Talent: Taylor Ping @q_tay.
Taylor Ping approaches business with a steady and considered mindset. Her work reflects a focus on long-term thinking and meaningful outcomes rather than quick results. In conversation with Harper’s Bazaar Vietnam, she discusses identity, responsibility, and the values that guide her decisions in building and leading her ventures.
Photographer: Amir Agaev. Hair stylist and makeup artist: Anastasiia Pakulova. Stylist: Anastasiia Ermolaeva. Production: Breaking Barriers UAE.
HARPER’S BAZAAR (HBZVN): Can you share your journey as an Asian American entrepreneur and what inspired you to venture into this field?
TAYLOR PING: My journey began in between worlds. Growing up Asian American, I learned early how to navigate discipline, resilience, and expectation at home, while adapting to the pace and competitiveness of the West. That duality shaped how I think; not just about business, but about systems, culture, and identity.
I didn’t stay in a single lane. Early on, I immersed myself in marketing and public relations, learning the mechanics of influence, storytelling, and reputation from the inside out. I worked behind the scenes on campaigns for founders, public figures, and companies during moments of growth and crisis, which gave me a deep understanding of how perception, capital, and trust intersect.
That foundation allowed me to move beyond service-based work and into building companies of my own. By my mid-twenties, I had gone on to build and successfully exit a financial services, an experience that shifted my perspective from operator to architect.
Today, my work spans multiple sectors. I am part of a family office with interests across biotech, longevity, robotics, and real estate, which has further refined how I think about long-term value creation, innovation, and global ecosystems. The culmination of all my business ventures has ultimately brought me to VARA SEEDS, a concept that ties a 5,000-year-old Asian traditional medicine technique to a modern, fashion-forward longevity wearable. VARA SEEDS represents the bridge I’ve spent my career building: honoring ancient wisdom while bringing it to life for the modern world, translating heritage into innovation for the West and other global markets. It aligns deeply with who I am – an Asian American entrepreneur – rooted in ancestry, yet focused on shaping what comes next.
Photographer: Amir Agaev. Hair stylist and makeup artist: Anastasiia Pakulova. Stylist: Anastasiia Ermolaeva. Production: Breaking Barriers UAE.
HBZVN: What challenges have you faced in the business world, and how have they influenced your approach to entrepreneurship?
TAYLOR PING: Being young, female, and Asian in traditionally male-dominated rooms meant I was often underestimated. Early on, I learned that credibility isn’t given. It’s built quietly through consistency and results.
Those challenges shaped my approach deeply. I focus less on optics and more on infrastructure. I don’t chase trends; I build systems that last. And I’ve learned to operate with patience; understanding that long-term influence is more powerful than short-term validation.
HBZVN: How do you believe your Asian heritage has shaped your identity and success as a businesswoman?
TAYLOR PING: My heritage taught me reverence; for time, for knowledge passed down, and for the idea that mastery is earned, not announced. Eastern philosophies emphasize longevity, balance, and harmony, which contrasts sharply with the West’s obsession with speed.
That perspective influences how I build. I think in decades, not quarters. I prioritize sustainability over virality. And I see beauty, wellness, and business not as separate industries, but as interconnected expressions of human longevity and legacy.
Photographer: Amir Agaev. Hair stylist and makeup artist: Anastasiia Pakulova. Stylist: Anastasiia Ermolaeva. Production: Breaking Barriers UAE.
HBZVN: Can you discuss the significance of representation in business for Asian women and how you aim to contribute to that narrative?
TAYLOR PING: Representation matters most where decisions are made. Not just on magazine covers, but in boardrooms, investment committees, and ecosystem design.
I aim to contribute by operating at that level; building platforms, programs, and businesses that normalize women as architects, not just participants. Visibility follows impact, not the other way around.
HBZVN: In your opinion, what are the key factors driving successful businesses in the APAC region today?
TAYLOR PING: APAC businesses succeed because they respect history while innovating rapidly. There is a deep cultural understanding of craftsmanship, education, and long-term value.
What excites me is how APAC is no longer “catching up”. It’s leading in wellness, technology, supply chains, and beauty. The future is being built here, often quietly, with extraordinary precision.
HBZVN: How do you balance maintaining your cultural identity while appealing to a broader audience in your business endeavors?
