Steph Korey co-founded Away in 2015 and built it into a $1.4 billion luggage brand. Her journey from rapid startup growth to a highly public leadership controversy, and eventually a new venture in family tech, offers valuable lessons for founders navigating scale and setbacks.
Steph Korey’s Early Career
Steph Korey began her career at Warby Parker, where she served as Head of Supply Chain. There, she built and led the team handling product development, sourcing, and fulfillment. It was at Warby Parker that she met her future business partner, Jen Rubio. Together, they saw an opportunity to bring the same direct-to-consumer model to luggage.
Building Away From the Ground Up
Steph Korey co-founded Away with Rubio in 2015. Under her leadership as CEO, the company grew at an extraordinary pace. Revenue quintupled in a single year, and Away eventually sold more than 500,000 pieces of luggage. Additionally, the brand raised $156 million and expanded operations to 26 countries, reaching a $1.4 billion valuation.
Navigating a Public Leadership Challenge
In December 2019, an investigative report into Away’s workplace culture led Steph Korey to step down as CEO. She later returned briefly as co-CEO alongside former Lululemon executive Stuart Haselden. However, she stepped back from the role entirely later that year. Throughout this period, she publicly apologized for specific comments and worked with an executive coach to reflect on her leadership approach.
Launching Charmspring and Investing in Founders
In 2024, Steph Korey co-founded Charmspring, a children’s developmental brand. The company creates visual routine boards that help kids ages 0 to 12 understand their daily schedules. Furthermore, she now works as an angel investor, advising early-stage companies. Most of her investments support founders from underrepresented backgrounds, reflecting her belief that opportunity isn’t distributed as evenly as talent.
Life Today
Today, Steph Korey lives in New York and is a mother of two. She continues balancing entrepreneurship, investing, and family life while shaping her next chapter beyond Away.