ABOUT THE FOUNDERS

This is the story of how we started, built, sold, and most recently bought Senita back. 

We are 2 sisters who started Senita in 2015 with a mission to create affordable athleticwear that would last through the many seasons of our busy, active lives. We had no formal design or business backgrounds, but relied on our experience as life-long athletes (and a whole lot of determination) to make this entrepreneurial dream come true.

We were scrappy and hungry in our early days of running the business - putting in long days fulfilling orders ourselves, wearing many hats, all while celebrating every single pair of leggings sold. We look back on the early years with fondness; having “business meetings” together at the park (have I mentioned we’re both moms?), at the library during story time, and oh-so-many naptime phone calls. We did all we could to get eyes on the brand - from pop up shops at local gyms and studios, to Instagram giveaways, and telling everyone who would listen about the coolest startup from Arizona. Hey, even our dad had a vanity license plate that said “SENITA”. 

We quickly began adding people to our team, improving and expanding our product offering, and figuring out the challenges around fulfillment. We were doubling revenue year-over-year, and truly proud of everything we created. 

But it also came at a cost. 

Our families were growing (Maddie now has 4 kids, Jenna has 3), and we were tired. We were feeling a pull to be home and available for our children more. So, in 2020 we made the difficult decision to hire a business broker to help us sell the business. Our ideal scenario was to find a buyer who was ready to take over and operate. We hadn’t officially listed the business for sale when the pandemic hit. We were overcome with challenges just like every other business; shipping delays at ports, Covid concerns with our staff, and the tense social and political climate that oftentimes felt debilitating. We questioned ourselves; is anyone buying businesses during a global pandemic? 

To our surprise - there were interested buyers. We just needed to find the right one. 

We met the buyers via Zoom while we were on a road trip that summer. They loved Senita, they understood the Sisterhood, the community, and were largely impressed with the product and our success. Before we knew it, we had a signed agreement, and everything was finalized by Fall, 2020. 

A happy ending was written on what we thought was the final chapter of our Senita story. 

Since the sale of the business in 2020, the new owners worked tirelessly to continue our vision. They expanded product offerings into new categories, introduced a new loyalty and ambassador program, and cared for the community and the sisterhood like it was their own. However, we can all appreciate that sometimes life doesn’t work out how we plan, and unfortunately the new owners were not able to continue running the business as it was currently structured.

We received news late December 2024 that Senita would be closing its doors and shutting down. We were shocked and saddened, and offered to help the new owners fulfill their last orders to try to get as many orders to their customers as possible before they officially closed their doors in early 2025. Being back in the warehouse, picking and packing orders, made us remember even more strongly the magic that this brand carries, and the strong support of the community and the customers that have driven this brand forward. We started to explore what options might be available to keep the brand alive, and although the new owners were going through this tough time, to their credit, they were so helpful in exploring those options with us.  

After 2 months of Senita being closed, we were able to work out a deal and we officially became the owners of Senita Athletics again! We are excited (and nervous) to be back! We love our customers, our community, and are passionate about creating amazing products for the sisterhood! Thanks for joining us on this journey!