I started my entrepreneurial journey at 13, when I got my first modem and discovered the internet. At first, I was just a teenager focused on downloading video games like Warcraft, but my curiosity soon led me to teach myself how to code. I began building websites featuring downloadable games for my friends, challenging myself to improve the user experience. Designing sites soon became a game of its own for me. 

After learning how to drive traffic to my sites, a supplement company approached me about placing a banner ad, and I started making money from it. That experience eventually led me to launch my own site, nufeel, where I sold vitamins, supplements and generic pharmacy products. By Grade 10, online commerce had essentially become my education. With no formal playbook for e-commerce in the late 1990s, I taught myself everything–from customer service to bulk email marketing. My parents, who immigrated from Hong Kong, were busy running a gas station and often away from home, so I learned to figure things out on my own.

By my mid-20s, my e-commerce business made me financially secure. I travelled the world, invested my money, and took up new hobbies like golf–but I was starting to feel unfulfilled. That changed in 2009, when I met my wife, and we bought a condo in Vancouver. We wanted the contemporary Italian furniture we saw in lifestyle magazines but couldn’t justify spending $50,000 on a sofa. So I went online, found some affordable manufacturers in China, and sent them pictures of furniture we liked—sofas, dining tables, chairs—along with our home dimensions. Because of minimum order requirements, I ended up with extra pieces and decided to sell the surplus on Craigslist. They sold quickly at twice the price I paid. That changed everything: I realized I could create and sell my own products–not just resell someone else’s.

That experience laid the foundation for Monos, the suitcase company I co-founded in 2018. It combined my passion for travel with the power of e-commerce to create and deliver thoughtfully designed products directly to customers. Much of what I brought to Monos came from my time building my previous venture, Rove Concepts–a-direct-to-consumer (DTC) brand focused on mid-century modern and contemporary furniture, which I launched after that first foray into sourcing and selling furniture.

I launched Rove in my early 30s, during the rise of local success stories like Lululemon, Arc’teryx, and Herschel. Their success inspired me to think bigger for my next business venture. I wanted to make stylish, affordable furniture more accessible online. Starting with a combined investment of about $100,000 each, I co-founded the company in 2011 and helped build it from the ground up. By the year I stepped away nearly a decade later, Rove had generated $20 million in sales in March alone in annual sales. We succeeded partly by cracking the logistics—figuring out how to ship bulky furniture quickly, long before next-day delivery became the norm.

After leaving Rove, I was ready for a fresh challenge. I teamed up with two childhood friends, Hubert Chan and Daniel Shin, to launch Monos as a DTC travel and lifestyle brand focused on high-quality, affordable luggage and accessories. Hubert, our chief creative, is a gifted storyteller, while Daniel, our chief operating officer, shares a similar entrepreneurial background to mine. We chose the suitcase as our core product because, at the time, the market was split between expensive luxury brands like Rimowa or cheap carry-ons that quickly fell apart.

Travel connects people deeply, and we all shared that passion. Whenever we got together, we’d reminisce about a spontaneous trip to Vietnam. With no set itinerary, we flew to Ho Chi Minh City, met other travellers and headed up the coast to Da Nang. We rented scooters, savoured 50-cent noodle bowls and people-watched at local cafés. It was an unforgettable experience that fully immersed us in the moment and left us with lasting nostalgia.  

We launched Monos in 2019, just before the COVID-19 pandemic hit, which ironically worked in our favour. While most travel brands cut back on marketing as travel paused, we seized the moment by selling the promise of future travel. By the end of 2020, we had reached $8 million in revenue.

The name, Monos, comes from “mono no aware,” a Japanese phrase describing the beauty of fleeting moments–like those on our Vietnam trip. We believe that the best travel moments are the spontaneous, unexpected ones, like absorbing the sights and scents from a taxi window. To us, a Monos suitcase was a gateway to those moments.

We bought a dozen high-end suitcases to discover what sets the best luggage apart. By analyzing every component, we identified areas for improvement and designed all the parts ourselves, partnering with manufacturers in Asia. Unlike typical telescopic handles, ours was more stable and ergonomic, with the release button underneath. We created custom 360-degree spinner wheels and a suitcase lining as soft as hotel sheets, coated with a deodorizing, antimicrobial fabric to keep clothes fresh. Our entry-level carry-on costs $295–an accessible price for premium quality.

We put our suitcases through 40 quality tests to ensure they last–not end up in a landfill. Plus, we back them with a lifetime warranty on the parts. Our business model focuses on keeping customers within the Monos ecosystem by offering complementary products beyond suitcases, including elegant accessories like backpacks, totes, and packing cubes to complete the travel experience.

Our brand embraces mindful travel—slowing down, being present, and exploring with an open mind. Sustainability is key to that. As North America’s first B Corp-certified luggage company, we uphold high standards of environmental and social accountability. We openly share the materials we use, their sources, and our testing methods, while ensuring our factories are safe and employees are paid fairly. In fact, we’ve been recognized as a “Best Workplace” in British Columbia for three years running. 

Five years after launching, we’re already a quarter of the way to our goal of becoming a $1-billion company. We aim to become the next big lifestyle brand, but we’re not in a rush. As founders, we think in decades—not years.

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Looking ahead, we’re set to launch into home fragrances this fall and introduce a line of sunglasses next year. We currently have two stores in Canada–Vancouver and Toronto–and plan to open five more in the United States soon. We’re also launching Postcard in Chicago, our first hospitality venture–a café by day and a vinyl bar at night, inspired by the city’s jazz and blues roots. It’s a place where people can relax, connect, and experience the spirit of travel even when they’re not on the road. Located next to our Chicago luggage store, customers can browse our travel gear and accessories while waiting for their latté. 

This kind of customer engagement truly excites us. We’re passionate about the company and where it’s headed. As we grow, we’ll continue to go beyond products to help people appreciate the beauty of fleeting moments–both abroad and at home. 

– As told to Lisa Kadane