# Phantila Phataraprasit

> Phantila Phataraprasit is the co-founder and CEO of Sabai Design, a direct-to-consumer sustainable furniture company she launched in 2019 with Caitlin Ellen. Raised in Bangkok around her mother's eco-lodges and trained as a lawyer at NYU, she set out to prove that earth-friendly furniture could also be affordable. Sabai builds made-to-order sofas from recycled fabrics and FSC-certified wood, ships them plastic-free, and pioneered the first closed-loop furniture program in the U.S. - work that earned a Fast Company World Changing Ideas award and made Phantila the youngest member of the Sustainable Furnishings Council board.

- **Role:** Co-Founder & CEO at Sabai Design
- **Organizations:** Sabai Design, Sustainable Furnishings Council, Morgan Stanley (former)
- **From:** Bangkok, Thailand
- **Nationality:** Thai
- **Education:** High school diploma, St. Paul's School, B.A. in Economics and Political Science, Columbia University, J.D., NYU School of Law
- **Known for:** Co-founded and leads Sabai Design, a sustainable D2C furniture brand, Created the Sabai Standard, the first closed-loop furniture program in the United States, Launched the 'Repair Don't Replace' program and 'Sabai Revive' buyback/resale program

## Career timeline

- **2012** — Graduated from St. Paul's School
- **2016** — Graduated from Columbia University; co-founded Columbia's first student credit union with Caitlin Ellen
- **2016-2017** — Worked at Morgan Stanley
- **2019** — Launched Sabai Design with co-founder Caitlin Ellen, starting with seating
- **2020** — Graduated from NYU School of Law with a J.D.
- **2021** — Named to Inc. Magazine's Female Founders 100
- **2022** — Sabai's closed-loop program (the Sabai Standard) wins a Fast Company World Changing Ideas / Innovation by Design Award; raised Seed funding
- **2023** — Named an Apartment Therapy Design Changemaker; joined Sustainable Furnishings Council board as its youngest member
- **2025** — Featured in CULTURED Magazine on designing furniture for a sustainability-minded generation

## Achievements

- Co-founded and leads Sabai Design, a sustainable D2C furniture brand
- Created the Sabai Standard, the first closed-loop furniture program in the United States
- Launched the 'Repair Don't Replace' program and 'Sabai Revive' buyback/resale program
- Won a Fast Company World Changing Ideas & Innovation by Design Award
- Named to Inc. Magazine's Female Founders 100 (2021)
- Apartment Therapy Design Changemaker (2023)
- Youngest board member of the Sustainable Furnishings Council
- Co-founded Columbia University's first student credit union

## Latest updates

- **2025-01** — Featured in CULTURED Magazine discussing how to make furniture for a generation that prizes sustainable shopping.
- **2024-05** — Profiled by The Newsette.

## Links

- Website: https://sabai.design
- LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/phantila-phataraprasit-4b431861
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/phantilaphat/

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/phantila-phataraprasit
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-06-21