About Kristin Boekhoff

Kristin Boekhoff

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Kristin Boekhoff is currently developing a sustainable boutique resort in southern Bangladesh where savvy travelers can have a beautiful, authentic, cultural experience while preserving the social and environmental integrity of the area. Panigram Resort and Spa will be the first in a collection of resorts that focus on responsible hospitality and destination stewardship. In 2006 Ms. Boekhoff was a Fulbright Fellow to Bangladesh where she researched the feasibility of a sustainable, replicable low-income housing real estate development program for female migrant laborers in Dhaka. Prior to her departure for Bangladesh, she was the Chief Information Officer at CharterMac, one of the US's leading full-service real estate finance companies. Her team worked closely with the asset management, underwriting, acquisitions, accounting, lending, and construction groups to improve the firm's ability to service its developers and investors and to continue the corporate goals of streamlining workflow efficiencies and improving communication between internal and external groups. Previously, Ms. Boekhoff ran the Fund Management Group where she was responsible for developer servicing, cash management, and investor reporting. She managed over $7 billion of equity invested in the firm's 100+ real estate funds and oversaw developer relations for over 1,200 new and stabilized properties. Before joining CharterMac, Ms. Boekhoff had six years of project management experience, most recently as a business analyst at Neuberger Berman, a financial services firm, where she was responsible for managing large information technology and business reorganization projects. Previously, she worked as a management consultant for PricewaterhouseCoopers in the Marketing and Customer Management Group. Ms. Boekhoff received a B.S. from Cornell University and an M.S. in Real Estate Development from New York University.

Posts by Kristin Boekhoff:

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First Guests Arrive at Panigram!

Posted by on April 14th, 2013

Last weekend Panigram launched our Panigram Apprenticeship Experience! Our guests enjoyed learning how we are building an eco resort out of mud.

Sasha learns our decorative painting technique and creates a gorgeous mural on one of our test mud walls.

Star, Sasha, Sapphire, and Asif learn how to make bamboo chik.

Star, Sasha, and Sapphire practice their new skills at chik making!

Sapphire learns how to make yummy pita out with rice flour, ghur, and coconut.

 Participate in your own Panigram Apprenticeship Experience!

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Panigram Launches the Apprenticeship Experience!

Posted by on February 28th, 2013

Are you a traveler, not a tourist? Do you thrive on adventure? Are you looking for a completely unique, one-of-a-kind travel experience?

Then become a Panigram Apprentice!

Panigram is excited to announce that starting April 1st we are launching the Panigram Apprenticeship Experience. Three days, two nights, one exciting adventure…

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One Billion Rising Flash Mob in the Panigram Village!

Posted by on February 14th, 2013

On February 14 Panigram Resort joined with activists around the world for One Billion Rising, the largest day of action in the history of V-Day, the global activist movement to end violence against women and girls. Panigram organized a dance flash mob in their village as part of the One Billion Rising campaign. About 100 women, 100 girls, and 200 men participated in the dance mob as a call to end violence against women and for gender equality.

The mob was lead by more than 80 of the participants in Panigram’s English and hospitality training program and 30 of the resort’s female construction workers; the trainees and workers are all residents of the villages surrounding the resort. Many of the women in the program, who come from conservative Muslim families, were worried about dancing in public. At the practice session the ratio of men to women was four to one, however on the day of the event men and women showed up in equal numbers (though the men were less afraid to step up and dance!) Women in bright red burqa danced alongside young girls in pink dresses. Girls from the women’s college, high school, and primary school tied red ribbons around their wrist and joined the dance party in the town square.

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Once-in-a-Lifetime Teaching Opportunity in Bangladesh

Posted by on February 4th, 2013

It’s an English teacher’s dream job. Design your own curriculum, use the teaching methods you prefer, work with a local community of motivated learners. If you want a truly unique and rewarding teaching experience, come to Panigram Resort. We are currently looking for one more instructor to help develop a hospitality-oriented English curriculum and teach the local villagers the skills they’ll need to work in a five-star eco resort.

While the resort is under construction, we will host you in our lovely four-bedroom house with a chef and a maid do your laundry, clean your home, make your bed, and cook three meals a day for you. Once the staff quarters at the resort are built, you will move from the four-bedroom house to a five-star resort. For more information about the resort, visit www.panigram.com.

