While only a sophomore at Penn State, Nicole Kelner has always known her calling: Purses. Every since she was a little girl, her mom would rave about the moment when she noticed that her daughter was destined for the fashion world. No matter the present she would receive come her birthday, Kelner was more fascinated with the gift bag, slipping it over her shoulder like a pocketbook, ready to conquer the world. The blue, sparkly plastic "tote" from CVS that she wore proudly on her special day would normally be discarded by most her age, but those one dollar gift bags were everything to young Kelner. As time went by, Kelner grew out of her obsession with gift bags and moved on to developing something more useful, something truly innovative that could have the potential to change the lives of women across the world. I'm talking about SmartPurse, a water-resistant, touchscreen-friendly purse perfect for your phone. The kicker? It's actually fashionable.
Created in an effort to remedy an unmet need, Kelner developed SmartPurse for the everyday girl. "I used to leave my purse everywhere, forgetting my phone at home sometimes as well," she explained to me. "I realized I needed a purse to use with my phone so that I could eliminate the possibility of losing one or both."
The concept came to Kelner one day when she was working at a river tubing business over the summer. While at work, employees would use a dry pack to store their phones, a plastic, waterproof case to protect electronics. She noticed how efficient it was, but wanted to have the ability to type through the plastic as well, that's when the idea for a touch-screen friendly encasement came about. Attaching it to a purse was a no-brainer. Attracted to bags at a young age, it seemed like such a basic add-on that would only make her product all the more alluring and practical to boot.
Ripping apart her old purses and teaching herself how to sew, Kelner officially developed her first prototype of the SmartPurse. Since then, around 300 have been created to date, all handmade by sewing machine with purchases viewed favorably by all consumers.
Each SmartPurse is outfitted with an aesthetically pleasing geometric pattern with a vast variety of colors offered as options for your very own customized tote. But my favorite part about the SmartPurse has to be the fact that you can still listen to tunes and charge your phone while it's in the plastic encasement. The designated pocket for the phone has a zipper that goes around the headphone jack, perfect for avid music lovers like me.
Plus, it's scratch-proof.
The plastic used for the SmartPurse is especially thick, allowing you to have full functionality of the phone while providing for a thick enough layer of protection to prevent scratches. It also creates for shock-resistant padding. Sounds too good to be true, right, ladies?
While she has seen success so far while selling on Etsy and to random passerby who admire her purse as she walks down the street, Kelner is ready to take her product to the next level. "I want to move forward with manufacturing and get these purses into women's hands everywhere to help simplify their lives," Kelner told me. That's where her Indiegogo campaign comes in.
Launched on Wednesday, you can now support Kelner's SmartPurse venture on Indiegogo. She is trying to raise $5,000 in 35 days, contributions that will allow her to begin manufacturing, her long-held dream come true. If you do choose to pledge some money, which I highly suggest you do, you will receive personalized items as thank yous. Whether it be a sticker, discount, or customized SmartPurses, you will have a stake in Kelner's business that you will one day be able to look back on and say, 'hey, I helped foster the growth of that company!'
"My goal is to develop my business into a brand, have it be my full-time job after college," said Kelner. She is clearly a young teen with high aspirations, an entrepreneur with a mission that she doesn't take lightly.
"I don't sleep that much," Kelner confessed. It's been a challenging year so far, but I love it! It's a release and really fun for me."
Support student innovation, support the growth of youthful ideas, and support a product that will make your life easier. SmartPurse is the future, a great future at that.
[Images via Jenna Nagel]