TAYLOR PING: I don’t dilute my identity to appeal to others. I translate it.
The global audience today is sophisticated. They want authenticity, not approximation. When cultural roots are honored with respect and intelligence, they resonate universally. Tradition, when positioned correctly, becomes luxury.
HBZVN: What advice would you give to young women of Asian descent who aspire to become entrepreneurs?
TAYLOR PING: Build depth before visibility. Learn the fundamentals. Understand money, systems, and people. And never feel pressured to separate who you are from what you build. Your ancestry is an asset, not a limitation.
HBZVN: Can you elaborate on your women’s program and its objectives? How do you envision it impacting the community?
TAYLOR PING: My women’s initiatives focus on access, to education, capital literacy, and strategic mentorship. The goal isn’t motivation. It’s capability.
By equipping women with real tools, we create ripple effects that extend into families, communities, and economies. Empowered women don’t just change their own lives. They stabilize systems.
HBZVN: How do you think the perception of Asian American entrepreneurs has changed over the years?
TAYLOR PING: There’s been a shift from technical excellence to visionary leadership. Asian American founders are increasingly recognized not just as operators, but as innovators shaping global narratives.
That evolution is important. It allows us to lead authentically rather than fitting into predefined molds.
HBZVN: What role does mentorship play in your career, and how do you mentor others in your field?
TAYLOR PING: Mentorship shaped me through lived experience rather than formal instruction. I learned by working hard and forging my way into rooms where everyone was smarter than me and more sophisticated. This was how I learned, by watching others closely and securing my own luck.
Today, I mentor by opening doors: Introducing founders to networks, helping them think strategically, and encouraging them to operate with integrity and long-term vision. I also mentor by collaborating directly with youth. I’ve been invited to speak throughout the United States and Indonesia, and have traveled across Africa to participate in youth entrepreneurship events, where I work hands-on with young founders to refine their business pitches, structure funding strategies, and position their ideas for marketability and investment readiness.
HBZVN: How do you leverage your professional media team’s experience in your branding and marketing strategies?
TAYLOR PING: Media, when used responsibly, is a tool for education and positioning, not noise. My team understands how to align narrative with substance, ensuring that visibility reflects real impact rather than manufactured hype.
Photographer: Michael Franco. Fashion Architect: Anthony Leroux. Stylist Assistant: Jeno Ki. Master hairstylist: Kimberly Allison and Shay Armin. M.U.A.: Angel Sanchez. Jewelry: Nashrow, Alis Volat Jewelry & Piercings. Production: Breaking Barriers UAE.
HBZVN: What trends do you see emerging in the fashion or business industries that excite you, particularly in relation to diversity and inclusion?
TAYLOR PING: There is a growing appreciation for heritage-driven brands, those rooted in culture, ritual, and meaning. In beauty and fashion especially, consumers are moving toward longevity, wellness, and authenticity over excess.
This creates space for ancient traditions to be reintroduced through a modern, refined lens.
HBZVN: Can you share any upcoming projects or collaborations that you’re particularly excited about?
TAYLOR PING: One project especially close to my heart is the launch of VARA SEEDS, a fashion-forward longevity wearable inspired by over 5,000 years of traditional Chinese medicine.
VARA SEEDS is the result of my personal journey: reconnecting with ancestry, studying Eastern approaches to wellness, and translating them into a modern, wearable form for a global audience. It represents the convergence of longevity, design, and cultural reverence, bringing ancient tradition into everyday life in a way that feels sovereign, contemporary, and accessible worldwide.
Photographer: Michael Franco. Fashion Architect: Anthony Leroux. Stylist Assistant: Jeno Ki. Master hairstylist: Kimberly Allison and Shay Armin. M.U.A.: Angel Sanchez. Jewelry: Nashrow, Alis Volat Jewelry & Piercings. Production: Breaking Barriers UAE.
HBZVN: How have your experiences with major media publications influenced your entrepreneurial journey?
TAYLOR PING: Media has given me a platform, but more importantly, it’s given me perspective. It reinforced that storytelling has power. especially when it’s grounded in truth.
Today, I’m intentional about how and why I share my work. The goal isn’t exposure for its own sake, but alignment; ensuring that the narrative reflects the values, roots, and long-term vision behind what I build.
Photographer: Roman Ivanov.
Harper’s Bazaar Vietnam
