Shay Fan is writing her own life’s story and making sure it’s filled with heart, hope and joy.
Shay Fan grew up believing in heroes, the kind found in 90s cartoons, chapter books, and the everyday resilience of her own family. Her childhood in a small Dallas suburb was a patchwork quilt of bike rides, tadpole rescues, video game afternoons, and the steady presence of her mother and grandmother.
By any measure, Shay Fan’s story begins in a place both ordinary and quietly extraordinary: Family was never more than a bike ride away. She remembers it as a golden era, the kind of childhood that feels almost cinematic in hindsight.
But woven into that warm, familiar backdrop were threads of challenge and resilience. Shay’s father passed away when she was young, and her mother, an immigrant learning English by watching episodes of 20/20 with Barbara Walters, became the anchor of the family. Her brother, who is on the autism spectrum, shaped her understanding of patience, compassion, and what it means to show up for someone. These early experiences didn’t just form her; they gave her a lens through which she still sees the world.
A Childhood Fueled by Imagination
Shay was the kind of kid who devoured stories: “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles,” “The Babysitters Club,” fantasy role playing games. If it involved adventure, she was in.
“I wanted to be the next Kristi Yamaguchi in first grade,” she says with a laughs. “But I also wanted to be an author.”
Books weren’t just entertainment; they were portals, teachers, companions. It’s no surprise she now nudges her daughter to read the same books that shaped her.
And then there was the moment, sitting beside her mom watching Barbara Walters when she realized people could ask questions for a living.
“Wait…you can ask questions? And get paid for it?” she says she remembers thinking.
For a brief time, journalism seemed like destiny.
But like many first generation kids, she was encouraged toward stability. Journalism felt risky. Law felt safe. So, she chose a major that blended her interests: public relations. And yes, she admits it proudly, she wanted to be C.J. Cregg from “The West Wing.”
A Career Built Like a Patchwork Quilt
Shay describes her career path as a “patchwork quilt” and a “jungle gym”: nonlinear, exploratory, and ultimately richer because of it.
“When the law thing didn’t pan out, I thought…OK. Maybe I could fall back on what I actually majored in,” she says.
Shay leaned on the people she’d met along the way: college friends, coworkers, mentors, and especially peer mentors, the ones who hold up mirrors, offer accountability, and help you grow.
That network, she says, has been the single most consistent force in her professional life.
Today, Shay is the editorial lead for the Instagram for Business channel at Meta, where she helps millions of small business owners understand how Instagram can help them grow. She grew up admiring fictional heroes. Today she spotlights real ones–the entrepreneurs, creators, and community builders who power Instagram for Business.
“I joke that I put pretty pictures on the Internet,” she says. “But really, it’s about empowering small businesses.”
She collaborates with creatives, product managers, and cross functional teams to educate, inspire, and translate complex tools into accessible stories.
She also serves as Head of Meta Prosper, a program dedicated to amplifying and supporting Asian Pacific Islander communities. What began four years ago as an initiative to uplift AAPI small businesses has evolved into a storytelling platform celebrating Asia and its diaspora.
“That work is truly close to my heart,” she says.
Finding Home in Playa Vista
Outside of work, Shay found another community that shaped her life just as deeply.
Ten years ago, Shay moved from the Bay Area to Playa Vista with a four- month-old baby in tow, reluctantly at first.
“I had that Bay Area bias,” she admits.
But the moment she arrived and saw babies, kids, and dogs everywhere, she knew she’d found her place.
Playa Vista surprised her. It was walkable. It was warm. It was safe. And it was a community where people actually knew each other.
“It’s like being a regular at a bar,” she jokes. “But much healthier!”
Her daughter, Sydney, now in a Mandarin immersion program at Braddock Elementary, has grown up surrounded by a village of parents who share rides, jokes, advice, and the occasional low ABV drink.
“I could gush for pages,” Shay says. “We’ve navigated some difficult transitions, and there have been countless amazing humans who’ve been there for us.”
Life Beyond Work
Shay once loved snowboarding, and while life is busier now, she stays active through running and boxing at Turbo Fitness. She’s also tried voice lessons, journaling, drawing, and most recently, pickleball.
“I am terrible at it, but I have ambitions to get better,” she confesses. “If there are any other beginners, please come be my peer mentor.”
A Dream Finally in Print
For all her career twists, one dream never faded: writing a book. Not just any book, one with an ISBN number and her name on the cover. Writing a children’s book became another piece of her patchwork, a return to the creative spark that shaped her childhood.
Her picture book, “What in the World Is Ezra’s Art?,” published by Third State Books, tells the story of a boy who loves creating art even when others don’t understand it. He questions himself, wonders whether he should continue, and ultimately learns that joy, not external validation, is what matters.
It’s a message Shay believes in deeply, especially after reading research showing that children as young as seven begin labeling themselves as “good” or “bad” at things.
One of her favorite moments came when her daughter Sydney overheard a friend say, “I’m not good at art.” Without missing a beat, Sydney replied, “That’s not true! There’s no such thing as good or bad in art.”
Shay’s heart “swells up” when she tells the story.
Her hope is simple: that kids and adults remember the joy of creating for its own sake.
A Life Pieced Together With Heart, Hope and Joy
Shay Fan’s story is not one of straight lines or perfect plans. It’s a life woven from imagination, hard won strength, and the quiet bravery of reinvention. It’s about honoring where you come from, embracing where you are, and staying open to what’s next. What drives her is the belief that visibility and access can change the trajectory of a small business or a community.
It’s also a reminder, the kind she gives her daughter, her readers, and herself, that joy is worth pursuing, even when the world doesn’t quite understand the quilt you’re stitching together. People say don’t meet your heroes, but they never mentioned the exception: becoming your own.
By Sylvia Wilson. Photo by Ellie Taylor.