Today, in a world where caring for the planet is a necessity, Jinali Mody, our founder, embarked on a mission. Driven by her love for animals and the environment, she aimed to find and create sustainable alternatives for today's materials.

 

Hailing from India, a leather hub, she was cognizant of the environmental impact of this resource-intensive and highly polluting material. She recognized that vegan leather, often touted as sustainable, is actually plastic made from petrochemical sources.

 

Observing the lack of sustainable alternatives spurred her on a journey to replace materials that harm our planet. Leveraging her business experience from McKinsey & Co. and her Master's Degree in Sustainability from the Yale School of Environment, Jinali kickstarted this venture. She then began to assemble a team, which now comprises individuals with expertise across leather, textiles, design, agriculture, and material science.

 

India is the perfect location for Banofi. As the world’s largest producer of bananas, India generates 4 tons of waste for every 1 ton of fruit. For Banofi this provides an untapped and abundant raw material source. Our team saw a path to redefine the materials of the future, by upcycling banana crop waste into leather.