Maggie Shih, Founder of Satta Labs Inc., on Building Financial Confidence for the Next Generation

Maggie Shih is the founder and CEO of Satta Labs Inc., a mission driven tech company focused on giving every child access to financial literacy and emotional intelligence tools from an early age. Through interactive stories, short quests, and playful characters, Satta helps kids as young as five develop money confidence before fear or shame ever enters the picture.

Inspired by her upbringing across multiple countries and a fearless single mother who built her own business from scratch, Maggie created Satta to break the silence around money and raise a generation that starts with power, not panic.

Please share a brief introduction and your business:

I’m Maggie Shih, founder and CEO of Satta. I grew up moving across multiple countries with a fearless single mom who built her own business from scratch. She taught me grit, independence, and how to survive, but like many families, we never really talked about money. That silence followed me into adulthood, even after building multiple businesses.

Satta was born from that gap, and wanted to flip the script for the next generation of kids. Our mission is to give financial literacy to every child in the world. Satta helps kids (as early as 5+) develop money, confidence and emotional intelligence through play. Using stories, short quests, and interactive characters, Satta helps kids feel calm, capable, and confident making everyday money decisions, before fear or shame ever enters the picture. At its core, Satta is about raising a generation that starts with power, not panic.

Do you have a co-founder?

Yes, I do have a co-founder, and I feel incredibly lucky to have found such an amazing partner! What makes it work is shared values, trust, complementary strengths, ZERO EGO, and a genuine openness to learning from each other.

My biggest partnership tip is to get clear early. Talk openly about expectations, decision-making, and communication styles from the start. Choose someone who takes ownership, stays grounded when things get messy, and is committed to growing alongside you.

Are you a mamaprenista?

Earlier this year, my husband and I experienced a loss due to an ectopic pregnancy, which was a scary and grounding moment. It reminded me that life and business are deeply intertwined, and that self-compassion has to come first.

As someone who was nervous about building a tech baby and a human baby at the same time, I’ve learned to trust that there is room for both. The universe has a plan, and we always find a way to make it work.

Take us back to when you launched? What was your marketing strategy?

In the early days of my businesses, I never paid for ads or formal marketing. Everything was built through relationships, asking for help, partnerships, favours, and learning as I went. I focused on showing up, doing good work, and letting trust compound over time. That approach worked for my health and wellness company and later in real estate.

With Satta, I’m very aware that building a scalable tech company requires a different strategy. In the earliest phase, though, the mindset is still the same. Stay lean, stay close to the community, and learn directly from the people you are building for. I still carry that gritty, frugal mentality, but when we do have marketing dollars to spend, we will do it intentionally, with clarity and purpose, rather than chasing noise.

Did you always know you wanted to be an entrepreneur?

No, I never set out thinking I wanted to be an entrepreneur. It honestly just kind of happened. I followed my curiosity, took risks when something felt misaligned, and kept choosing paths that allowed me to build and create rather than fit into a box.

Looking back, it makes sense. I grew up watching my mom build her own business, and I was always more comfortable thinking differently and questioning the rules. I did not chase entrepreneurship. I chased meaningful work, and building my own companies became the natural outcome.

What accomplishments are you the most proud of to date in your business?

Can I give two? hehe! What I’m most proud of is building the right team and shipping a product in under eight months in a completely new industry. That validation of being able to start over and still deliver has been incredibly powerful.

Finding people who believe in the mission, care deeply about what we’re building, and are willing to grow alongside the company has been the greatest gift. Bringing Satta from an idea to a real, working product in such a short amount of time, especially in a space I was still learning, showed me what is possible with focus, trust, and the right people around you.

What is one thing you wish you had known when you started your Entreprenista journey?

That being a founder can feel lonely, and it’s essential to find people who are on the same journey as you. Community makes all the difference.

When hiring, what is your go-to interview question?

"Tell me about a time you failed and what you learned from it."

Look for self-awareness, accountability, and clear communication more than the failure itself. Early-stage work is messy, and the ability to learn, adapt, and take responsibility matters far more than getting everything right the first time.

For a fun one, I always ask about their zodiac signs and personality types like Enneagram or Myers-Briggs. I’m a huge fan!!! It’s not about labeling people, but it gives me insight into how someone communicates, makes decisions, and works with others. Plus, it always sparks a great conversation.

What did you do before starting your own business?

Before starting Satta, my first love was health and wellness. I spent over a decade building and running a wellness business, working closely with individuals and teams to help them feel stronger, more confident, and more connected to their bodies. That work taught me how deeply behaviour, emotion, and mindset shape long-term outcomes.

