We were lucky to catch up with Gabija Papirtyte recently and have shared our conversation below.

Gabija, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Let’s start with the decision of whether to donate a percentage of sales to an organization or cause – we’d love to hear the backstory of how you thought through this.

With each sunglasses sale, Wooden LLC contributes to removing plastic from the ocean and supports 4Ocean and Eco-Drive’s environmental conservation efforts. We donate $2 from each sale to support 4Ocean and Eco-Drive’s clean-up crew, captains and recycling mission. 4ocean is one of the only companies in the world that directly manages a global ocean cleanup operation and employs professional, full-time captains and crews to recover plastic and trash from the world’s oceans, rivers, and coastlines seven days a week. We are passionate about leaving the world better than we found it, which is one of the reasons that we chose to sell Wooden- bamboo framed sunglasses!

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

At Wooden LLC, we’re passionate about sustainable fashion. Founded in 2023 by Gabi Papirtyte and Justin Shaft, our mission is to offer stylish, eco-friendly bamboo sunglasses and accessories. Each product is meticulously crafted to embody sophistication and durability, reflecting our commitment to quality and the environment.
Our sunglass frames and cases are made from real bamboo wood! Bamboo is one of the fastest-growing plants on the planet, making it a sustainable choice for our frames. In fact, bamboo can compost in as little as four months, compared to plastic, which can take hundreds of years to decompose.
We are proud to offer a product that so many of our clients already fell in love with, knowing that it is contributing towards a more sustainable Earth.
So many people are shocked that we sell these glasses for “such a low price”, however, we want our product to be accessible to most and we do not want to price gauge like some of the most popular sunglasses companies do.

Can you tell us the story behind how you met your business partner?

Justin and I met 7 years ago as coworkers at Post Oak Poker Club. We did not interact much back then as I was a poker dealer and he was on the operations side of the business. Some years later we met at another company of the same type and we started building a friendship. As we got to know each other better, I noticed that a lot of our views on life and business align perfectly. We both had similar goals for the future.
As a graphic designer experienced in marketing and sales, I contribute to our business by promoting it and building the brand, while Justin is meticulous, analytical, with a strong background in finances and management. So many people support our business because Justin is a fantastic person that everyone wants to succeed. He is great at building long lasting relationships with people. Justin is reliable and trustworthy. I feel lucky to have him as a friend and as a business partner.

Do you sell on your site, or do you use a platform like Amazon, Etsy, Cratejoy, etc?

We are a new company, we just launched sales on the website in April. However, recently we got our first listing on Amazon, it is our Ocean Breeze pair. We have 5 different pairs of sunglasses and we want to sell them under different listings, since they have unique names and provide different usage features. For example, the Ocean Breeze is a polarized blue/green that makes it easier to look through the water when enjoying water sports. Our most popular pair, the Black Pearl is not as reflective as the Ocean Breeze, but this pair is stylish and modern looking. The Black Pearl should be on Amazon next week, and the rest to follow. We like Amazon’s free 2 day delivery and the ease of storage. Our business does not have a physical store location, as we want our business to be portable. Both, Justin and I enjoy travelling and our goal is to have a business that we can run from anywhere in the world.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.woodenllc.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wooden.llc/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61552933153476
• Other: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0D4TBSKS6?ref=cm_sw_r_mwn_dp_TJPWW4R6Q47VE6XMM7GV&ref_=cm_sw_r_mwn_dp_TJPWW4R6Q47VE6XMM7GV&social_share=cm_sw_r_mwn_dp_TJPWW4R6Q47VE6XMM7GV&language=en_US&fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAR3TFD1iAybVBfuICChnML9fxDnSvRUL2c4H0-zyDQwnXgpm8TLhmxNPysc_aem_dVb1WQYb8QeonSBqQh7rRw