The Founder's Odyssey: Surviving the Early Years to Scale Globally + Startup Competition
The Founder's Odyssey: Surviving the Early Years to Scale Globally
What separates the startups that become category leaders from the thousands that never make it past the early years?
🎤 Panel Discussion: The Founder's Odyssey – Surviving the Early Years to Scale Globally
12:30 PM – 1:00 PM
Join a candid discussion with founders who have collectively built and scaled companies across AI, deep tech, consumer products, e-commerce, and enterprise technology. This session is designed for investors, angels, entrepreneurs, and operators interested in understanding what drives startup success—and what causes promising companies to fail.
Beyond the headlines and pitch decks, we'll discuss the realities of building venture-backed companies, finding product-market fit, navigating rapid technological change, and creating businesses that can scale globally.
Featured Panelists
Anya Cheng
Founder & CEO, Taelor AI
Former eCommerce executive at Meta, eBay, Target, and McDonald's, Anya founded Taelor, an AI-powered fashion technology and data infra company recognized as Inc. Best in Business 2025. She is also an Adjunct Lecturer at Northwestern University and Mentor-in-Residence at 500 Global, a top accelerator in Silicon Valley. Use code ANYA30 to get 30% on https://taelor.style
Roger Lo
Founder & CEO, METAIAM
Three-time founder who has built and scaled technology ventures generating more than $100 million in cumulative revenue, with expertise spanning AI, semiconductors, telecommunications, and enterprise infrastructure.
Carl Hsu
CEO, Sunlite Industrial Corp.
Entrepreneur and operator who built Amazon-leading consumer brands and grew revenue from $0 to $10 million in three years, bringing firsthand experience in product innovation, e-commerce, and global business expansion.
Sui-Lin Sih
VP, TCCNA | Community Leader & Educator
Sui-Lin Sih is a longtime community leader, educator, and former President of the Taiwanese Chamber of Commerce of Greater Detroit.
Why Investors Should Attend
This is an opportunity to hear directly from founders who have raised capital, navigated market cycles, built products customers actually want, and scaled businesses across industries. Whether you're an angel investor, venture capitalist, family office, or aspiring investor, you'll gain insights into founder psychology, execution risk, AI-driven opportunities, and the characteristics that often distinguish enduring companies from the rest.
📍 Bethesda North Marriott Hotel & Conference Center
5701 Marinelli Rd, Rockville, MD 20852
🕛 Registration & Networking
12:00 PM – 12:30 PM
🎤 Panel Discussion: The Founder's Odyssey – Surviving the Early Years to Scale Globally
12:30 PM – 1:00 PM
🤝 Strategic Partnership Ceremony: TCCNA & ITIC
1:00 PM – 1:15 PM
🚀 Keynote: the Future of Taiwan–U.S. Innovation Linkage
1:20 PM – 1:45 PM
Keren Yu President, ITIC
🏆 Pitch Competition
1:45 PM – 3:00 PM https://www.tccna.org/pitchday/