I've been a life long tinkerer. From building pinewood derby cars with my dad, putting together legos-skateboards-drumsets, to building theater sets in college, then later working on rowing shells, I've always loved working with my hands. Woodwork, particularly fine woodworking and furniture design, was a medium I'd been interested in, but never had the time or space to really explore.

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While living in Michigan during the summer of 2020, I finally had access to a small shop space so I bought a cheap craftsman job-site saw, a belt sander, and a cheap set of chisels. I started talking with other woodworkers, watched (too much) youtube, and made a ton of mistakes, but my time in the shop started to become meditative. Before I knew it, I was spending every minute of my free time down there.

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When I took a job down here in Chapel Hill, NC I made sure that the first two things I did were 1)Set up my table saw, and 2)Find the local hardwood dealer. 20 cutting boards later (sold exclusively to friends and family), I realized this could be more than just a hobby. Since then I've built everything from longboard skateboards, to coffee tables, to dog bowls, to 8ft epoxy tables, and more. Slowly but surely, it's been taking off, and I've loved every second of this journey.

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​​​​The name "Mombo" comes from my Mom, Nancy, who passed away soon after I moved down here. "Mombo" as we called her, was such a huge supporter of my creativity and drive. I founded the company in her honor as soon as I purchased a home and built out the shop in my garage. She always got a kick out of the fact that I was making cutting boards in a boathouse with my dog.....so this is as much for her as anyone. Thanks, Mombo.

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​-Austin​

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