Education Alum Turns Entrepreneur with the Teacher Tote

Stephanie Doherty designed the Teacher Tote to carry everything from laptops to lunch

After teaching middle- and high-school math for 12 years, Sacred Heart University education alum Stephanie Doherty ’11, MS ’12 knows what she’s talking about when she says teachers carry a lot of stuff. With purses, laptops, lunch, homework folders, loose paper, pens, pencils, wallets, keys and water bottles, getting to and from the classroom can be challenging.

Doherty and her best friend from high school, Allison Panio, also a teacher, always talked about starting a business together. They’d been discussing the idea of a tote for teachers for a while when, Doherty said, she “finally drew a sketch of a bag.” That was the impetus that set the Teacher Tote in motion.

After several prototypes, Doherty and Panio came up with a tote that measures 15x17” with a 10” drop handle and a 13.5” zippered laptop compartment. There is a zippered insulated lunch compartment, pen/pencil holders, a zippered phone pocket, two large pockets and two small ones, a side flap for loose papers and two side pockets for beverages.

In 2018, the pair produced 500 black totes that sold out within two weeks. “We were completely shocked. We had no idea it would take off like that,” said Doherty. They’ve since expanded to nine colors and now sell a pencil case and portfolio that fit in the bag. To further personalize each tote, they also sell adhesive letters and decals, clip-on charms and hand sanitizer holders. The entrepreneurs turn school logos into patches as well, so teachers can show their school spirit while on the go.

Marketing primarily has been word of mouth. “A teacher brings it to school and shows their friends, and they buy the tote, too,” said Doherty. The two women also have done some promotion through social media with the help of teacher influencers.

“It’s not just for teachers,” said Doherty. “We branded it that way because we’re both teachers, but anyone who carries a lot of bags back and forth can use it. We have a lot of requests from nurses.”

This winter, Doherty and Panio plan to add a backpack to their product line. To purchase a tote or other items, go to the company’s website.