Category: News

Why Embracing Failure Is Good for Business

When you’re building a business, a lot of people will offer you advice. But, I’m going to bet that you won’t hear this often: Make lots of mistakes. 

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The 5 Keys to a Top-Notch Company Culture, According to the Co-Founders of Away

Since we launched Away in 2016, my co-founder Jen and I have inevitably gotten one question more times than I can count: What’s your secret? I’ve always said–and firmly believe–that there is no secret. There’s no magic formula, or some untold truth everyone’s hiding when it comes to building a business. But the foundation? An incredible team.

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A Day in the Life: Steph Korey ’15, founder and CEO, Away

Since Steph Korey ’15 founded Away with Jen Rubio in 2015, the company’s travel bags have become the “it” luggage. Photographs of Hollywood A-listers wheeling the signature carry-on—complete with a pop-out battery for charging devices—appear in magazines, and social media influencers post pictures of themselves in picturesque locales with Away duffels and backpacks.

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Columbia MBA and multimillion-dollar start-up co-founder: Here’s what business school doesn’t teach you

When you’re at a start-up, “you see things like, this is how we scale our operations, this is how we do marketing in a way that resonates, this is how we on-board people, this is how we create a cohesive vision for our team,” says Korey. “Those types of things are theories you can learn in a formal education environment, but it doesn’t compare to being able to learn on the job.”

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40 under 40

Since shipping their first soon-to-be-iconic minimalist suitcase in early 2016, Away’s Jen Rubio and Steph Korey have sold more than a million bags; they posted $150 million in sales in 2018 and expect to double that this year. By selling direct to consumers, the company’s products cost less than half of those from competitors like Tumi.

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40 Under 40

In the three years since Steph Korey co-founded Away, the direct-to-consumer luggage brand has evolved into a lifestyle company. Away now has seven brick-and-mortar retail stores and an editorial arm that publishes Here, a print magazine about travel, among other media.  “This business was never about suitcases,” said Korey, the CEO. “It was always about travel.”

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BoF 500

Steph Korey and Jen Rubio are the co-founders of Away, a premium travel brand founded in 2015 after the two women believed there was a gap in the market for quality, stylish luggage. In its first year, Away surpassed $12 million in sales and has raised over $81 million in venture capital funds.

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Jet Set in Style | Meet the Founders of AWAY, Stephanie Korey and Jen Rubio

My best advice for someone who wants to work in the startup space is that heart, hard work, and flexibility will be the keys to your success. In startups, you’re going up against the odds, and you need that passion and work ethic to really take on an industry. And flexibility because need and realities constantly change, and if you’re very rigid in how you approach your work, you won’t be able to keep up.

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The Bon Voyage

Line to live by: “What would you do if you weren’t afraid?” – Steph

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Nelson Center for Entrepreneurship Roundtable: Steph Korey ’09, Co-Founder and CEO of Away, Emphasizes the Importance of Vision and Customer Engagement in Building a Sustainable Brand

Away is highly regarded for its effective marketing strategy. Korey attributes much of Away’s branding and marketing success to her Co-Founder, President, and Chief Brand Officer Jen Rubio. The principle behind Away’s branding is quite simple. According to Korey, they “treat people like people.” You’ll never see an Away product say ‘best in the world.’ Rather, their branding and advertising takes a focused effort to connect with people who care about experiences. 

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Female Disruptors: Steph Korey and Jen Rubio are shaking up how we look at travel

There’s no play playbook for what we’re building at Away; we’re rethinking what it means to be a travel brand, so everything is always brand new and there’s no limit on what we can do next. We have a really tight feedback loop with our customers and have prioritized listening to what they’re telling us and using that to guide what we do next.

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How a Suitcase Propelled Steph Korey and Jen Rubio to Stardom

Steph Korey and Jen Rubio started at Warby Parker on the same day, so when the idea for a direct-to-consumer luggage company came about, it was only a matter of time before the pair revolutionised the luxury travel industry.  Much like Warby Parker’s direct-to-consumer eyewear brand (the company became the first to sell affordable glasses online), Korey and Rubio’s company, Away, undercuts the luxury luggage market.

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