Meet Our Team
Get to know the Chocolate Witches!
Michelle Novosel
Co-Owner & Executive Chocolatier
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Michelle's childhood dream was to be a candy maker, thanks to Willy Wonka! After many different passion projects like wildlife rehabilitation and being a founding member of Huntsville's roller derby league, she fell back into the arms of her true love: chocolate. She's been a part of the Huntsville arts scene for many years and brings her love of visual art, pop culture, and confectionary art into every creation.
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Michelle worked in the culinary world for many years as a server, cook, baker, and manager before graduating from culinary school at The Art Institute of Nashville in 2009. She received her Professional Chocolatier Certificate, with Honors, from Ecole Chocolat in 2012, and has been an Ecole Chocolat Masterclass instructor since 2021. She continues to study chocolate through classes and workshops, attended the Melissa Coppel Intensive Chocolatier Workshop in 2019, lead students through Paris & l'Ecole Valrhona in Tain l'Hermitage, France, and is always engaged with various online continuing education programs.
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She was a panelist alongside Michael Recchicti and other chocolate professionals at the Fine Chocolate Industry Association 2023 Conference in NYC and filmed a collaboration commercial with California Almonds and Ecole Chocolat. Our chocolates, confections, and desserts are the results of her culinary passion, expertise, and attention to detail.
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Michelle's perfect day off is thrifting, gardening, and hanging out with friends.​ Her favorite things to eat at Pizzelle's are the Green Dragon bonbon and the banana pudding ice cream.
Emily Hawkins
Executive Pastry Chef
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Emily was born and raised in Huntsville and has been a Pastry Chef for over 15 years. She received her undergraduate degree in Psychology in 2001 and her Master's Degree in English in 2003 from UAH. She taught English before she found her love of pastry by working as a pastry cook for her sister-in-law. She moved to Napa Valley, CA and received her Baking & Pastry Certificate from the Culinary Institute of America in 2008.
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Emily prides herself on creating works of art out of buttercream and chocolate, usually inspired by nature. She's been with Pizzelle's for 9 years.
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Fun fact: Emily and Michelle first met when they were 16 and worked together at a local restaurant, The Mill Bakery & Eatery.
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Emily's perfect day off is hanging out with her daughter and their animals, usually doing something creative. Her favorite thing to eat at Pizzelle's is the Green Dragon bonbon.
Jennifer Sherman
General Manager​
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Jennifer is a Huntsville native. She worked at Nichols Research as an administrative assistant while pursuing her degree in Computer Information Systems. After earning her degree, she began her job as a programmer with Nichols, eventually launching her own consulting business. While raising her 2 sons, she worked as a preschool teacher, which she found incredibly satisfying. Eventually the entrepreneurial bug bit her again and she took ownership of Dinner By Design in Jones Valley. During that time, she taught many cooking classes and also rented her kitchen out to other small businesses as a commissary. In 2015 she closed the doors and launched Dished, a ready-to-cook meal delivery service. She created a thriving business, serving families all over Madison County. She closed Dished in 2021 to care for her mother. She helped the Standard Social Market as they launched their grab and go products. She came to Pizzelle’s Confections in April of 2022.
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She served as a culinary business coach and Facilitator/Coach for two sessions of the Kauffman FastTrac entrepreneurial program at The Catalyst Business Center. She also was a member of the Women’s Economic Development Council (WEDC) for several years.
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She enjoys being an empty nester, but loves hanging out whenever possible with her two adult sons and their partners. Her youngest lives locally and works as a systems engineer, and her oldest son is a professional tuba player and teacher in Atlanta.
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Jennifer's favorite day off is hiking and snuggling with her two rescue cats. Her favorite things at Pizzelle's are the customers who brighten every day!
Caitlin Lyon
Co-Owner, Admin Assistant
Caitlin never dreamed of owning a chocolate shop & dessert cafe, but Willy Wonka got hold of her too. Her previous experience in the culinary world includes garde manager, barista, and cafe manager.
She has a BA in Sociology from UAH in 1993 and worked as a social worker for more than 10 years. She received a Graduate Certificate in Technical Communication at UAH in 2004 & was working as a technical writer when she and Michelle opened Pizzelle's in March 2013. Caitlin received her Professional Chocolatier Certificate, with Honors, from Ecole Chocolat in 2015. She's a Leadership Greater Huntsville alumni of Management Academy Class 9, and she's a graduate of the Fall 2021 Cohort of the Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses Program. Caitlin makes sure that everything runs smoothly behind the scenes.
Caitlin’s perfect day off includes sleeping late, video games, & horror movies. Her favorite thing to eat at Pizzelle’s is the El Machete bonbon.