The newly named CEO is tasked with stabilizing the company she co-founded and preparing it to go public—just as soon as she gets back from her maternity leave.
Away's Jen Rubio Is Changing the Perception Around Ambition and Starting a Family, Even in a Pandemic
After roles at industry-defining startups such as Warby Parker and AllSaints, Jen Rubio co-founded Away in 2015, helping to lead the popular luggage brand to a nearly $1.4 billion valuation—despite that pesky airline ban on its lithium ion charging ports, which threatened to derail the momentum. It wouldn't be the last time Rubio faced adversity—both professionally and personally. As her co-founder became embroiled in a toxic workplace controversy, Rubio and her husband, Slack CEO Stewart Butterfield, were undergoing fertility treatments on a long journey to get pregnant. When the pandemic hit, she suffered a miscarriage, and had to pause her IVF progress as clinics shut their doors. The 33-year-old ultimately became pregnant with her first child last Fall—right before her co-founder officially stepped down as CEO. This month, Rubio took on the role, with only a few weeks to go until her due date. She is now tasked with stabilizing her company and preparing it to go public, just as soon as she gets back from her maternity leave. In the final episode of Birth Stories, Rubio talks about "leading with empathy," her commendable efforts to help end vaccine inequity, and why the next big thing just might be family travel.
Click to listen to Jen Rubio talk about the importance of representation, and how she has learned to navigate personal and professional adversity during the pandemic.
This story originally appeared on: Vogue - Author:Celia Ellenberg
