Who We Are

Bertram Hodge, Patrick Manneh, and David Geary, the co-founders of Sea Star Enterprises, have known each other for almost 30 years.  

Liberia's civil war brought us together and we've stayed in touch ever since. We are seasoned professionals that have led successful careers in our chosen fields and we now choose to give back to the country that we love - Liberia.

As Liberian and US nationals, the combination provides a unique advantage in successfully navigating the political, economic, and social challenges the business will encounter.

The team’s ethnic diversity stands as an example of the accomplishments to be achieved through integration.

Why Are We doing This?

Excellent question, and on those days that present us with the most difficult challenges, we've asked ourselves the same question.

The answer derives from our firm belief that social responsibility and profit can coexist.  

Profit for the sake of profit has no meaning and tha is the reason we have directly aligned our business model with 12 of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals.

For the partners, both conditions must continue to be true for us to carry out our vision.

We stumbled onto an idea that has the tremendous potential to positively impact the lives and well being of millions and turn a good profit.  Win-Win.

Persistent Problem

An unfortunate yet common problem for many West African countries is road transportation.

In Liberia, only 6% to 10% of the roads are paved.

The tropical rainy season lasts 6 to 9 months of the year.

1 million people are cut-off from the capital and impacts everything from GDP to food security.

Road Construction costs: US$5 Billion and 10 years or more to complete.

Effective Solution

Weekly, Year-Round, Safe, Affordable, Public Sea Transportation

Shuttle Ferry Start-up Costs: US$75 Million and 1 year to complete, a fraction of the cost of new road development

The first of its kind in West Africa to connect isolated coastal communities.

Accommodates up to 500 passengers and 1000 tonnes of cargo.

Designed for overall flexibility, convenience and comfort.

We plan to expand our business model to other West African Countries in 4 to 6 years with similar road infrastructure problems.

What We Need At This Moment

The total project cost of US$75 million is daunting.

That's why we've divided the funding raising into smaller increments.  

$250,000 will bring us to the next stage of funding.

If we take small steps every day, we will bring this vision to reality with your assistance.

Here's what we need at the moment:

1. Financing for the pre-construction surveys and pre-purchase ferry inspections.

We are renovating some existing port infrastructure in Harper and Greenville, coastal cities in the affected region of Southeastern Liberia.  These ports have fallen into disuse since the civil war 25 years ago.  In exchange, the National Port Authority will give us our land leases.  But first, we need to know the actual total renovation construction cost.

We have already identified the ferry vessels to purchase, but we need an inspection to know the current condition of the vessels under review.  We don't want to purchase a lemon. It's similar to a "Carfax" report on a vehicle. 

2. Financing for independent analysis of our start-up costs, estimated profits and social impact.

We've done our homework, but banks and investors want to validate our estimates.  As you can imagine, it's expensive.

How You Can Help

Donations

1. Wow, this is Fantastic:  We would graciously receive whatever you can donate from $50 to $100,000.  The other donations are award-based; some may not be able to travel to Liberia, but wish to support us in our effort to bring socially responsible change.

2.Round-Trip Ferry Ticket: Many Liberians we have spoken to in the US & Europe would like to return to the Southeast, but find it too difficult to travel there.  As an award for your donation, we'd be honored to easily and quickly take you there in comfort and safety.

3. Liberian Adventure:  For those who can afford to give more, we've offered more perks such as airfare reimbursement** and an inside look at the operations your donation helped to launch.

Spread the Word

Helping us in spreading the word makes all the difference. We've made it easy.   Simply text the code seastargive to the following numbers to receive a link to this campaign.

** Certain restrictions apply.