President, Belgian branch of the International Association of Victims of Agent Orange, Hoi An

Chris Geyskens, who is a Belgian citizen, has supported families affected by Agent Orange in Vietnam for many years. Every year, she raises funds in Belgium, then personally travels to Vietnam to ensure each donation reaches the intended recipients. These funds have helped people in need earn a living. She created and financed projects that support people in building henhouses, establishing a fishing school, and cultivating mushrooms. She has shown solidarity, and families carrying this burden for generations have seen real change.

Learn more about Chris Geyskens´s mission here.

President, Vietnamese Young Business Association in Europe (VYBE)

Tran Ha My is Principal Partner at the Vietnam International Financial Center and President of the Vietnamese Young Business Association in Europe. She builds strategic ties between Southeast Asia and global centres. Through ongoing work with Vietnam's National Innovation Center (NIC), she has connected Vietnamese experts, intellectuals and innovators across Europe, creating a formal channel to link them with initiatives in Vietnam and bring European innovation-hub knowledge to Vietnam's technology and finance sectors. In 2025 and 2026, she led executive financial delegations to Geneva, Zurich, Vienna, and London, arranging discussions among deep tech companies, financial institutions, innovators, and Vietnamese authorities in cooperation with organizations such as TheCityUK, NCC Cybersecurity, and Level 39; she also organized a high-level financial roundtable in Davos with Swiss financial institutions and compliance professionals. She founded and chairs the Danang Fintech Lab (DFL24), initiating international collaborations to design next-generation regulatory sandboxes and leading 'Sandbox Z,” which connects local innovators with global mentors. She developed multi-layer tokenization models for real-world assets and arranged innovative financing for large-scale infrastructure. In April 2026, she launched FV INNOV, a commercial platform for sustainable agriculture offering biochar-as-a- service. She also served on the organizing committee for the Vietnam High-Level Policy Dialogue and Da Nang Economic, Financial, and Technology Week in July 2026. Her aim is to establish Vietnam as an active and closely integrated member of the global digital economy; she achieves this by bringing together leading experts in innovation finance and cybersecurity with stakeholders in Vietnam, ensuring that Vietnam becomes a proactive participant in the future of secure global finance rather than remaining a passive observer.

Learn more about Ha My: LinkedIn, VYBE Website.

Senior Research Fellow, Seoul National University College of Medicine

Dr. Hoan Ngo, a scientist and educator, has inspired young people in Vietnam through his academic achievements and community commitment. Despite his modest upbringing and limited English when he left school, he shaped his own path. One of four top Hanoi Medical University students awarded the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency’s Linnaeus-Palme Scholarship, he studied at the Karolinska Institute. Further scholarships and awards took him to South Korea, New Zealand, Japan, Germany, the United Kingdom, and China, including a Master's Scholarship from Chonnam National University and a Doctoral Scholarship from the University of Otago. He was the only Vietnamese scholar to receive the Royal Society's 2019 Newton International Fellowship, while based at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, and the National Research Foundation of Korea’s 2021 Brain Pool Research Fellowship, while at Seoul National University College of Medicine. In 2023, he became the third Vietnamese researcher selected for the Global Young Academy, an independent network of about 200 distinguished scientists in their early or middle career stages across six continents. Through the academy, he has helped produce children’s science books and develop guidelines to combat antibiotic resistance in developing countries. Alongside his research, Dr. Ngo has been assisting young Vietnamese people in pursuing education overseas for more than ten years. Since 2013, he has organised workshops and webinars on scholarships, primarily at Hanoi Medical University and Hai Duong Medical Technical University. He established a mentorship program, and some of the mentees have secured Chevening, Australia Awards, DAAD, and Stipendium Hungaricum scholarships. He has also participated in the “Mentor for Vietnam” initiative and delivered speeches on behalf of Dong Hanh, a nonprofit organisation that supports young people from disadvantaged backgrounds. He has recently been appointed Deputy Director of Mien Dong Innovative Technology University's Institute of International Training and Cooperation, a role he will take up on 1 November 2026, where he will continue opening doors to opportunities for young people.

Learn more about Dr. Hoan Ngo here.

