Jenny Lei – Founder of Freja New York

Today, Jenny Lei is the successful 28 year-old founder of Freja, but it was not always like this. In 2019, Lei was a soon-to-be unemployed graduate of Cornell University searching for jobs in New York City. Here, she designed her dream work tote bag.

In 2020, she launched her brand with just 300 bags in her inventory, a website, and a marketing campaign to connect with potential investors. Her sales plummeted, and it took a year to get rid of her inventory. But this did not stop Jenny Lei. She doubled down and ordered a second set of inventory and invested more into her social media to promote her brand.

Finally, in 2022, Lei started to see her hard work pay off and she brought in $1.7 million of annual revenue. She the spent that money to create a wider selection of bag designs to expand her target market. After this small change, Freja brought in $5.3 million in 2023 and then $12 million in 2024. If the projection is correct, Freja should bring in an estimated $22 million at the end of 2025.

Jenny Lei founded Freja New York on the concept of functionality and timelessness. Her classic bags are designed first to be functional, then stylish. She first catered to “office girls”, but as the brand has grown, she has produced smaller options that you can wear with an everyday look. Even though her brand is still growing, Jenny does not want to lose relatability with customers. She writes a newsletter every week journaling some parts of her personal life and how to balance being a self-made entrepreneur. Lei still has many ideas on how she wants to expand her business: adding a men’s line, introducing new colors, and even incorporating some new fabrics. Jenny Lei is now featured in the Forbes 30 Under 30 list and is continuing to grow her brand.