Ellie and Grace met on their first day of business school at the University of Virginia in 2022. After quickly discovering a shared love for pickleball, they encountered a problem when purchasing paddles: high-performance paddles featured unappealing dark colors and heavy prints, while the more visually appealing paddles lacked quality and durability.

After a year spent consulting with professional players, enthusiasts, and members of the highly-ranked UVA Pickleball Club, Ellie and Grace perfected their design of the Hank pickleball paddle. They launched their paddle in September 2023.

Within a year, the Hank had sold out twice.