WHO WE ARE

PAPAIŸO is a marketing and technology company purpose-built for the luxury goods markets of the Caribbean and wider Latin American region. We focus on brand strategy development, e-commerce development, and cross border logistics solutions that can help our brand partners flourish in a new digitized, globalized world.

But we are more than this. At our core we are storytellers and Caribbean natives with a deep love for the gems of the Caribbean Sea. We've built a brand ecosystem that nurtures creative spirits from this region who tell stories about their culture and share pieces of their heritage through their passions. Our mission is to share the magic of this region on a global stage through these brands, and with the support of an ecosystem of services that is thoughtfully engineered with the unique needs of this region in mind. 

OUR VALUES

Equality. Sustainability. Integrity. Creativity. These four values drive everything that we do and everything we strive towards.


A NOTE FROM OUR FOUNDER

The word PAPAIŸO is a play on a colloquial expression from Trinidad and Tobago that means "WOW!" -- an expression my father taught me as a little girl. Raised in Jamaica by a Trinidadian father and Jamaican mother, in a family that collectively lived in various parts of the Caribbean and Latin America, I grew up 100% island. Born out of this deep love and respect for a region that abounds with enigma, creativity and charm, PAPAIŸO pays homage to the treasure islands across the Caribbean Sea that may speak different languages or have different accents, but share an undeniable cultural DNA.

The islands are magical. Words could not adequately describe this magic. This magic peaks out at dawn with the ushering in of the first morning breeze, where rustling leaves and gleeping coquis create the most beautiful cacophony of island sounds. You feel it at dusk, when pulsating rhythms trail over the hills and every street corner slowly transforms to prepare for the libations of the impending evening. You revel in it when childhood friends (whose parents you call Aunty and Uncle) gather at the beach, a bar, or a verandah for a bellyful of laughs -- the types that make your eyes glisten. Every child of the Caribbean Sea carries a little piece of this magic close to their hearts regardless of where their paths may lead them.

There is an emerging wave of a new kind of luxury that excites me because it shares a lot of the essence of what this island magic means to me. It is authentic and free spirited. It is diverse, it is inclusive and values "have dones" over "haves." It is kind to nature and respectful of the gifts she provides. It values local craftsmanship and the process of mastery. The brands we partner with share this vision of a new luxury, and they create timeless "art" with a little sprinkle of magic in it.

We have a deep fondness for the Islands, and we hope to share this magic with you!

Sincerely,
Micha Alleyne