Alexandra Ernst, A’11, has traveled the world and has a message to spread.
“Travel in kindness” is the mission statement behind Project Pangia, a company Ernst started.
Project Pangia is a multifaceted company that looks to connect travelers and save the environment through bracelets made from recycled surfboards.
During her time at Loyola, Ernst studied abroad through an Louisiana State University program, called the “Magical Media Tour of Europe.” Ernst traveled to Prague, Budapest, Hungary, Vienna, Liepzig, Dresden, Germany, Isle of Hvar and Split, Croatia, London, Paris, Giverny, France, Amsterdam and Barcelona.
On Sept. 26, 2013, Ernst added one more destination to her list – Bali, Indonesia. On a whim, she booked a flight and packed up everything she owned into a storage unit. Ernst was originally going to stay for two weeks, but ended up staying for five.
“I don’t know why, but I had this calling to Indonesia. The purpose of that trip was to cultivate my ideas, so I just packed up and went by myself,” Ernst said.
Traveling on a whim, Ernst hadn’t even booked a place to stay. After posting on Facebook about her upcoming trip, she connected with a friend of a friend who offered her a place to stay in Bali, Indonesia.
“This is exactly what I love about travelers,” Ernst said. “They are so welcoming, because they know what it’s like and they’ve been there before.”
Ernst, who had two jobs at the time of her Indonesia excursion, had many business ideas circling her mind, but needed the time to construct the company that is now Project Pangia.
“When I got to Bali, I met these two amazing locals. The woman is named Bambu and the man is named Jelly. They both live in small beach towns. Not only did I find the coolest human beings ever, they have the coolest names ever,” Ernst said.
Ernst was in awe about how hard the locals, like Bambu and Jelly, worked for such little pay.
“Tourism is booming in the sense that there are tons of people going to Indonesia for vacation, but not booming in the sense of money. It’s so cheap to go there. I want to create mentorship programs, to teach them our Western philosophy on business.”
Ernst explained that tourism also creates many environmental problems for Indonesia.
“Bali is a huge spot for surfing, and unfortunately surfboards are toxic to the environment,” Ernst said. “They are not biodegradable; so when a surfboard breaks on a wave, it just sits in a landfill.”
That’s where Project Pangia’s bracelets come in. The bracelets are made from these recycled surfboards. Jelly is a surfboard repairman and Bambu is a bracelet maker, so the handmade bracelets actually come from locals like Jelly and Bambu.
Each bracelet is stamped with a unique code, which is registered on Project Pangia’s website. The traveler can track their impact as the bracelet is passed along from one hand to another.
Over the past six months alone, the bracelets have traveled over 126,000 miles and to 17 countries. Each new recipient has the opportunity to add to its story online before passing it on to someone new. Project Pangia keeps the travler updated as their bracelet reaches certain milestones, so they can “witness just how far one simple act of kindness can go.”
“You can see where the bracelet has been and how far its traveled. For example, one of the bracelets has gone from southern California to San Francisco to Greece to Aruba,” Ernst said. “It’s kind of like Flat Stanley, only cooler.”
Bambu and Jelly are not the only ones dedicated to Ernst and Project Pangia.
Virginia Peters-Rodbell, A’13, “wears a few hats” in the company, so to speak. As a graphic designer, Peters creates campaign materials like flyers, stickers, social media posts and the visual display of information for their upcoming Kickstarter campaign. She’s also been collaborating with Ernst on their social media strategy.
“I first became involved with this project when Alexandra called me out of the blue in December to ask for my design assistance. I do freelance,” Peters said. “When she described her idea for Project Pangia, I was so excited. A project that recycles, helps people start their own businesses and promotes travel is definitely something I knew I could enjoy working on.”
Anna McGowan, A’13, also works for Project Pangia after being intrigued by Ernst’s mission on the Employola website.
“I was also interested, because I spent a few weeks in Bali last summer. While I really loved it there, I definitely saw a lot of room for improvement in the community both economically and environmentally,” McGowan said.
Project Pangia looks to connect travelers socially and globally, while working to create a more environmentally conscious society.
“The back of the bracelet says ‘travel in kindness,'” Ernst said. “So when you wear it, it’s a reminder that we are all connected and be kind to one another, especially in your travels but in everyday life too.”
Melanie Potter can be reached at [email protected]
