Today, she is the founder of Silky Gem, an online brand known for its handmade, crystal-like sweets. The company generated more than $9 million in revenue in 2024, according to CNBC Make It.
Behind the shimmering, gem-like candies lies Huynh’s journey of resilience, marked by a past of homelessness, unemployment, and abuse.
Raised in HCMC as the youngest of four children in a low-income family, Huynh saw her parents working constantly to support the household.
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Gia Huynh, founder of Silky Gem. Photo via Facebook/silkygemshop |
“My dad used to just go in the jungle to chop bamboo and wood and things like that to sell. He’s never home, really. And my worked however she could to put food on the table,” she told CNBC.
“It was a rough childhood,” said Huynh. “I became a domestic and sexual harassment victim at age four … That was my first childhood memories, basically. It was under the man I call uncle.”
At school, Huynh says she was mocked for her darker skin and did not complete fifth grade. Those experiences left lasting emotional wounds and contributed to years of low self-esteem and silence.
After moving from Vietnam to the U.S. in 2016, Gia Huynh faced the same struggles as many immigrants, spending years in her early 20s working grueling 14-hour shifts at nail salons just to get by. “I was facing homelessness, and with a baby in my arm. I had nothing,” she said.
Despite hoping for a fresh start, Huynh found the transition challenging and said there were times when life in Vietnam felt easier by comparison.
“In Vietnam … even if I make a little money, it’s still plenty for us to take care of our lives there. But when we moved to Florida, it was a lot of struggle, because I was the main source of income for the family, and we were living out of my mother in law’s house,” she said.
The couple separated in 2017 amid financial stress and conflict, she said. Later, Huynh entered another relationship with a boyfriend and had her first child, but things eventually did not work out either.
“I ended up losing everything on that relationship. I lost my job, I maxed out all my credit cards. I took my son out of my ex-boyfriend’s house when he was only five weeks old and lived out of my car.”
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Gia Huynh’s family. Photo via Facebook/silkygemshop |
After several weeks of living in her car with her newborn, Huynh relocated to Maryland and found work at her sister’s nail salon. During the Covid-19 pandemic, however, she struggled to earn enough and spent long days away from her son.
Starting Silky Gem
Determined to improve their situation, Huynh began exploring online business opportunities. She tried selling products ranging from handmade soap to bikinis, experimenting with about six concepts before finding the one that worked.
In late 2021, she came across social media videos of creators eating crystal candy.
“I recognized the candy because we used to make it back home with my great grandma,” said Huynh, noting it was often prepared for special occasions such as Lunar New Year.
“I asked my mom, and she said … we had the recipe for it. So that’s when I started practicing.”
Drawing on those childhood memories, Huynh invested $500 in ingredients and began refining the recipe in her kitchen.
“After I come back from the nail salon, I play with my son, put him to bed and pretty much make candy from midnight to three, four in the morning,” she said, adding that she would wake up again at 6 a.m. for work.
She began selling the candy on Etsy in early 2022 and soon saw sales pick up to between $600 and $1,000 a month, enough to buy her son diapers and milk.
In just 18 months, Silky Gem has sold over 2 million pieces of candy and more than 160,000 collection boxes, with our success reaching a global audience, according to Bold Journey magazine.
In March that year, an influencer post featuring her candy went viral, generating $3,000 in a single day. Sales accelerated from there. Within the first nine months, Silky Gem recorded more than $1.8 million in revenue, Huynh said.
In 2024, the company posted $9 million in sales. Today, Huynh employs both of her parents, who help run the business with her.
“It has just been amazing … It really changed what I view about myself,” she said. “My whole life, I believed that I’m worthless, useless. I don’t have the skills, I don’t have the education for any of this.”
She no longer wants to play victim. “During a period of homelessness with my infant, I unearthed an inner strength that propelled me towards success. I am committed to spreading the message that one can achieve anything through sheer determination and a resolute mindset.”
