually very full days, they provide necessary energy boost and nutritionally, they are spot on. To top it off, the bites are delicious! EMPOWER is my current favorite and as a chocolate lover, there is no lacking in the flavor department, which is both impressive and important. I appreciate that they truly are made with real ingredients. I highly recommend this product and can’t wait to get my hands on more bites!”
“I loooooved the CHI Bites! I had 1 and it was delicious and SO filling! I had ONE of the CHI and kept me full until dinner. But mostly it helped with the sugar craving I had mid-afternoon. We need that on the market asap!”