Itza Wood

Itza Wood is led by a mother-and-daughter team: Philadelphia native Suzanne Babarczy and her daughter Eliza, who spent much of her childhood in Guatemala, where Suzanne founded The Jungle School with her husband Mario in a remote corner of the Central American country. After launching her career in event planning in the U.S., Eliza Babarczy decided to return to Peten, Guatemala, to work alongside her parents. Itza Wood, launched five years ago, was intended as a way to raise money for the school while also employing local woodworkers and showcasing (and protecting) the region’s beautiful tropical hardwoods. “This is my mom’s dream, and I am the executor — it’s both of our hearts,” says Eliza Babaczry, noting that Itza Wood turns over 10 percent of its profits to the school, while employing seven of its graduates part-time. “As a young company, we’re still growing — and setting a firm foundation for bigger giving in the future.”

Read more about them in our Journal Article here.