Helen and Jan Lo

In this episode, we explore the evolving mother–sons dynamic behind Lo & Sons, the family-run travel brand founded when Helen Lo was 65. What began as Helen’s frustration with not being able to find a lightweight, stylish, functional travel bag became the spark that launched the company’s very first product and, ultimately, their entire family business.

Helen and her son Jan reflect on how this unexpected, late-in-life leap reshaped both their relationship and their roles as collaborators. They share how Helen’s upbringing, spanning China, Macau, and a Catholic boarding school, instilled the resilience, empathy, and global curiosity that continue to guide their approach today.

Now 15 years in, Lo & Sons faces the realities of a shifting economic landscape, prompting yet another evolution in how the family leads, communicates, and adapts together. Through moments of vulnerability, humour, and honesty, Helen and Jan open up about navigating role reversals, supporting each other through uncertainty, and staying rooted in the values and the very first bag that set their journey in motion.It’s a story of reinvention, intergenerational learning, and the courage to build something meaningful, together, at any age.

About our guests:

Helen Lo, Board Chair and co-founder of Lo & Sons, launched the travel bag company in 2010 at age 65 after years of searching for a lightweight, stylish, and functional carry-on. Born in southern Mainland China and raised in Macau, she later earned a B.A. in psychology from the University of Massachusetts and a PhD in Social Welfare Administration from Brandeis. Before founding the company, she built a career as a community health administrator and consultant while raising her two sons, Jan and Derek, and relocating frequently for her husband Fred Lo’s astronomy career. Her frustration as an avid traveler inspired her son Jan, a product design researcher, to encourage her to create her own ideal bag. Jan, now Chief Innovation Officer, brought extensive experience in human-centered design, ethnographic research, and business education, having studied at Yale and NYU and worked in Beijing conducting design research. Together, Helen and Jan spent countless hours in airports observing travelers to understand real-world needs, and these insights shaped Lo & Sons’ earliest products. Their research-driven, user-centered approach led to signature features like intuitive pockets, protective tech compartments, and sleeves that securely slide over suitcase handles. Derek later joined to lead marketing, completing the family-run founding team. Under Helen and Jan’s leadership, the company has grown into a widely respected maker of premium travel and lifestyle bags. Today, Lo & Sons continues to prioritize thoughtful design along with environmental and social responsibility. The brand has introduced materials such as organic cotton canvas and recycled polyester made from water bottles. The company has also partnered with a solar-powered Cambodian factory working toward carbon neutrality. Jan spearheaded several circular design initiatives, including the deconstruction and upcycling of damaged or returned bags into new, small-batch products made in the U.S.

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Anika

Welcome back to Root and Seed, a podcast about tradition seekers who are sparked to explore, define, and celebrate their family and cultural identity. I'm your host, Anika Chara. If you are lucky enough to experience different life stages in your relationship as parent and child, you will know well that the only thing that is consistent is how it evolves and changes.

We heard and felt this with last episode's guests, Jacqueline and her mom, Olivia. How cognitive changes with Olivia and the new caregiving duties of Jacqueline has meant that they have entered a new phase of their relationship. For them, it's one built on the spirit of Olivia's foundational ways of moving through the world with respect, gusto, and joie de vivre, taking very little for granted.

This theme of change carries forward to this episode with Helen and Jan Lo, two of a trio of entrepreneurs in the Lo family who went into business together as Helen turned 65 years old. At first, it might feel like an unusual move, starting an intergenerational business at a later stage, but we are confident that you'll relate to the themes of role reversal and evolution, no matter your background.

Now 15 years old, their luggage business, Lo & Sons, continues to face challenges and pressures from the changing economic landscape and a need to have their founder roles evolve again.

But before we get into the details of their business, in true Root and Seed style, we wanted to start with the influences of the past, with Helen's early childhood that she so beautifully tells us here.

