This 25-year-old entrepreneur turned her side hustle into a 'Beyoncé-approved' luxury brand

When MBA student Wilglory Tanjong launched Anima Iris, her luxury handbag company, two years ago, she just wanted to "start making bags for fun."

Now, her purses are everywhere:>Entrepreneurial roots

Growing up, Tanjong watched her parents hustle. After moving from Cameroon to Maryland when Tanjong was 2, they held a number of different jobs and owned a laundromat. Tanjong, with her older and younger sisters, would help her father flip houses in the summer. 

"I really hated it at the time," Tanjong says. "But that's clearly where [my] motivation comes from."

Her mother, a nurse, also ran a small cosmetology studio out of the back of their home, where Tanjong watched her "take control of her schedule and build something from nothing." 

But they faced hard times as well. Her mother was diagnosed with breast cancer when Tanjong was 8, and when she was 14, her parents divorced and Tanjong watched her family "tumble into financial hardship." 

"I'll never forget the day when my mom told us that we were finally approved for food stamps," Tanjong says. "Having those kinds of experiences really pushed me to be financially independent as quickly as I could be."

Wilglory Tanjong, CEO and founder of Anima Iris, in her brand's production facility in Dakar, Senegal, where the luxury handbags are handstitched.Courtesy of Anima Iris

Tanjong continued to work hard and earned a full ride to Princeton University. She worked and had a high grade-point average throughout all four years — but when her mother died during her senior year, Tanjong was emotionally jarred.

Still, she persisted, and in June 2018, Tanjong became a first-generation college graduate. She moved to Atlanta, Georgia, three weeks later to start her new role as an operational manager at a manufacturing and supply company.

At the time, her bank account was reaping the rewards —>Monetizing Inspiration

Relying>In the clutches of success 

Anima Iris had its first viral moment in June 2020 when the brand was featured in a Vogue article promoting Black-owned beauty and fashion brands. Soon after, a blogger tweeted photos of Tanjong's purses with links to the company's webpage and social media accounts. The post received almost 30,000 retweets and the Anima Iris website instantly sold out. 

But the "greatest moment" of Anima Iris success came in August 2021 when the brand became "Beyoncé approved." Tanjong serendipitously opened Instagram and spotted the mega star sporting a Raspberry Zaza bag.

That day, Tanjong knew it was time to expand. Almost instantly after Beyoncé's endorsement, Anima Iris sold over $23,000 worth of luxury handbags, became verified>Student and CEO by day

So far, the growth has sustained. Black Friday was Anima Iris's most profitable day yet, bringing in over $62,000 dollars in revenue. Partnerships with retailers like Revolve, Nordstrom and soon Saks Fifth Avenue — in addition to the money the brand already earns through its Shopify site — have put the company on track to earn at least $1.2 million in annual revenue.

"I project that we're going to make at least $5 million next year because I think that there are a lot of opportunities for people to learn about us," Tanjong says.

Wilglory Tanjong, CEO and founder of Anima Iris, in her Senegal production facility. She takes pride in paying her artisans twice as much as the industry average in Dakar.Courtesy of Anima Iris

While maintaining the overwhelming success of Anima Iris, Tanjong is also a full-time MBA student, on track to graduate in the spring from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. She plans to finish out her degree — but only because "the African immigrant child in [her]" refuses to quit.

"I wanted to get an MBA because I wanted to build the company while also learning how to build a company," Tanjong says. "But I didn't foresee Anima Iris growing so quickly." 

Going forward, Tanjong wants to expand the brand's social media presence, community and product line. "My larger goal is to turn this into a full lifestyle brand," she says. "I want to be selling clothes. I want to go back to selling jewelry. I want to sell shoes. I want to sell furniture and home decor."

When asked about advice she had for other aspiring entrepreneurs, Tanjong says she thinks everyone should be willing to take risks to find their "real purpose." 

"I didn't come from the most privileged background," Tanjong says. But now, "I'm really living life to the fullest extent, and it's so possible for you to have that same life experience, but you have to be willing to reach out and go find that life for yourself."