She Built a $50M Brand in 3 Years. Here Are Her Growth Secrets
Key Takeaways
- Hulken, a rolling tote startup, started as an “accidental” side project while founder Alex Schinasi was building her second software company.
- However, organic demand and word of mouth quickly made Hulken a full-time, high-growth business.
- Schinasi built the company using a “Silent Build” strategy; she spent the first two years perfecting product and manufacturing before turning on marketing or chasing press.
Picture a tote bag with wheels that fits every essential you can imagine. It combines the rolling power of a suitcase with the everyday functionality of a bag.
Credit: Alva
Alex Schinasi, a serial entrepreneur, is working to get this tote bag in everyone’s hands. In the past, Schinasi built Ivy, a software platform for home remodeling professionals, and sold it to Houzz in 2018. She also co-founded Clay, a childcare software company, which was acquired by Kangarootime in 2024.
Schinasi is known for creating practical, easy-to-use products that combine smart technology with thoughtful design. Her latest company, Hulken, reflects that approach. The rolling tote brand has been profitable from day one without outside funding. Hulken surpassed $50 million in annual revenue last year with just seven employees and is on track to reach $100 million this year.
Schinasi launched Hulken in 2020 from her New York City apartment. When Covid hit, she decided to go all in — packing orders herself and growing a loyal customer base. The bags cost between $99 and $130, depending on the size.
The following responses have been lightly edited for clarity and concision.
Alex Schinasi. Credit: Hulken
Tell me more about yourself. How old are you? How did you get here?
I’m 40. My 20s were my launchpad. After a short career in film production, I made the leap into entrepreneurship with my first company, Ivy.
My 30s were defined by building and exiting two software companies — the first at 32, the second at 39. While building my second company, Clay, I started a scrappy side project called Hulken.
Hulken began as a product we used as a family. My father made an early version at his factory. As we schlepped it around New York City, it became a magnet for attention. Strangers would stop us on the street to ask about it. During COVID, my husband and I decided to test the idea and launched a simple website.
At the time, I was still fully focused on scaling Clay. Hulken was nights and weekends — an experiment, not a plan.
But it kept growing.
When Clay was acquired, the decision was obvious. Hulken had already reached $30M in revenue, built purely on product, word of mouth, and a passionate customer base. No marketing team. No internal hires. Just a great product and a brand people couldn’t stop talking about.
That’s when I went all in.
Credit: Alva
What’s your educational background and early work history?
I was born and raised in Switzerland, and later moved to New York to attend NYU.
After graduating, I relocated to London to work at an Oscar-winning production studio. That experience shaped the way I approach building companies today. Film is, at its core, about bringing ambitious ideas to life – raising capital, telling a compelling story, and executing under pressure.
In 2014, I moved back to New York, which is where my companies came to life. It’s where I really learned how to scale.
Today, I live in Lisbon with my husband and our three kids.
What is Hulken?
Hulken is a rolling tote made from durable, industrial-grade materials – designed to make schlepping effortless.
The idea came from my father, who sketched it on a trip to Paris after a full day of shopping, looking for a more elegant way to carry everything. What started as a simple solution turned into something much bigger.
With Hulken, we created an entirely new category. It’s not a suitcase, not a duffel, not a shopping cart. It’s something in between. You fill it, you pull it, and it makes whatever you’re carrying feel light.
We launched as a purely D2C brand, and today Hulken is sold nationwide through partners like Target, The Container Store, QVC, and Amazon.
At its core, Hulken exists because nothing else on the market actually solved the problem.
Credit: Alva
What is Hulken’s team like?
I’m the co-founder and President, and my husband, Joni, is my co-founder and CEO.
Before Hulken, Joni was a professional drummer for over 25 years. True to form, he prefers to stay behind the scenes, but his impact is anything but quiet. With no formal business background, he scaled Hulken from zero to $50M in just a few years.
Our team is small by design. We currently have seven full-time employees, and my goal is to reach $100M in annual revenue with fewer than ten.
We operate what I call a “Minimum Viable Company” – a senior, highly experienced core team at the center, supported by world-class agencies and powered by AI as foundational infrastructure.
This isn’t a phase we’re trying to outgro