Robert Sha is the founder of Capsule®, a lifestyle brand focused on elevating the design of products we use every day. His distinct design approach to traditional leathercraft has added a refreshing perspective to an otherwise conventional industry. Prior to Capsule, he was a strategic management consultant for companies including Apple and Walmart. Born to immigrant parents, Robert is a second-generation entrepreneur and lives in Los Angeles, CA with his wife and two kids.

What inspired you all to create this company?
For as long as I can remember, I’ve been a fanatic about my personal carry items. So much so that over the years I’ve amassed an unusually large collection of wallets and bags – each holding potential, but ultimately failing to satisfy my needs.

Unable to find what I was looking for, I started crafting my own solutions for personal use. It was through my own heuristic experimentation that I finally started to encounter designs that satiated me. Over time, friends and colleagues became curious with my prototypes, inquiring where they might be able to pick one up for themselves. It was only after our first successful crowdfunding effort where we gained 2,400+ customers and pre-sold 3,200 wallets in under 30 days that I realized my point of view could resonate with a larger audience.

I started Capsule to challenge the design of products we use everyday. We launched with our signature Minimalist™ wallet with this simple guiding principle and have grown to become a discerning brand of high-quality carry essentials.

What distinguishes your company and product in the market?

At Capsule, we care deeply about the everyday carry experience. Few match our rigor for merging forward-thinking functionality with the rich tradition of leather-crafting.

We take a zero-based design approach to blend unique innovations with time-tested luxury craftsmanship for the perfect complement of utility and style. Though our original ideas have generated a horde of imitators, none have been able to replicate the sophistication or quality of our designs. If we can’t introduce a new and fresh perspective on a tired design, we won’t.

Our flagship product, the Minimalist™, was awarded dual US patents for both utility and design for its CashStrap™ feature.

And finally as a point of pride, we manage to do all of this at a notably accessible price point.