Our Story
One of the greatest challenges we face is to ensure that people and animals can thrive while inhabiting the same space. This coexistence is especially crucial in Sri Lanka, where there’s the largest number of free roaming Asian Elephants. We want to preserve that.
EleBalance, Inc. was created to improve the lives of Sri Lankan farmers and elephants by creating a healthy balance where both can peacefully coexist. Our goal is to safely protect elephants while enhancing the lives of people.
To expand Project Orange Elephant, local farmers are provided orange trees to plant in their villages.
Our founders have a history of working together to create sustainable solutions that protect wildlife while creating economic gains for farmers and communities. Now, we want to use our collective knowledge to expand Project Orange Elephant, an ongoing program created by the Sri Lanka Wildlife Conservation Society.
In the 70’s one of our founders, Soraya Rohde, joined a conservation group to help save whales. At that time, sperm whales were being hunted to extinction for their unique oil. Researchers discovered a plant called Jojoba that’s native to the Sonoran Desert. Its seeds produce an oil that is chemically identical to sperm whale oil.
Soraya Rohde (left) at an educational environmentalist booth on how jojoba could be used as an alternative to sperm whale oil.
Early signs to end whaling created by an environmentalist group.
Realizing the potential to commercialize the cultivation and oil production of jojoba, Soraya founded Desert Whale Jojoba Co. Inc. in 1978. In years to come, our other founders – Kim Swilpa, Dr. Christine Fouts, and Amber Kazansky – worked with Soraya in the farming, marketing, and sales of jojoba oil and its derivatives for the personal care industry. DWJ became the global leader in the jojoba oil industry.
Today, we are bringing our collective skills and experience to develop economically viable solutions, creating a healthy balance between free roaming elephants and the Sri Lankan community.