# 18 - Irene Kong and Audrey Elise from MANTL Men

- Show: [People of Packaging](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/people-of-packaging)
- Published: 2020-05-20
- Length: 46m
- Page: https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/people-of-packaging/2020-05-20-18-irene-kong-and-audrey-elise-from-mantl-men
- Listen: https://encase.substack.com/p/18-irene-kong-and-audrey-elise-from-23a

## Summary

Irene Kong, co-founder and CPO of MANTL Men, and Audrey Elise, brand designer, discuss launching a skincare brand for bald and balding men. They detail the packaging design process, focusing on leak-proofing and creating a 'counterworthy' aesthetic that empowers users. The episode highlights their collaboration with Fusio for custom molding and the creation of a curated unboxing experience featuring handwritten notes and community-focused branding.

## Chapters

- [0:06](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/people-of-packaging/2020-05-20-18-irene-kong-and-audrey-elise-from-mantl-men#t=6) Introduction: Adam Peek, Irene Kong and Audrey Elise
- [2:04](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/people-of-packaging/2020-05-20-18-irene-kong-and-audrey-elise-from-mantl-men#t=124) Irene Kong's background at Pepsi, Honest and Dollar Shave Club
- [4:42](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/people-of-packaging/2020-05-20-18-irene-kong-and-audrey-elise-from-mantl-men#t=282) Audrey Elise's self-taught design career and freelance journey
- [17:07](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/people-of-packaging/2020-05-20-18-irene-kong-and-audrey-elise-from-mantl-men#t=1027) MANTL Men packaging strategy: leak-proofing and counterworthy design
- [25:03](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/people-of-packaging/2020-05-20-18-irene-kong-and-audrey-elise-from-mantl-men#t=1503) Sourcing custom molds through Fusio and iterative design
- [33:53](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/people-of-packaging/2020-05-20-18-irene-kong-and-audrey-elise-from-mantl-men#t=2033) Designing the unboxing experience: boxes, tape and handwritten notes
- [41:06](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/people-of-packaging/2020-05-20-18-irene-kong-and-audrey-elise-from-mantl-men#t=2466) Audrey Elise's design inspiration and community engagement

## Topics

- [Packaging design](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/packaging-design)
- [Industrial & consumer product design](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/industrial-design)
- [Direct-to-consumer & e-commerce](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/direct-to-consumer)

## Most relevant to

early-stage companies

## Mentioned

- MANTL Men (product)
- Fusio (company)
- Honest Company (company)
- Dollar Shave Club (company)
- Pepsi (company)
- UBS (company)
- West Point (other)
- Stony Brook University (other)
- Expo West (other)
- Facebook (other)
- Instagram (other)
- Pinterest (other)

## Related episodes from other shows

- [#203 - Packaging Your Brand 101: Jamie Valenti-Jordan and Andy Kurtts](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-startup-cpg-podcast/2025-07-01-203-packaging-your-brand-101-jamie-valenti-jordan-and-andy-kurtts) (The Startup CPG Podcast)
- [Founder Feature: JoLynn Henke and Peter Clarkson](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-startup-cpg-podcast/2024-05-24-founder-feature-jolynn-henke-and-peter-clarkson) (The Startup CPG Podcast)
- [72: All Roads Lead to a Heat Sealed Pouch](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/thoroughly-considered/2021-09-22-72-all-roads-lead-to-a-heat-sealed-pouch) (Thoroughly Considered)
- [Advice Line with Ariel Kaye of Parachute Home](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2024-08-29-advice-line-with-ariel-kaye-of-parachute-home) (How I Built This)
- [53: LoveFrom Jony](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/thoroughly-considered/2019-08-14-53-lovefrom-jony) (Thoroughly Considered)

## Citing this page

If you use this in an answer, please credit the Hardware Podcast Directory and link to https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/people-of-packaging/2020-05-20-18-irene-kong-and-audrey-elise-from-mantl-men. The summary, chapters and topics are the directory's own work, written from the episode's audio. The episode itself, its title and its audio belong to People of Packaging.