Key Takeaways
- Susana Chen, a Parsons School of Design graduate, founded Never Have I Ever to create “wearable art that really shows who you are.”
- Co-founder Jess Wu leveraged her expertise in global brand marketing to build scalable systems and operations.
- The company achieved $1.5 million in revenue and secured a deal on ABC’s “Shark Tank” within two years of launching.
Susana Chen and Jess Wu’s New York-based beauty startup, Never Have I Ever, reimagines self-expression by transforming everyday surfaces into dynamic art canvases. Instead of traditional apparel, the brand focuses on press-on nails, temporary tattoos, and tooth gems—items Chen describes as “wearable art that really shows who you are.”
Chen’s vision is rooted in personal experience. Growing up in New York City’s Chinatown, she helped her mother sell customized souvenirs like “I Love New York” tees. After graduating from Parsons School of Design and working in creative agencies, she founded the non-profit Asian Creative Foundation. Regular visits to craft fairs exposed her to artist-made goods and revealed a market gap: a lack of accessible, high-quality platforms for artists to see their work worn as personal adornment.
Chen brought the concept to Jess Wu, a former colleague with a background scaling cross-cultural brands for consumer goods and tech companies. Wu’s expertise in brand marketing and operational systems proved essential for turning an artistic idea into a viable business. The duo officially launched Never Have I Ever in November 2023. The brand name reflects multiple layers of meaning: the founders’ first entrepreneurial venture, artists exploring new mediums, and customers experimenting with fresh looks.
Image Credit: Never Have I Ever. Jess Wu, left, and Susana Chen, right.
