Tezza Barton HAS ALWAYS VIEWED photography AS A WAY TO HELP PEOPLE unlock THEIR artistic potential.

Raised in a family of artists and entrepreneurs, Barton recognized early on that creativity could be both a form of self-expression and a business opportunity. That belief led her to found TEZZA, the photo-editing app and lifestyle brand designed to make high-quality creative tools feel intuitive, inspiring, and accessible.

What began as a photography career evolved into a tech company that has empowered millions to create content with confidence. Barton saw that existing editing tools were overly technical and didn’t tap into the aesthetic experience of creating. Nearly a decade later, she is focused on expanding TEZZA beyond the app. Read about Tezza Barton’s journey in her C&C 100 interview below..

What was the moment you realized you didn’t just want to work in photography, but that you wanted to build something of your own?

Photography was always my entry point, but also my lens into something bigger. It wasn’t just about taking photos, it was about what those photos unlocked for people. I grew up in a family full of artists and entrepreneurs who fostered and welcomed a creative environment. The older I got the more I realized how unique that was. It became my mission as a young artist to help others unlock their inner artist because I truly saw it as a way of life and believed everyone has it in them. That feeling became the mission. I wanted to build something that could scale that feeling and put it in more people’s hands.

Describe the moment you realized there was a problem in this space that wasn’t being solved, and that your idea could be the new solution?

When I first entered photography, it was extremely technical and gatekept, built around DSLRs, expensive equipment, and a very “pro-first” mindset. Then social media shifted everything overnight. Suddenly, creativity was becoming democratized, and women were leading that movement in a major way. But the tools didn’t catch up. Everything still felt overly complicated, cold, and frankly built by people who weren’t the user. There wasn’t anything that felt intuitive, emotional, or inspiring to use, something that matched how creating actually feels. That’s when it clicked. There was space for a product that wasn’t just a tool, but a brand, a perspective, a feeling, while still being powerful under the hood. That gap felt incredibly obvious to me.

What risk have you taken as a founder that’s changed the trajectory of your business?

Moving to New York with no job and walking away from a highly profitable wedding photography career. On paper, it didn’t make sense, I had stability, income, and momentum. But I knew I had outgrown it creatively and there was so much more I wanted to do. That decision forced me into a completely new environment where I had to think bigger, take risks, and believe in my ideas. It taught me that growth doesn’t come from comfort, it comes from having the courage to follow what’s pulling you forward, even when it doesn’t make sense yet.

What do you care more about right now: perfecting the product or building the right team? And why?

Right now, it’s about building the right team. After nearly a decade of building this company, it’s clear we have strong product market fit. But taking a company from where we are today into the next 10–20 years requires new perspectives, deeper expertise, and people who can challenge and expand the vision.

What’s been harder than you anticipated while building your brand?

Hiring, especially in those early growth stages. Going from a team of 3 to 10 to 15 sounds exciting, but it’s incredibly complex when you’ve never built a company before. You’re not just hiring talent, you’re shaping culture, defining roles that didn’t exist before, and making decisions that directly impact the trajectory of the business.

What’s helped me the most is finding other founders who are willing to be honest about those challenges. That level of transparency and mentorship is everything.

AI is undeniably the biggest thing in tech right now, and it’s changing everything around us. How should women entrepreneurs be leveraging it to level the playing field? How are you using it in your business?

The barrier between having an idea and executing on it has never been lower. You can research markets, build business plans, analyze competitors, model financials, and even prototype, all without needing a massive team or funding upfront. For women especially, it removes so many traditional gatekeepers.

We use AI across the business, from research and financial modeling to analyzing paid media performance and identifying what’s working in real time. On the product side, we’re exploring ways it can enhance the user experience inside TEZZA, helping people discover tools, edits, and aesthetics more intuitively so they can create faster and with more confidence.

What’s your most common AI prompt?

“Break this down simply and tell me what I’m missing.”

What does your current tech stack look like and how has it changed your daily output?

Slack for communication, TEZZA for creative and social planning, my camera as always, and tools like Claude for research and analysis.

What’s changed the most is speed. I can move from idea to execution so much faster now, whether that’s testing a concept, analyzing performance, or making a decision. It’s removed a lot of friction from the day to day.

What do you want to build beyond just the Tezza app itself?

From the beginning, TEZZA was never meant to be just an app, it’s a world.

We’re focused on building experiences that live beyond your phone. Spaces where people can connect, create, and express their vision in real life. The app is the entry point, but the bigger vision is about creating a creative ecosystem, one that feels inspiring, human, and tangible. As technology becomes more powerful, I think the real opportunity is balancing that with experiences that feel meaningful and grounded. That’s where we’re headed.