Anima Iris / Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States
Wilglory Tanjong
Wilglory Tanjong turned grief, $5,000 in savings, and direct relationships with Dakar artisans into Anima Iris, a luxury brand that insists African craft belongs at the center of the value chain.
Founder Record
Wilglory Tanjong founded Anima Iris after traveling through African markets and working with leather artisans in Dakar, building a luxury handbag company around African ownership, production, and design.
Timeline
- 2018Graduated from Princeton after losing her mother during senior year.
- 2019Traveled through Africa, began working with Dakar artisans, and soft-launched the brand.
- 2020Officially launched Anima Iris while beginning an MBA at Wharton.
- 2021A Beyonce appearance with an Anima Iris bag accelerated global attention and sales.
Defining Record
- Bootstrapped Anima Iris with an initial $5,000
- Built production relationships with artisans in Dakar
- Expanded from direct sales into major American luxury retailers
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01 / Ledger case fileWilglory Tanjong: From Grief to Beyonce in 1,000 DaysWilglory Tanjong built Anima Iris while grieving her mother, studying at Wharton, and constructing a luxury-handbag supply chain with artisans in Dakar.13 minute read02 / Founder recordMudassir SheikhaMudassir Sheikha helped build Careem by treating the Middle East's differences as product requirements rather than obstacles to a copied global model.Careem / Dubai, United Arab Emirates03 / Field noteGlobal Startups Beyond the Silicon Valley PlaybookStartup methods travel more easily than the infrastructure assumptions embedded inside them.Global Founder Context04 / Company recordAnima IrisAfrican luxury, designed and produced with ownershipLuxury fashion and accessories / Founded 2019