Vicky Tsai
Victoria Tsai | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1978 (age 46–47) Missouri, U.S. |
| Education | Wellesley College (BA) Harvard University (MBA) |
| Known for | Tatcha Founder |
| Awards | WWD Beauty Inc Founder's Award (2019) Cosmetic Executive Women Female Founder Award (2019) |
Vicky Tsai (born 1978[1]) is a Taiwanese-American businesswoman who is the founder of Tatcha,[2] a skincare company rooted in Japanese beauty rituals.[3]
Early life and education
[edit]Tsai's parents moved to the United States from Taiwan, settling in Houston, Texas. Born in Texas, Tsai became aware of seemingly unattainable Western beauty standards at a young age and was one of the only Asian students at her school.[4] She struggled with her identity as a result of feeling underrepresented and isolated as a minority in the early '90s in Texas.[5]
Tsai studied at Wellesley College, where she received a B.A. in economics,[6] and Harvard Business School, where she received a M.B.A. and later led research on the state of AAPI women in business.[7] She found her first corporate job working for Starbucks in Shanghai, which focused on its expansion into the China market. Her team pitched and executed a strategy to launch consumer products in China in time for the 2008 Beijing Olympics, which housed the bottled Starbucks Frappuccino.[8] Tsai worked in corporate America as a financier for a decade and spent her twenties traveling globally for work.[9]
Tatcha
[edit]Tsai traveled to Kyoto, Japan, in 2008.[3][7] There, she met with a modern geisha who introduced her to time-tested ingredients based on a Japanese diet.[9] She not only discovered cultural remedies for her skin, but also felt the experience begin to heal her spirit.[7] When she returned to San Francisco, where she created Tatcha, an entrepreneurial endeavor she described as a "necessity".[7]
In 2009, Tsai approached retail partners for the business, but was told Tatcha was "too niche" and "too exotic" for the Western woman.[4] After struggling to secure funding, Tsai sold her engagement ring, car, and furniture, then worked from her mother's garage. She spent 9 years without a salary.[7] In 2017, she received funding from private equity firm Castanea Partners.[10]
After Tatcha
[edit]Despite many years at the company, the business was sold to Unilever in 2019 for a reported $500 million, and Tsai stepped down shortly afterward.[4]
Personal life
[edit]Tsai married Eric Bevan at the Gamble Mansion in Boston, Massachusetts May 29, 2004. The couple shares one daughter, Alea.[1]
References
[edit]- ^ a b Strauss, Alix (2019-11-13). "'I Dream, He Executes'". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2023-03-17.
- ^ "Japanese Beauty & Skincare Products | Tatcha".
- ^ a b Tatcha. "Our Story". Tatcha.
- ^ a b c Vora, Shivani (April 8, 2021). "What Helped Her Build a $500 Million Asian-Beauty Brand Also Held Her Back. Not Anymore". Inc.
- ^ "An interview with Tatcha founder Victoria Tsai | The Memo | MECCA". MECCA AU. Retrieved 2023-03-20.
- ^ "[POSTPONED] AAPI Women in Business: Conversation With Tatcha Founder Vicky Tsai". Asia Society. Retrieved 2023-04-26.
- ^ a b c d e "Tatcha's Vicky Tsai in Conversation With Selfmade's Stephanie Lee". Glamour. 2022-05-20. Retrieved 2023-03-20.
- ^ Liu, Jennifer (13 January 2020). "This Harvard MBA grad worked at a Starbucks after graduation—then she founded a company worth millions". CNBC. Retrieved 2023-03-20.
- ^ a b "Victoria Tsai Biography | Booking Info for Speaking Engagements". www.allamericanspeakers.com. Retrieved 2023-03-20.
- ^ "Tatcha's founder Vicky Tsai reveals why she first stepped down as CEO: 'It felt like a threat'". cosmeticsbusiness.com. Retrieved 2023-08-10.