Meet Our Staff

December 16, 2016 4 Comments

Meet Our Staff

Paper for People

The biggest reason we started this journey was to support our community by creating as many jobs as possible.  To create jobs, we learned how to responsibly develop our own style of sustainable manufacturing with the island's abundant and renewable organic waste.

Creating sustainable economic development in the Pacific

Since 2014, our full-time staff has grown to 18 people, making us one the top 3 employers on the island.  But we're not going to stop here, we are hoping to grow to at least 35 people by 2018 - and replicate our sustainable manufacturing model on other islands throughout the Pacific. 

Green Banana Paper Staff

Teaching new skills to the workforce is an essential part of our plan

We have spent the last two years crafting our trade, becoming skilled farmers, fiber processors, papermakers, weavers, sewers, artists, designers, printers, and product finishers.  We take pride in the consistent quality and attention to detail in our work.

Green Banana Paper Staff

Visitors are welcome!

At Green Banana Paper, we are so excited to be the first in the Pacific to prove this "waste to wealth" concept.  We hope you'll come to Kosrae someday. 

Green Banana Paper Staff

Current Staff

Ancili

Ancili's smile lights up the factory. She is an expert wallet maker. Ancili likes to sing and make music for fun.

Ben

Ben is a positive and light-hearted guy. He's the technical specialist at Green Banana Paper. Ben can be found making music and playing baseball with his kids in his free time.

Chito

Chito loves Kosrae for the simple life. He enjoys being with his family, and they run a bakery together. He is the Accountant at Green Banana Paper.

Clifton

Clifton is a quiet talker, but he's full of stories about traditional Kosraean culture. He is a papermaker at Green Banana Paper. Clifton enjoys spearfishing and being with his family. 

Daniel

Daniel has a knack for bringing out laughs among his coworkers. When he's not entertaining, Daniel extracts banana fibers in the first step of making paper. Daniel primarily spends his free time spearfishing on the edge of the reef.

Devin

Devin hails to Kosrae from Maine. He is an avid entrepreneur and Amazon expert. Devin enjoys snorkeling and exploring the sea.

John

John helped build Green Banana Paper from the start, and now he's a print quality specialist. John is easy-going, but he can break out a dance move at any moment.

Juackina

Juackina enjoys spending time with her family and laughing with her coworkers. She is a sales associate.

Kenye

Kenye is a master sewer at Green Banana Paper. She enjoys sewing dresses for fun. Kenye also likes to experiment with various cooking techniques and recipes.

Konlulu

Konlulu likes to play basketball with friends. He loves the island and is very proud to call Kosrae his home. Konlulu is a paper cutter at Green Banana Paper, and he also helps with fiber extraction.

Luc

Luc is a very mellow guy. He's a printer and tour guide at the factory, and a farmer at home. Luc is also passionate about environmental issues.

Matt

Matt founded Green Banana Paper as a sustainable development project for Kosrae in 2014. Included in his bookshelf are Banana and 16 books about papermaking. Surfing is also dear to his heart. Matt has an altruistic drive and always has another project brewing. Read more.

Merlyn

Merlyn is an expert sewer and always up for a good time. She loves to laugh and go to the beach with friends.

Mia

Mia's voice flows through the factory. As the Floor Manager, she knows precisely how to make every product that is created here. At home, Mia enjoys playing with her kids.

Milton

Milton often hears, "Hey Grandpa!" from his younger coworkers. Master papermaker and tour guide, Milton is a jack-of-all-trades. His even-keeled nature and full heart show in the work he does.

Mirah

Mirah especially loves the plethora of tropical fruit on the island. Her preferred respite from the blazing sun is a dip in the ocean. Mirah is part of the factory's finished product team.

Mitta

Mitta brings her smile with her everywhere she goes. She is the Business Manager and attends to all of the imported and exported products. Mitta loves living by the ocean.

Nolina

Nolina's goofy manner brings lots of laughter amongst the finished product workers while crafting wallets. She likes to dance and listen to music for fun.

Robin

Robin emanates kindness in everything he does. He has an artistic eye for combing patterns and colors, and thus he's a weaver and printer at Green Banana Paper.

Rodney

Rodney is a banana pulp master. He's a reliable and and methodic worker. Rodney enjoys spearfishing for supper.

Rodel

Rodel is an adept graphic designer. He also has a strong passion for music and spends ample time composing songs and teaching kids to play the guitar and piano.

Sam

Sam is a very versatile worker, jumping between the physical labor outside and digital work in the design studio. He climbs roofs to fix leaks, and climbs trees for coconuts. Sam keeps his peers smiling throughout the day.

Shrue

Shrue is a wallet sewer at Green Banana Paper. She loves all of the varieties of bananas on Kosrae, lacatan most of all.

Stacia

Stacia likes to cook, especially the delicacy of fresh fish that she recently caught. Stacia is part of the finished product team at Green Banana Paper.

Sue Annie

Sue Annie's bubbly personality brings smiles amongst the workers. She is part of the finished product team at Green Banana Paper. Sue Annie likes to play volleyball with her friends.

Theodore

Theodore has a calm demeanor and a full heart. He's very generous with coconuts, and enjoys spending time with his family. Theodore is a printer and fiber extractor at Green Banana Paper.

William

William loves to laugh and listen to music. He's an artist, mechanic, and papermaker.




4 Responses

Jill Chrisp
Jill Chrisp

May 25, 2019

I am working this week on the beautiful island and State of Kosrae – discussing the establishment of a national (and State-based) human rights institution. The Governor handed me his business card which was made by you. I loved it! I have since been in to see you and we are working out how you can transfer my business cards onto green banana paper. What you are doing is inspirational – best wishes as you continue to grow and spread the business!
Nga mihi ki a koutou.

Jacek
Jacek

December 03, 2018

Wonderful people, you do wonderful things. Greetings from Poland.

Ms. Randy Merrill
Ms. Randy Merrill

June 18, 2017

Hello to you wonderful, island people. I received the two wallets and was delighted. You must be very proud of your accomplishments. I wish you success in all of your endeavors.

Bruce
Bruce

March 09, 2017

Iakwe and Len wo!!

I am Bruce Bilimon, a Senator in the Republic of the Marshall Islands’ Parliament. I am impressed with your locally made products especially the – Green Banana Paper Wallet, it is quite extraordinary and an innovative way to capitalize on our local resources. I am interested to know more about your process and how we can start a dialogue… Kommol tata!

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