Queenly is a marketplace and search engine for the formalwear industry, founded by two entrepreneurs who grew up in low-income immigrant families and participated in beauty pageants to earn scholarships. The company aims to provide cost-effective formal outfits to women, with 80,000 registered users and 50,000 dresses listed. Queenly uses MongoDB as its technical backbone, which provides flexibility and speed for the growing business. The co-founder shares her experiences on how her pageant background has informed her career, and discusses the challenges of building a two-sided marketplace, including optimizing search functionality, user recommendations, and adapting to changing user needs.