My curiosity later led me into real estate and then tech and web3. In real estate, I saw firsthand how trust, emotion, and confidence drive money decisions. In tech, I worked alongside founders, engineers, and creative teams, building communities from the ground up.

Again and again, I noticed that most adults were doing their best without ever having been taught how to feel comfortable talking about money.

Across every chapter, one thing stayed consistent. I have always cared about helping people feel empowered in their choices, drawn to starting from zero, learning quickly, and building with intention and purpose.

What made you take the leap to start your own business?

I have to credit this to my girl boss mom! I grew up seeing her build a business on her own, make bold decisions, and navigate uncertainty without a roadmap. That showed me early on that there was more than one way to build a life and a career.

I was also often the outsider growing up, moving across countries and cultures. That shaped how I see the world. I learned to question systems, think independently, and notice gaps rather than simply follow what already existed. The traditional path never fully fit me, and I did not feel drawn to playing by rules that were never designed with people like me in mind.

As I moved through different industries, from wellness to real estate to tech, I kept seeing the same gaps appear in different forms. Instead of ignoring them, I chose to take a chance and build something better. Entrepreneurship became less about breaking rules and more about creating new ones that felt aligned, thoughtful, and purposeful.

Do you have any recent wins?

One of our biggest wins this past year has been bringing Satta to life as a live product and seeing families, kids, and educators engage with it in real time. That moment of going from idea to something tangible has been incredibly rewarding.

We’re also excited about an upcoming lineup of events and partnerships that we can’t publicly share just yet, but they represent strong alignment and meaningful momentum for where we’re headed. And finally, the team. Building alongside people who care deeply about the mission and show up with intention every single day has been a win in itself.

What's one app on your phone that you cannot live without?

Honestly, my calendar. I put everything on it, and I mean EVERYTHING... including laundry time, lol. It keeps me grounded, focused, and sane. If it’s not on my calendar, it probably doesn’t exist.

Who are your customers?

Our primary customers are parents of children ages 5–11 who care about raising confident, emotionally grounded kids and want purposeful screen time that adds real value. We also work with educators, schools, and community organizations introducing money and social-emotional skills in a thoughtful, age-appropriate way.

While kids are our core focus because we believe money conversations should start early, we have been excited to see older kids and even adults enjoying Satta too. When learning feels playful and safe, anyone can have fun sharpening their money skills.

What's your top productivity tip?

My top productivity tip is ruthless clarity. I follow my calendar and to-do lists religiously. I start each day knowing the one or two things I need to accomplish and protect my energy around those. I have learned that being busy is not the same as being effective.

What's your favorite business tool?

Slack. It keeps communication clear, easy, and organized, which is especially important at an early stage. It helps our team stay aligned, move quickly, and solve problems together without unnecessary meetings.

But honestly, I wish we could reply entirely in memes sometimes. In early-stage chaos, a well-timed meme goes a long way ;)

What's your approach to work-life balance?

I don’t really believe in the idea of perfect work-life balance, especially when you’re building something you genuinely care about. For me, it’s less about balance and more about prioritization and integration.

Some seasons require more focus on work, others on rest, relationships, or health. I try to stay honest about what needs my attention at the moment and adjust accordingly. When the work is meaningful and aligned, it doesn’t feel like something I’m constantly trying to escape from. It becomes part of a life I’m intentionally designing.

How do you avoid burn-out?

Having a background in wellness has made me very aware of what I need and more in tune with my body. I avoid burnout by listening to those signals and being honest about my limits.

Daily morning movement is nonnegotiable for me, whether that is yoga, running, pilates, or lifting weights. It helps me reset, stay grounded, and show up more fully.

What advice do you have for aspiring Entreprenistas?

Start before you feel ready and don’t wait for permission. You’ll learn more by doing than by planning, and confidence comes from action, not perfection.

Surround yourself with people who are on a similar journey and willing to be honest with you. Building can feel lonely, but community changes everything. Stay curious, trust yourself, and remember that growth happens one step at a time.

From building businesses in wellness and real estate to shipping a live tech product in under eight months in a brand new industry, Maggie Shih continues to build with grit, clarity, and purpose. At the heart of Satta Labs Inc. is a belief that meaningful change starts early and that financial confidence can be taught in a way that feels playful, safe, and empowering.

If you are a woman founder building something bold and mission driven, Entreprenista connects you with the community and relationships that make the journey less lonely and far more impactful. Learn more about joining Entreprenista League.

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