Panigram Resort is currently still under construction, but we anticipate having our soft opening at the end of 2013 and our grand opening in late spring 2014. This position will start in June 2013.

Qualifications:
•    Native English speaker
•    Great with people
•    Adventurous
•    Desire to be completely immersed in another culture
•    ESL teaching certification; preferred but not required
•    ESL teaching experience; preferred but not required

Compensation:
•    Housing included
•    All meals included
•    Small wage (more than enough for any additional living expenses)
•    Airfare to and from Bangladesh is reimbursed at the completion of contract

To apply, please send a resume as well as a cover letter explaining who you are, what motivates you to apply, and what teaching methodology you would use to teaching@panigram.com.

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New Winter Intern Arrives: An Internship in Activity Planning

Posted by on December 20th, 2012

Heather Martz has recently joined the Panigram team as our winter intern. When I received Heather’s CV and cover letter, I immediately wanted to hire her. She has hospitality experience (she managed a Starbucks), she embraces a wellness lifestyle (she is a yoga instructor), she is becoming an expert in sustainability (she is a graduate student studying sustainable development), and she loves to travel (she did another internship in Costa Rica). A perfect fit! Unfortunately, the HR person that I hired on a temporary basis to handle our employment applications at the time (unbeknownst to me) sent Heather a rejection letter without even following up! I assumed that Heather had turned down the position until I went back through all of our applications after I dismissed the temporary HR person and found her letter again and noticed the mistake. I emailed Heather explaining the error and, good sport that she is, she forgave our mistakle and decided to come to Bangladesh! In the week that she has been here she has already come up with some great ideas for us and I look forward to seeing her project develop during her stay.

Heather Martz

Heather Martz Headshot

Heather Martz

Aloha and assalam elaiykum! My name is Heather Martz. I am a graduate student at Hawaii Pacific University studying sustainable development. I am a certified yoga teacher, I enjoy making soap, and I love to travel. Bangladesh marks the 23rd country I have had the pleasure of visiting. I have only been here for one week and already I have had some amazing experiences! The people here are extremely friendly and instantly made me feel right at home. I know my time here will be time well spent, making new friends and creating great memories.

As an intern at Panigram Resort, I will be traveling around the villages of Jessore, Bangladesh in search of interesting activities for guests to participate in. Some of the things I will be looking for will include day hikes, bike routes and boating excursions. In addition my sights will be set on local agricultural practices which will help show guests how local production processes in rural villages happen and give them a chance to participate. Promoting local craftsmanship will also be an important aspect of this internship allowing guests to promote the local economy and learn something in the process.

My goal is to assist Panigram in being one of the most successful and unique sustainably conscious resorts available for travelers.

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British Invasion! Our Second English Trainer Arrives

Posted by on November 9th, 2012

We are really gearing up our village training programs now. About 100 new students joined our classes on November 1st, so we had to import another native speaker to help train them in English. Nazmeen Green is the latest addition to the Panigram team. She will be working with Angela to develop our English curriculum. Nazmeen and Angela are also teaming up with our hospitality experts to teach our students how to book spa treatments, make beds, and properly clean rooms. Most of our village staff will have had one year of training (6 classes a week) by the time Panigram opens its doors.

Nazmeen Green

Nazmeen Green Headshot

Nazmeen Green

Assalam alaikum! I’m Nazmeen Green and I have been working alongside Angela as an English trainer at Panigram for the last month.

I was born and raised in England, where I decided at quite a young age that I wanted to teach English in either France or Germany. However, after graduating with a degree in languages from the University of Wales, Swansea, I realized that I needed a short break from studying in which to travel.

I set off for a one-year teaching contract in Chiang Mai, Thailand, where I eventually stayed for eight years. While visiting some friends in Dhaka earlier this year, I was struck with a feeling of belonging. The warmth of the local people and their acceptance of me made me feel instantly at home, especially when they heard that I was a recent convert to Islam.

I started looking for work in Bangladesh and struck gold with Panigram. I am really excited to be part of such an interesting project and to be working with some wonderful people. I have been delighted to see the eagerness of the students and the way Panigram is contributing in a positive way to the local community. I look forward to seeing both the students and the resort develop over the next year.

