Forty Under 40: Stacy Tan

Stacy Tan worked in retail for 12 years before joining supply chain software company SupplyPike. She was interested in the international logistics of how products make it to the shelf because, while she was born in Arkansas, she spent 10 years growing up in Malaysia.

After earning an international business degree from the University of Arkansas, she started her retail career in Northwest Arkansas. She worked in consumer packaged goods product development and sourcing and traveled internationally.

Tan, who also speaks Chinese, traveled to and worked directly with factories overseas. In the latter part of her retail career, she worked in replenishment and planning. She was also a national account manager, calling on Walmart and Sam’s Club buyers.

In 2019, Tan left retail for SupplyPike, which supplies software to retail suppliers.

“I think a small part of all of us are like, ‘Well, what if we could be the next [Facebook CEO Mark] Zuckerberg?’” Tan joked. “So why not give it a shot and try a tech startup.”

She started in product development before transitioning to sales and marketing. Last year, she was named to her existing role and leads the retail insights and sales teams. Since she started leading the sales team in January, it’s surpassed its goals by 127%. She oversees 11 employees across both groups.

In May 2022, she earned an executive MBA while working full time and caring for a newborn. She graduated from the UA with a 4.0 GPA.

In 2016, she co-founded Little Box of Decorations, a custom party decor supplier. She also co-founded 479 Yappies, a group connecting young Asian professionals in the area. Tan is a mentor for EforAll and VCWomen Achieve. She enjoys traveling.