Our Story
Two families. Twenty years. One vision.
The founding families
College friends envisioned a peaceful place to reconnect.
In 2004, Mike Schubert and Eric Baldwin arrived in the Riau Islands with US$200,000 and a conviction that the best thing they could do for the community was not to give things away, but to build a business that would become part of it.
Free from the boundaries of formal hospitality training, they envisioned an experience they could thoroughly enjoy with their families. What they imagined was a different kind of resort destination flavored by the local culture and environment that captured the romantic elements of an island escape. Young enough and naive enough, they decided to make the leap.
The first dock. Six dormitory rooms. A dining room. A kitchen. The plan was a retreat venue for Singaporean school groups and a few cultural tours.
Meet the founders
Co-founder
Mike Schubert
Co-founder
Eric Baldwin
“Once we establish a business, we are a part of that community. It’s a mindset shift to thinking that we have become a resource for the whole community.”
Co-founder
Mike Schubert
Two decades of growth
Profit & purpose, side by side.
Twenty years later, Telunas runs two resorts - a beach retreat and a high-end private island - across the Sugie Besar area of the Riau Archipelago. More than 100 local staff. An average employee tenure of 8.5 years.
Expansion came from retained earnings and disciplined loans, not investor capital or donor money. By 2015, the company was running at nearly 30% EBITDA margin. Profit and purpose, side by side, for two decades.
“You can’t separate results and relationships.”
Co-founder
Eric Baldwin
Our philosophy
Simplify. Clarify. Connect.
Telunas Resorts was started in 2004 as a small, family run, eco-resort that was hoping to make a positive impact in remote locations. Since then, it has grown into multiple socially responsible resorts that are not only focused on providing unforgettable experiences for guests and helping them reconnect with what is important, but are also committed to bringing sustainable positive impact to our co-workers, surrounding communities, ecosystem, and the local economy.
The result is a place built around timeless enjoyment. No screens competing for your attention. No schedules dictating your day. Just the sea, the island, and the people you came with.
The families behind Telunas
Built by families, for families.
Telunas was never just Mike and Eric. Their wives, Sarah and Laura, have been integral to the vision from the very beginning. Together, the founding families left the familiar behind and committed to building something real in the Riau Islands.
That family spirit still defines Telunas today. Guests are welcomed on the dock when the boat arrives. Staff and leaders eat together. And the line between host and friend blurs quickly.
“I don’t want my staff working because they’re afraid. I want them working because they enjoy it.”- Eric Baldwin
The cultural bridge
“One of the biggest differences I see in Telunas’ culture is genuine trust. By trust, I mean that I personally feel more freedom to work, and that enables me to do my best. It’s our job to make them trustworthy.”
Executive Director of Telunas Foundation
Idaman Laoli
Idaman joined Telunas and transformed the business model as Executive Director of the Telunas Foundation. An Indonesian well-versed in the nuances of Riau life, he brought the cultural fluency and community understanding that Mike and Eric’s outsider perspective could never replicate. Twenty years on, the staff refer to him simply as Pak Idaman, a title of respect they have given him meal by meal, conversation by conversation.
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