Because of her successful career just a few years out of college, Stacy Tan was named one of the Northwest Arkansas Business Journal’s Fast 15 in 2014. The Arkansas Alumni Association is partnering with the Business Journal to host the 2015 Fast 15 reception in May. Nominations for this year’s Fast 15 will be accepted through March 27. Like Tan, many of the recipients have diverse backgrounds.
Even though Tan grew up nearly 10,000 miles away in Malaysia, she was raised a Razorback. Both of Tan’s parents, Boon Tan and Chung Tan, attended the University of Arkansas and when Tan received the Honors College Fellowship, she followed in their footsteps. Tan graduated in 2011 with a degree in international business with a focus in management and economics. Her passion for travel was channeled through her studies about cultural and trade relationships between countries and has continued into her career working for an international broker.
Growing up in Malaysia, Tan never experienced pep rallies or American football. Her freshman year, dorm mates invited her to attend the first pep rally and Hog game. “It was so much fun getting decked out in Hog gear, painted up, screaming for the Razorbacks before really understanding the rules of football, and watching us win the first game I ever attended. Wooo Pig Sooie!” Tan said.
While at the University, Tan said she loved the opportunities she had to study abroad. “The classes, people and culture I experienced while abroad truly changed my life. These experiences cemented my desire to continue pursuing a path that involved international business and travel. At my current job, I work with international clients on a daily basis. I am also fortunate to travel for work, and have been to six countries for my job so far. I can only hope that I get to continue,” said Tan, who is a proud member of the Arkansas Alumni Association.
In addition to her position as international marketing manager of TY North America, LLC, Tan developed a company called Lynxus, with two other Arkansas alumni, Nicholas Spinazze and Drew Johnson. Lynxus is a mobile application that lets you share pictures and videos of events happening around you. What differentiates Lynxus is the request functionality of the app, that allows users to request first-person, real-time content from anywhere in the world.
“We believe that this ability to request and share pictures in real-time can change the way people view their world and those around them, our goal with Lynxus is to help create a more compassionate and understanding global society,” Tan said.
Lynxus was the winning pitch at the Gone in 60 Seconds elevator pitch contest held last year in Fayetteville by Startup Junkie Consulting. Tan, Spinazze and Johnson were also chosen as one of the Top 5 Finalists at the Louisiana Startup Prize, and are currently participants in an accelerator, Breaking Lean, in Shreveport, Louisiana. The application officially launched March 7.
When Tan isn’t working, she gives back to the University through volunteering with the Alumni Association’s Northwest Arkansas Chapter Young Alumni and by participating in the Alumni Association’s Scholarship Review.
“My fellow founders and I are proud Razorbacks and we want to do the University proud with a successful Fayetteville-born startup,” Tan said.
