Trisha Bantigue is the Co-founder and CEO of Queenly, a resale marketplace for women's formalwear— everything from wedding to prom dresses. Last year, they raised a $6.3M seed led by Andreessen Horowitz (a16z).

👋🏼  How would you explain your job to someone outside tech?

I usually joke that I am the janitor of our company, and in some ways, it's true.

I think most people have the misconception that being a founder is glamorous, and it is very much glorified in the media. In reality, your job is to keep the company running at all costs and ensure you don't go to zero. For that to work properly, you need to be okay with getting your hands dirty and doing whatever it takes to be scrappy.

I also do my best to support and motivate all our departments like as Operations, Marketing, Sales, Engineering, and more. As a leader, my job is to create more leaders for my company and to show them that I am willing to put in the work, just like them.

Being a startup founder has been a crazy wild ride, full of ups and downs that can take a toll on your mental health, but it's been the most exhilarating journey I've ever been on with lots of new skills and lessons.

🧐  What's something about you or your job that would surprise us?

As a young female and minority CEO, I'm often underestimated a lot by others in the industry. I've received so many rejections in the past and so many people telling me this idea is not going to work.

I've experienced so much stress, anxiety and even depression over the past 3+ years that I've been working on Queenly, and most folks never really see the "dark" side of being a founder.

You really do sacrifice a lot for a "maybe" delayed gratification. You risk everything for the mission that you wholeheartedly believe in.

I've experienced so much during my startup journey that I needed to reach out for help, and I made sure that I took care of myself first. My co-founder, Kathy Zhou, encouraged me to seek out therapy, and it has been such a life-changing decision for me.

I am very outspoken about mental health awareness and also about my personal mental health journey, so I hope this can inspire others too.

🏆  What has been the biggest highlight of your career so far?

It was such a dream come true to be featured as the cover for the Forbes 30 Under 30 2022 list! I never once thought I would ever make this list, let alone be one of the featured listers on the Art & Style cover.

I bought so many copies of the Forbes magazine issue, and it was really heartwarming for me to give it to my grandpa in the Philippines. He was my first inspiration to work towards my dreams, and I made it happen!

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🔍  What's a startup trend or space you're watching this year?

The resale market is expected to boom this year and next year! It's pretty exciting to see the consumer shift to resale marketplaces as more Gen Z and Millennials are leaning into brands and companies that promote sustainability.

We're truly passionate about this at Queenly, and we want to be part of the movement that is working against the harmful effects of fast fashion on the environment.

💼  What advice would you give someone starting out in your industry?

Be unapologetically confident in your goals and in your intentions. As a female founder, it was inevitable for me to experience imposter syndrome from the beginning (even until now!).

It's hard to get yourself out of that mindset when everything around you is reminding you that you may not be enough — but YOU ARE. This works well when pitching to investors, trying to recruit your team and going on your day-to-day with the utmost passion and sincerity that you believe in your capabilities.

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🗣  What's one thing you can keep talking about for hours?

Pageants!

🎥  What's your favorite movie/TV show?

Ted Lasso and the Office.

🍨  What's your go-to ice cream flavor?

Ben & Jerry's Cinnamon Buns!