Ali Kaminetsky – Modern Picnic

Buy the Luncher in the Marketplace – it makes the perfect gift for your working girl.

You don’t have to be a mom to be a VentureMom, your business is your baby. And that is exactly how Ali Kaminetsky feels about her newly launched business. She began her career in retail in New York City after college. “I was bringing my lunch to work every day because it was faster, cheaper and healthier than going out to buy something.”

But she wanted something chic and practical to carry her lunch in, something like a lunch box. “When I googled lunch boxes, there were a lot of choices for men and kids but nothing for women.” (Hmmmm) That’s how the idea was born. But Ali says there was a huge gap in going from an idea to execution. “I had no idea where to begin.”

Ali began by talking about her idea to anyone and everyone. Inevitably people had suggestions on how to get started and who to talk to. “I learned that I would need a “tech pack” that would serve as a blue print for the product.” A friend of a friend knew someone who did tech packs in Manhattan.

With this contact, Ali worked through multiple designs to create mock-ups of the modern lunch box that she envisioned. Then she worked on various samples to get a live product created. “We went through every little detail and kept going back to the drawing board to get it exactly right.”

Each step along the way took months. Ali was self-funding her idea and working her day job in retail throughout this whole process. “I spent a lot of time before and after work, and on the weekends working towards my goal of launching this business.” Her next step was to find a manufacturer, source materials and get a sample that she was happy with. Then she had to find a manufacturer who would take a smaller order. Ali kept moving forward and named her new company Modern Picnic.

Ali’s first delivery went to her parents’ garage in Greenwich. “My parents weren’t really sure that I’d actually make this happen, but they were incredibly supportive. They watched me inch along.” She developed a marketing plan using social media and went out to the world with her new product. “I slowly built up my followers and partnered with several influences who could reach my target audience of young women professionals, moms and female travelers.”

And the response has been great with press and good feedback. The Modern Picnic lunch bag, “The Luncher,” is made of vegan leather, comes in six colors and is insulated to keep food cold. Ali also just added an insulated clutch that is perfect for snacking on the go. Ali left her job to pursue Modern Picnic in February of 2018. “It was so scary to quit my full-time job with a paycheck, but it was exciting too.”

Ali finds herself thinking of her business 24/7 and says having her own venture is something that really lights her up. Just like a baby, “You nurture it, love it no matter what, it drives you crazy, but you love it still.” Her business truly is her baby.