Vera Bradley was founded in 1982 in Fort Wayne, Indiana by two neighbors who were looking for fashionable, interesting luggage for travel. Patricia Miller and Barbara Baekgaard financed their start of operations with just $500 in the bank. These women made hand-stitched purses, duffel bags and other types of accessories and luggage.

Thanks to some early hits, Miller and Baekgaard were able to hire ace seamstresses, get deals on production equipment and materials, and finance a marketing plan. The company was named after Baekgaard's mother, and after only a few years of business, it was earning well over a million dollars a year. Ernst and Young honored Baekgaard and Miller with the entrepreneur of the year award in 1987.

The company remains based in Fort Wayne, Indiana and now creates more than 800 products a day at its capacious manufacturing center. Vera Bradley employs nearly a 100 people and sponsors exhibits at dozens of trade shows annually.

Vera Bradley continues to innovate and surprise. Although Baekgaard and Miller's company is now a household name, these entrepreneurs continue to push the envelope in terms of function and fashion, choosing common-sense designs over overly ornate ones. They sell at thousands of outlets across the country and internationally, and continue to improvise on the designs that won them so much acclaim early in their careers. Current offerings include purses, luggage, wallets, cosmetic bags, and more. They also remain active in the community, recently denoting over million dollars to the Breast Cancer Research Foundation at Indiana University.