Stuf CEO and Co-Founder, Katharine Lau, Named to Inc.’s 2022 Female Founders 100 List
Inc.’s fifth annual Female Founders 100 list highlights entrepreneurs with world-changing companies
Today Katharine Lau, CEO and Co-Founder of the tech-enabled self-storage startup Stuf, has been recognized in Inc.’s fifth annual Female Founders 100 list, honoring a bold group of 100 women whose innovations and ideas are shaping the world into a better place. Collectively, the 2022 honorees’ companies are estimated to be worth more than $22 billion.
The founders cross all industries and bring with them unique stories of success from each stage of the entrepreneurial journey — from startup to going public, being acquired by big buyers, or spending decades at the helm of an organization. They are reinventing everything from shoes to food and are challenging issues like financial literacy and reproductive health.
“I’m honored to be recognized alongside these brilliant and inspiring women who are pioneering innovative businesses across every sector and changing the face of entrepreneurship,” said Katharine Lau, CEO and Co-Founder of Stuf. “Seeing our own business transform from a few storage units to a national network is incredibly fulfilling, and I’m proud of what our team has accomplished in less than two years. Our mission is to empower people and businesses to do more with less, and I know we are on the right track to support them in living and working more flexibly, particularly in a post-pandemic world. Our success validates why we started the business – users want to store their belongings in secure and inviting locations closer to where they live and work.”
Lau utilized her commercial real estate background and proptech experience to identify that landlords are sitting on millions of square feet of underutilized real estate that may never see the light of day. By partnering with real estate owners to monetize these spaces in commercial buildings as hyperlocal storage, including in basements, garages, and retail spaces, Stuf is creating new cash flow opportunities for landlords and a new amenity for the neighborhood. Under Lau’s leadership, the company has grown over 300% year-over-year since founding the company in late 2020 with a single location in San Francisco. Stuf now has locations in Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco, Oakland, Washington, D.C. and Atlanta, with new cities coming soon. Focused on growth and brand development, Lau credits the company’s early success to a laser focus on truly understanding the needs of storage users and real estate owners while investing in technology and IOT to provide a seamless member experience.
Lau believes that self storage should be easy to access, safe and secure, and most importantly, close to where people and businesses live and work. Through her creative vision and thoughtful execution, Lau’s company, Stuf, provides its members with local storage powered by hospitality-inspired service, all-inclusive pricing, and tech-enabled access to meet modern needs.
Each year, Inc. editors review thousands of applications highlighting female founders who are challenging the status quo and tackling some of the world’s biggest problems. The list features women who have overcome challenges and lifted those around them, while leading impactful organizations across the country. They join the ranks of previous honorees including Jessica Alba, Tracee Ellis Ross, Rihanna, and Shonda Rhimes.
“These 100 female founders have identified solutions to difficult problems and created valuable, industry-changing companies out of them. We congratulate this year’s list on their achievements and look forward to their continued success,” says Inc. editor-in-chief Scott Omelianuk.
To see the complete list, go to: https://www.inc.com/female-founders
After launching in 2018, the Female Founders 100 list is one of Inc.’s most esteemed franchises. Inc. magazine’s Female Founders 100 issue (October 2022) will be available online on September 28 at https://www.inc.com/magazine and on newsstands on October 4.
Join the Female Founders 100 conversation using #FemaleFounders.
About Inc.
The world’s most trusted business-media brand, Inc. offers entrepreneurs the knowledge, tools, connections, and community to build great companies. Its award-winning, multiplatform content reaches more than 50 million people each month across a variety of channels, including websites, newsletters, social media, podcasts, and print. Its prestigious Inc. 5000 list, produced every year since 1982, analyzes company data to recognize the fastest-growing privately held businesses in the United States. The global recognition that comes with inclusion among the 5000 gives the founders of the best businesses an opportunity to engage with an exclusive community of their peers, and the credibility that helps them drive sales and recruit talent. The associated Inc. 5000 Conference is part of a highly acclaimed portfolio of bespoke events produced by Inc. For more information, visit www.inc.com.
About Stuf:
Stuf is a next-generation self-storage startup delivering modern, tech-enabled storage solutions to consumers. Stuf partners with real estate owners to monetize basements, garages, and other spaces in commercial buildings, creating new cash flow opportunities while providing neighborhoods with new amenities. Whether running low on space or looking for seasonal storage, Stuf is proud to be the home away from home for people’s possessions. Stuf is honored to be recognized by Fast Company as a Most Innovative Company for 2022. For more information and team opportunities at Stuf, visit https://stufstorage.com.
