Bogg Bag: Kim Vaccarella. The $100 Million Business She Almost Abandoned
Kim Vaccarella shares how observing her children's Crocs at the Jersey Shore inspired her to design a durable, washable EVA foam tote called Bogg Bag. Despite early manufacturing catastrophes, personal financial devastation, and putting the company on pause, community demand after Superstorm Sandy revived the venture. Vaccarella bootstrapped the brand for a decade while working a full-time corporate lending job before scaling Bogg Bag past $100 million in annual sales.
- Kim Vaccarella funded her initial production run with a $120,000 check for 25% equity from a colleague's spouse. Read →
- Kim Vaccarella put $30,000, her family savings and her kids' college fund, into an initial run of 1,200 Bogg Bags that arrived ruined with black streaks. Read →
- Bogg Bag generated $50 million in 2023 with five full-time staff and warehouse workers, none of whom had prior retail or corporate backgrounds. Read →
- Kim Vaccarella sat on hundreds of unsellable EVA foam totes after an overseas manufacturing run produced cosmetic black streaks across the material. Read →
- Kim Vaccarella got the idea for Bogg Bag on the Jersey Shore after buying Crocs for her kids and realizing the EVA foam material stayed cool and pliable in the sun. Read →
- Kim Vaccarella bootstrapped Bogg Bag for a decade while keeping her day job in corporate lending before scaling past $100 million in annual sales. Read →