Entrepreneur Spotlight: Tyler Haney
Written by Avery Chen (W’26); Edited by Preethi Jayaraman
Tyler Haney is an American entrepreneur and the founder of the athleisure brand, Outdoor Voices. She attended Parsons School of Business and started Outdoor Voices shortly after graduating. She started the company in 2013 at the age of 24 with a vision to create a direct to consumer (DTC) brand that celebrated the joy of being active rather than focusing solely on performance. Haney quickly gained attention in the industry and secured over $60 million in funding.
Under Haney's leadership, Outdoor Voices became known for its inclusive, body-positive approach to fitness apparel, and its commitment to sustainability. The brand's signature color-blocked leggings and comfortable workout wear gained a loyal following of customers including celebrities and athletes. Outdoor Voices was also recognized for their “kits,” in which customers could purchase a bundle of items.
The fallout between Tyler Haney and Outdoor Voices began in late 2018 when the company's board of directors reportedly became concerned about the brand's financial performance and Haney's leadership. In 2020, Haney stepped down as CEO following reports of issues within the company's culture and leadership. In the months following Haney's departure, reports surfaced of a toxic work environment at Outdoor Voices including allegations of bullying, favoritism, and discrimination.
Haney has made comments about looking back on her time at Outdoor Voices, expressing pride in the brand she created and the positive impact it had on the industry. She has also acknowledged the challenges she faced as a young founder and the lessons she learned from her experience at the company. She has spoken publicly about the importance of maintaining a strong company culture, and has encouraged other entrepreneurs to prioritize it. She has also emphasized the need for transparency and open communication between founders and investors to avoid misunderstandings and conflicts. In an interview with Tom Foster, Haney said “when you see a lot of success off your story and your product and your value proposition, you kind of neglect the fundamentals.” She added that her youth was both a pro and a con.
“Youth can make you fearless. You don't know what you don't know, but you're going to proceed anyway if you're the type who wants to build something and can find an idea that's worth building on. In my case, people also undermined me because of my youth. Maybe they were right. But that created a poisonous dynamic between me, the board, and the team.”
In the same interview, Haney also comments on the realities of being a young female founder. She notes that while both men and women are in business to turn a profit, women are often only allowed to talk about the positive impact their brand has on the world or customers' lives. Haney calls for a shift in this attitude, stating that women founders should be able to openly discuss their financial goals and aspirations without fear of judgment or backlash.
The fallout between Haney and Outdoor Voices was a high-profile example of the challenges that can arise when a founder is replaced by outside leadership. Despite the setbacks, Haney remains an influential figure in the fashion and wellness industries.
Now Tyler Haney has been working on a new venture called Try Your Best (TYB). The company is a blockchain-based startup that helps brands build customer loyalty. The goal is to reduce customer acquisition costs for companies and build communities around brands. With her latest project being based on Web3, Haney has positioned herself to once again be a female founder leading the push into the future of online businesses.