Away Luggage Co-founder Jen Rubio on Brand Obsession, Social Media, and Starting a Business | Eater

"Founded by Jen Rubio and Steph Korey after a broken suitcase revealed a gap in the market, the company built a direct-to-consumer travel brand centered on high-quality, thoughtfully engineered luggage sold for a fraction of typical $500–$600 retail prices. From the start the strategy emphasized storytelling and community over product secrecy, enabling founders to raise seed capital before a prototype and later more than $81 million in total funding. The brand expanded beyond suitcases into experiential marketing (pop-up hotels and airport terminals), a media arm, and seasonal podcasting, and leveraged Instagram-era aesthetics to become a travel accessory status symbol. Operationally it emphasizes product detail (including a removable battery pack) and listens closely to customers—an approach that allowed quick iteration and even large-scale battery swaps to comply with airline rules—while growing a team of roughly 200 people and a devoted customer community." - Amanda Kludt