Today, Cropsticks by Cropmade are in 500+ restaurants, hotels and retailers nationwide but its origins are humble and rather ordinary. For anyone out there with an idea or dream, read on. We all start somewhere.

In 2015, Mylen Fe Yamamoto was on a flight to Asia when she found that her chopsticks kept rolling off the tray table. With a lot of time to think on the plane ride, the idea of the Cropsticks rest was born. After more research, she realized the potential impact of her idea. She thought to herself, “if I’m going to move forward with this invention, I want to create with purpose,” thus the mission: “Leaving behind a greener environment for future generations” became the core vision for Cropsticks.

At the time of idea conception, Mylen was teaching entrepreneurship as a clinical professor at Loyola Marymount University. By the end of May 2016, she decided to do entrepreneurship full time.

Mylen is a fourth-generation Japanese-Filipino American who was born and raised in Hawaii. She now splits her time between Los Angeles and Hawaii. Her grandfather, Yozo Yamamoto, fought for America in the 100th Infantry Battalion during WWII, which she believes helped afford her the opportunities of today. In a sense, the actions of past generations motivate her to do better for future generations. Why progress backward after all of their hard work?

Cropsticks by Cropmade is on a journey to build a company of sustainability with future generations in mind.