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Winter Fancy Food Show Booth 742 Winter Fancy Food Show Booth 1247 giving back these animals and be more active in preserving them," she explains. Father and daughter decided to start a business that pays hom- age to their roots and provides the means to help protect the ani- mals they had grown to love and cherish. Elephantea sells certified organic Ceylon teas and uses a portion of its profits to benefit efforts to preserve the lives of Asian elephants in Sri Lanka. Getting the Company Off the Ground For the Atapattus, the easiest part of putting the Elephantea busi- ness together was the product. With many family members in the Sri Lankan tea business, the two were able to meet with growers and plantation owners who both produced superior Ceylon tea leaves and shared their dedication to elephant conservation. "They're living up to the same standards that I'm trying to implement," Atapattu explains. "I know these animals won't be harmed on these plantations." Atapattu's previous business experience in the logistics indus- try has served her well in getting the business up and running since the initial idea began percolating in early 2015. Her knowledge of distribution channels, shipping practices, and getting products into stores has been very beneficial, she says. In addition to selling superior teas that she herself would buy, in f lavors such as chai and green tea lemon, it was important to Atapattu that the elephant be a prominent part of the business's identity. "Once we started rolling with the idea, it started with the logo," she says. "We wanted to pick something that captured the elephant to make that the number-one part of the package." Taking a Financial Leap Before the company ever started turning a profit, Atapattu knew it was time to put the conservation wheels in motion. "I want people to know that we're here for a very real cause," she says. The com- pany decided to partner with the U.S.-based Sri Lanka Wildlife Conservation Society, which works to conserve Sri Lanka's endan- gered wildlife. For Atapattu, it was important to find an organization based in the U.S. that shared her views and same level of passion for elephant conservation. "It's nice to have that interaction on a daily, weekly, monthly basis on the U.S. side," she explains. "It also helps the transparency." Through the partnership, Elephantea has helped launch the EleFriendly Bus, which helps educate children and their families about elephant conservation while transporting them safely to and from school through the oftentimes-dangerous elephant corridor of the Wasgamuwa National Park region. According to SLWCS, human-elephant conf licts, such as those in the elephant corridor, account for the deaths of more than 80 people and 200 elephants each year in Sri Lanka. Teaching chil- 56 ❘ SPECIALTY FOOD MAGAZINE specialtyfood.com