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Cornell Summer Interns Arrive!

Posted by on June 11th, 2012

Summer is here and so are the interns! This year we have four students, all from Cornell University: a hotel intern, an architecture intern, an entrepreneurship intern, and a landscape architecture/media intern. This summer the interns are working on some of our socially responsible initiatives, from designing our handicraft village to hospitality training for our village employees. Their adventure has already begun with visits to the Panigram Resort site, villages, and Sundarbans–one of the largest mangrove forests in the world and a UNESCO World Heritage Center.

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Shuping Liu

Shuping Liu

Hello! My name is Shuping Liu and I am the architecture intern at Panigram Resort. I’m an architecture major in my fourth year at Cornell University in Ithaca, New York. Coincidentally, I was born in Syracuse, which is only one hour from Ithaca; however, I grew up in Taipei, Taiwan. With my free time I enjoy reading, running and fixing up old bikes. You can check out some of my work at www.shupingliu.com.

As part of Panigram Resort, my main responsibilities will include planning the nearby handicraft village. I will be investigating how the villagers use and build their homes to inform the architecture of proposed market spaces, workrooms and plazas.  My summer experience in Bangladesh has already been unique and rewarding. I am looking forward to putting my skills to use but also to learn from the local villagers. I can’t wait to learn how to tie my new lungi.

 

Yohana Tsegai

Yohana Tsegai

My name is Yohana Tsegai. I am currently a junior in the School of Hotel Administration at Cornell University. Although many people here confuse me for a local Bangladeshi, I was born in Asmara, Eritrea in East Africa. At the age of three, my family and I moved to Houston, Texas in America. No cowboy hats or boots for me, but I’m a proud Texan nonetheless. I’m one of four children — the only girl with three brothers – so I’m pretty independent. I love to travel, especially when I can visit my relatives who live all over the world.

While here at Panigram Resort, I will be in charge of creating a training program for more than 200 employees in a variety of positions. The training will include activities, video modules, and written and verbal exams. I will also be helping the Human Resource Manager craft HR policies that will take into consideration the local culture and customs. I am looking forward to helping Panigram Resort set the standard as Bangladesh’s first five-star resort.

 

Katherine Li

Katherine Li

Asalam elaiykum! My name is Kathy and I was born and raised in the crazy city of Los Angeles, California. I am currently pursuing my master’s degree in landscape architecture and next year will be my final year at Cornell University.  One of my greatest passions is to travel; I have visited more than 20 countries thus far. Most of my travels have taken me to Asia where I love to eat, shop and learn about the area’s culture and architecture.  Spending a year in Japan and traveling inspired me to go back to school to learn more about design and the environment.  I hope to focus my last year of study on sustainability and how it can be applied to ecotourism. As the summer Media Intern at Panigram, my job will be to publicize the activities leading up to the resort’s opening next year.  I am excited to be part of a project that is committed to helping the people in Bangladesh as well as the local environment.

 

Andrew Pike

Andrew Pike

My name is Andrew Pike and I believe in development through business. Growing up and working in East Africa over the past 20 years has taught me that business, as a profit maximizer, is inherently more efficient than aid and is a large part of the solution to poverty.

At the age of 18, I became a social entrepreneur by starting my own small not-just-for-profit business. My business creates eye-catching laptop cases out of ‘Kitenge’, a traditional African fabric with intricate, colorful patterns. Everything is made in formerly war-torn Northern Uganda and allows Mama Lucy, a remarkable local entrepreneur, to expand her tailoring business and to put the 10 children she supports through school. I stress that this is business, not charity.

Panigram, which is energizing the local economy around Jessore, shares my ideals. I am excited to start my main project—a crafts village for disadvantaged women, which will provide them with a self-sustaining and long term flow of income. By selling directly to the tourists, the women are able to get higher and fairer prices and eliminate exploitative middle men.

I study Applied Economics and Management with a specialization in International Trade and Development at Cornell University. I am an avid reader of science fiction, a lover of music, disco boogie, and all things jolly. My ‘to-learn’ list includes headstands, salsa dancing and ironing. Traveling makes me feel alive and I aspire to make the most of the opportunities that cross my path. Folks, the aim is to live the dream.

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