# Anya Cheng

> Anya Cheng is the Founder & CEO of Taelor, an AI-powered men's clothing rental and styling subscription service that raised $5M+ and ranked #1 in U.S. menswear rentals by GQ. A Taiwanese-American first-generation immigrant who spent 15+ years at Target, McDonald's, eBay, and Meta (where she helped launch Facebook Shopping), she pivoted to entrepreneurship to solve a problem she saw everywhere: busy professional men who needed to look sharp but hated shopping. Taelor combines AI trend forecasting with human stylists to deliver curated wardrobes to subscribers, tackling fashion's 30% waste problem along the way. Cheng also teaches at Northwestern's Medill School and mentors at 500 Startups.

- **Role:** Founder & CEO at Taelor
- **Organizations:** Taelor, Northwestern University Medill School, 500 Startups, North America Taiwanese Engineering and Science Association, Taiwan Tech Arena, STUF United Fund
- **From:** Taiwan
- **Nationality:** Taiwanese-American
- **Education:** B.A. in Korean and Advertising, National Chengchi University, M.S. in Integrated Marketing Communications, Northwestern University, Medill School, MBA, University of Chicago Booth School of Business
- **Known for:** Founded Taelor, ranked #1 men's clothing rental subscription in the U.S. by GQ, Raised $5M+ in funding including $2.3M pre-seed in April 2022; raised $1M in 30 minutes during one funding round, Helped launch Facebook Shop at Meta in 2019, a major social commerce initiative

## Career timeline

- **Pre-2007** — Worked as a reporter/journalist at Apple Daily in Taiwan and in advertising roles
- **2007** — Immigrated to the United States
- **2008-2009** — Earned M.S. in Integrated Marketing Communications from Northwestern University Medill School, graduating during the 2008 financial crisis
- **~2009-2011** — Joined Sears Holdings in advertising technology after sending 500 resumes to land her first U.S. job
- **~2011-2013** — Joined Target; led mobile and tablet e-commerce initiatives as Head of eCommerce
- **~2013-2015** — Senior Director at McDonald's Silicon Valley HQ, launching global food delivery apps
- **~2015-2018** — Head of Product at eBay for Latin America and Africa; managed cross-border digital commerce across 6 countries including South Africa, Mexico, and Singapore
- **2018** — Named to Girls in Tech 40 Under 40
- **~2018-2022** — Head of Product for Facebook and Instagram Shopping at Meta; helped launch Facebook Shop (2019), the social commerce initiative
- **2022-04** — Founded Taelor; raised $2.3M pre-seed round
- **2022** — Earned Webby Award for Best Shopping App
- **2022-present** — Adjunct Lecturer at Northwestern University Medill School teaching product management, marketing, and entrepreneurship
- **2022-present** — Mentor and Entrepreneur-in-Residence at 500 Startups
- **2023-2024** — Taelor ranked #1 menswear clothing rental subscription in the U.S. by GQ; featured at TechCrunch Disrupt
- **2025** — Named Inc. Magazine Best in Business (Best Startup category); global finalist at Stanford Gen AI Summit
- **2026** — Featured speaker at Women in Tech Global Conference on Leadership in Generative AI

## Achievements

- Founded Taelor, ranked #1 men's clothing rental subscription in the U.S. by GQ
- Raised $5M+ in funding including $2.3M pre-seed in April 2022; raised $1M in 30 minutes during one funding round
- Helped launch Facebook Shop at Meta in 2019, a major social commerce initiative
- Won Webby Award (the 'digital Oscar') for Best Shopping App
- Named to Girls in Tech 40 Under 40 (2018)
- Inc. Magazine 2025 Best in Business - Best Startup category
- Global finalist at Stanford Gen AI Summit
- Featured at TechCrunch Disrupt as SmartTech
- Achieved 10+ million marketing impressions with zero ad budget
- Won 20+ industry awards including The Communicator Award and Rising Star Award
- Adjunct Lecturer at Northwestern University Medill School
- Mentor and Entrepreneur-in-Residence at 500 Startups
- Multiple TEDx talks on perseverance and innovation
- Delivered multiple podcast appearances (20+) and conference keynotes

## Latest updates

- **2026-05** — Featured speaker at Women in Tech Global Conference 2026 on 'Leadership in Generative AI: Pioneering Women Shaping the Future'
- **2025-04** — Appeared on The Action Catalyst Podcast (Episode 484) discussing innovation in fashion
- **2025** — Named to Inc. Magazine 2025 Best in Business - Best Startup category
- **2025** — Global finalist at Stanford Gen AI Summit
- **2024** — Taelor continues expansion with platform licensing to international partners
- **2022-04** — Founded Taelor and closed $2.3M pre-seed funding round led by Bling Capital

## Links

- Website: https://taelor.style
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anyacheng
- Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/anyacheng
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/anyacheng_siliconvalley/

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/anya-cheng
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-05-14