Helen

My journey has not spanned only geographical areas, but also different social systems, social and political. I was born in Guangdong Province in China, in a time of peace. In 1949, the Communists took over, and that was when my family moved to Macau.

We had to leave because we would be considered the class enemy. My grandparents were landowners, and that is the biggest target. And my father was in the Kuomintang party, which is also bad. So we moved to Macau, which was a Portuguese colony.

The tide turned again in 1952 when my father passed away. He had a long fight with cancer, and the worst thing about it was he left my mother penniless. My mother was in her thirties with seven kids, and I was seven at that time.

I was sent to a boarding school as a charity case, so that took a load off her. She didn't have to worry about the youngest. I was born in privilege in China and I grew up poor in a Portuguese colony, so that kind of shift happened to me at a very young age. And home then was a Catholic boarding school. So from seven years on, I was brought up in a more bicultural environment, English-speaking environment. I was not home much. I felt like I grew up as an orphan.

My friends were my family. And luckily I had some very good friends who were generous and kind to me. So generosity and kindness kind of passed on to me. And I also feel values from Catholicism have stayed with me.

You know, Catholics—love, charity—are very important. Honesty and empathy. When you think about it, ‘love thy neighbor as thyself,’ that's really empathy. So that stayed with me all these years. That's how I got my values. Being multicultural was also from that. You know, it was a Chinese society, but a Portuguese colony.

And where I grew up, there were nuns who spoke French, Portuguese, Chinese. And the students there were also from different backgrounds. So I grew up very comfortable with different cultures and different people.”

So many of those influences, unless they are articulated like you have, don’t get credit, if you will. You've taken us right back to that moment of little Helen, with a very hard situation: the loss of the breadwinner, the loss of somebody who was sustaining not only the connection within the family, but the financial stability.

Anika

What gave you the inspiration to start as an entrepreneur in your sixties? Talk to us a little bit about the start of Lo & Sons.

Helen

I give credit to my son Jan for getting me started in entrepreneurship. You know, after I retired, we moved from Taiwan to Charlottesville, Virginia, where I did not know anyone.

I would travel with my husband on business trips because he traveled a lot. He was an astronomer. But the thing is that he used to carry only carry-on, even for two-week trips. Now, if I were to go with him, I would have to do the same.

Because the whole point of that is he didn't want to wait for luggage. He could just get in and go. So that was challenging for me. How does a woman manage a two-week trip with just a carry-on?

The trick is to get light clothing, light shoes, everything light, so you can pack a lot. And that's what I did. I was looking for stuff and I did find things, and I was telling Jan, I said, you know, I would like to have a blog so I can share this information with people. So he helped me set up a blog—there was no money involved. I told him I really need help. I'm still looking for a bag that will function as a companion bag, so I can put a lot of stuff in it, but it looked like a purse. So you don't need to put another purse in a bag so you can carry it with you.

And I took him around to the store and I took him to the luggage department and I showed him the bags that they have—companion bags. See, that's too ugly. You can't get out of the airport and go to a meeting. You have to take everything out. And then I took him to the purses section where they have big bags, but it's like a black hole inside. There's no organization. I have to tell you, it was very embarrassing for him. I didn't know exactly why he was kind of walking away from me, but I think it's not too cool to be walking with your mother in a department store.

Anyway, so I pointed that out to him, and then he says, ‘Why don't you make your own bag?’ I said, ‘How could I at 65 make my own bag?’ He said, ‘Talk to your friends and find out if they have the same need.’ Then I said, well, you know, none of my friends are as vain as I am.

So he called his friends—about 10 or a dozen professional women, even guys who travel a lot. And he found that they had the same need as I did. Then we said, that’s a sweet spot. There is a real need for it.

And Jan said that he was willing to help me get started. That's how it started. Derek later on joined us and all of them had to give up something. So they took a risk.

Jan took a risk working with me. I remember that.”

