Most of the Lickity Split kids live in small trailers with big families; sometimes there might be eight or 10 people at home. "Before Lickity Split, the children spent a lot of time watching television or playing Nintendo," says Elaine, a former human resources manager from Denver who "came to the reservation to follow my heart.

"Now they're plotting business deals and coming up with marketing ideas," she says. "It's been an amazing transformation."

Because the children's main priority is their schoolwork, says Elaine, they only work at the chocolate studio on Fridays and Saturdays. Younger Lickity Split workers don't get a salary — instead, they earn points, which can be used toward buying computers and cell phones and saving money for college.

Although Elaine offers general guidance, the children are involved in every aspect of the business, from making customer contacts to attending trade shows, managing the Web site and balancing the company books. Their favorite job, though, is making chocolate.

"I've never eaten so much chocolate in my life," says Hubert Dayish, 10, Lickity Split's head scientist. Knowing what happened to Augustus Gloop in "Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory," he says, "it's a good thing that I'm testing sugar-free chocolate."

For more information, go to Lickitysplitchocolate.com.

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