Anika

Jan, you must have seen something in your mom that you were like, this is right for her. She has the ability to do that. What were those qualities that you saw in her?

Jan

I always carried that sense of awareness that I grew up much more privileged. Also awareness of how much my mom and dad provided a lot of support to me—like going to college—and just seeing her sacrifice a lot to raise my brother and me.

And so when my mom was talking about this, for me at least, I actually journaled this. And I was like, you know, this could be an opportunity for me to help do something for my mom professionally and support her because she had done so much for me. That was a big motivating factor.

One thing that I also recognized and admired in real time was my mom was like, you know, it's not just about me.

Anika

That's awesome. I love how you were talking a little bit about the roles reversing—your mom giving so much to you when you were younger and having to make some concessions as she went through her life. And it being her time, right? It was time for her to get a little bit into the spotlight too. I love that. And I think what a gift it is not only to your mom, but what a gift it is now that you have been able to experience your mom in a completely different way as a business partner. So I give you a lot of credit for taking that step and for giving the support. And honestly for just doing it, because so much of entrepreneurship is action and then figuring it out later.

So I want to talk a little bit about the fact that bags and physical goods actually can become heirlooms. There's an item, there's clothing, there's a place setting, there's a dish that ends up being a family heirloom.

I can't help but think that there are bags and luggages that carry stories as well. Are there any stories that you guys can think of where a Lo & Sons bag became something a little bit more meaningful in a deeper or an unexpected way?

Helen

One story we have is about our first bag, which is called the O.G. That was our first bag that we made together, and customers still refer to this bag as special.

So this is like 15 years. And the story is that we—the three of us—made the bag together. We went to the factory with a spec sheet and had to revise the whole design. And the three of us were there for, what, about three or four weeks? And we had seven or eight prototypes.

So the thing about the factory is that they don't make bags as complicated as ours. This particular owner from Singapore—he spoke English, Cantonese, different dialects and so on—so he could communicate with us. And he was very impressed by my sons because they were willing to work so hard. So he put in that effort with us.

Derek finally did the redesigning of the bag, and the final product looks very different from the initial design. It was a bag that we wanted it to be. What was interesting for us was that when we went, we really didn't know anything about making bags. You remember that, Jan?

Jan

Yeah.

Helen

He showed us how to test it, and zippers… We were not making a bag that you throw away the next year. So that was very, very gratifying. And that experience stayed with us.

Jan

The story, I think, really makes a difference to our customers—how they relate to our bags. We are known for thoughtfully designed bags. It took a lot of effort. It's probably not that profitable to spend that much effort and time. But that's how we got started.

So we were struggling to find a name for the bag. And then my mom was like, how about the O.G.? And my brother and I are like, O.G.? Because it was supposed to be an overnight gym bag. And they didn’t tell me what O.G. was, but it is actually the O.G. bag of Lo & Sons.”

Anika

Yeah. It's actually sometimes the first product that is oftentimes the best. I still love our first product too. So I'm with you guys.

It's actually remarkable the amount of information that you as an entrepreneur, need to know about your product in order for it to be successful. It's just like, how did that happen?

Jan

I think that experience really shaped how we approach things—to build a company. And typically with a family business, the older generation starts it, passes it down to the younger generation, and then the next generation really messes it up.

But we were kind of different in the sense that the three of us were all starting it together without experience. That's also where I admire my mom a lot because typically it's like ‘my way or the highway.’ But she was always very open-minded and very collaborative and curious about new ways of approaching things.

And at that time, like D2C was a new thing, or blogs were a new thing. Social media was a new thing, and she was open to all of that

Anika

You bring up a really good point, Jan. You know, building a company across generations can be challenging. How do you guys keep your differing perspectives in check and keep that sense of respect and empathy? How do you keep those top of mind as you're in business with family?

Helen

You know, if you want to learn design and everything, there is a skill you pick up—knowledge you pick up—but how you work together as a family is the most challenging. I would say that when we first started, the most important thing was we all brought different skills. Jan is more of a visionary. He sees the big picture. And he's quick in launching initiatives. He would just do it. Derek is creative too, but Derek is more focused on the process and the execution, so they make a good team—or we make a good team. I function more as a coach. A sponsor. I put the money, I get the funds in.

So that's how we did it in the beginning. And I would say now the pressures are different. We have to deal with tariffs. We first had to deal with the pandemic. Okay, so external forces are really strong right now. And it's really affecting us as a team. So now I see my role more as a referee instead of a coach.

Jan

Yeah. Another thing that I certainly didn't think about 15 years ago is the different life stages. It's been over 15 years and when we started, neither my brother nor I were married yet, didn’t have kids. Then our dad passed away and that really changed the family dynamic. Things were just different after that. Things just change in your perspective. And so the equilibriums at one time… They change for all these life events. So that’s another layer.

Anika

I was mentioning before we hopped on the recording that our season is all about this idea of “an audience completes a story.” So the brand Lo & Sons is built around a family story. It's not just a marketing idea. To your point, Helen, people are not just buying a bag—they're buying the story behind the bag.

And so when you think of all the ways that your customers—people who have either carried your bags, bought your bags, gifted your bags, or people in the future who might do that—what do you hope they will take away from hearing your story and the glimpse of your family and the family behind the brand?

Helen

I hope they would get a sense that courage has brought us far, and that they should be courageous, brave, and not be afraid to try new ventures. But it's very important to be smart about it. In other words, people have to do the homework before they launch into a new initiative. It's really important to be bold. It's very easy to stay in a comfort zone. You don't have to do anything. But if you move out of the comfort zone, you would find new opportunities that you would never be aware of. How would I ever know that I would be doing Lo & Sons at this late stage in life? So we took a risk—all of us—in doing what we did, and we got out of our comfort zone.

We were trying to make something that would be useful to people, to help people become more mobile, physically and socially.

Jan

It wasn't just about looking at a spreadsheet. There was the personal story and then wanting to make a positive impact—whether helping people feel more at ease traveling, and then also with the sustainability and social impact mission.

You know, during the pandemic, we donated thousands of bags to healthcare workers. These bags were designed for business travel or going to work or even leisure trips.

We didn't realize at the time when we were designing it that, you know, this bottom compartment could separate your PPE from your other clothes, because a lot of people had to change their clothes at night and change when they got home. And that really… was something we didn't think about during the design process. And we felt very moved that people could find a use for these products during that very specific time.

And I think for the people that do know about the story and the products, there is this connection they have with that story.”

Helen

I would also add—besides being bold—do something with a purpose. Something that's meaningful.

Anika

We know we are suckers for full-circle moments and making connections between past, present, and future. But by starting with Helen's early childhood, the hardships and the changes that she faced, all the way through understanding the intricacies of the creation of Lo & Sons, to hearing about the initiatives where their values came through in how they built and grew their company, we can't help but think that the throughline is vivid and strong. It is this first-generation story of building a company across generations, told together honestly and bravely. It's no wonder that Helen's message to listeners ends thematically in the same vein—be bold, be courageous, take risks. This is an entrepreneurial story that hits all the notes and one we won't soon forget.

It's the relationship between lived experience and academic study that results in bringing your gifts of your unique story to the world that makes us excited to introduce Dr. Caron Lee to you next episode. Caron brings so much of the work that she does now as a counselor, author, and educator supporting older adults and their families, and she does so so frankly, without a single dose of sugarcoating. Subscribe on your favorite podcast player to keep up to date on its release.

Root & Seed is hosted by me, Anika Chabra, executive produced by Jenn Siripong Mandel, and edited by Emily Groleau.

Episode Credits

Hosted by: Anika Chabra

Brought to you by: Root & Seed

Executive Producer: Jennifer Siripong Mandel

Sound Editing by: Emily Groleau

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