Founder, Women's Storytelling Salon and Lightpath Leadership

For 14 years living in Vietnam, storyteller, author and leadership consultant Irene Öhler has followed her one and only mission: to contribute. In 2014, she founded Women's Storytelling Salon in Hanoi, bringing professional women of diverse nationalities, fields and generations together to connect and inspire through stories. Irene captures the Purpose of the Women's Storytelling Salon in 4 words: Celebration, Conversation, Connection, and Inspiration through Storytelling. Across 41 events in Hanoi, Saigon and Da Nang, 80 women from Gen Z to leaders in their eighties have shared their stories with about 1,500 audience members. Now in its 12th year, the Salon has inspired a new generation to launch M's Storytelling Salon in Hanoi and Saigon. In 2016, just in time for Vietnam's Women's Day, the first edition of CON GÁI BÀ TRIỆU THẾ KỶ 21, or Ba Trieu's 21st Century Daughters, was published with Irene as a co-author. Stories of Remarkable Vietnamese Women was published, giving voice to the inspiring women shaping Vietnam. Now in its 3rd edition, the Book has sold almost 8,000 copies in both Vietnamese and English and was awarded the title of Best Book of 2016 by the Women's Publishing House; it has attracted readers at universities in Vietnam, Australia and the United States and has thus given international audiences a glimpse of modern Vietnamese society. Following the success, Irene established Lightpath Leadership. She was responsible for organising Vietnam's first Women's Conference and the first Gender Conference in cooperation with the Australian Consulate-General in Ho Chi Minh City, and she created and carried out the three-year HER TURN Leadership Programme for more than 60 women leaders in the hospitality and tourism sectors together with KOTO. She also hosts the Vietnam Panel Pledge, an initiative that urges leaders to promote gender equity in thought leadership, and in 2022 she was recognised as one of Asia's top Executive Coaches.

Learn more about Irene: Facebook, LinkedIn, Women's Story Telling Salon Website, LightPath Leadership Website.

Author, illustrator, social activist and founder of the LOAN Foundation

Isabelle Müller, with French and Vietnamese heritage, is an advocate and founder of the LOAN Foundation. She addresses difficult realities directly, engaging with topics that are often left unspoken such as sexual abuse, domestic violence, racism, and exclusion with honesty, compassion, and a strong sense of responsibility. What distinguishes her is that she does not merely highlight problems; she also seeks ways to help people feel seen and to develop practical, lasting solutions. In her 2009 autobiography, Phoenix Daughter - Hope was my Way, she addressed poverty, discrimination, and abuse with dignity and restraint. Since then, she has held about 150 readings across eight German states, engaging political, healthcare, and civil society communities and encouraging survivors to speak confidently. Readers say her words have given them courage and comfort. For her second book, Loan - From the Life of a Phoenix, she paid tribute to her Vietnamese mother, who had not been given an education, taught herself to read and write, and sought freedom in Vietnam, Algeria and France; the book was a finalist in the Amazon Kindle Storyteller Award in 2015 and attained the number one position in a number of Amazon categories. In 2016 she turned her mother's story into a long-term commitment by establishing the LOAN Foundation and donated all the royalties from her books to the Foundation's activities. The Foundation provides support to children from ethnic minority and low-income groups in remote areas of Vietnam. It has helped more than 5,000 children and young people, carried out 44 projects, and set up or financed 28 educational buildings, including schools, kindergartens, and libraries. The Foundation has also given out 401 scholarships and supplied over 4,000 books and learning materials. One dominant and meaningful message from all her work: people are not defined by their trauma, poverty, or circumstances, and meaningful change takes both honest dialogue and practical action.

Learn more about Isabelle Müller here.

Founder, VietQ Media

Johnny Dung Nguyen, a Vietnamese American who transitioned from entertainment to media entrepreneurship, founded VietQ Media in 2021 to promote Vietnamese talent and connect Vietnam with its diaspora through music, artists’ stories, and cultural content. Since its founding in 2021, the platform has featured more than 500 artists from 19 countries, and its community has grown to more than 66,000 Instagram followers. VietQ Media has partnered with festivals and cultural organizations, including 84FEST and the No Headliner Festival. In 2026, it supported international artist initiatives through the SAP Show in Vietnam. The Viet Goes Global initiative helps a new generation of Vietnamese creatives establish themselves on the global stage. Johnny positions VietQ Media as the next chapter in Vietnamese media. Earlier diaspora institutions, including Paris By Night and Van Son Entertainment, helped preserve Vietnamese culture and connect communities abroad. VietQ Media builds on that legacy, championing emerging voices and contemporary work that might otherwise go undiscovered. It presents Vietnamese identity through a broader, multicultural lens, bridging heritage and global culture. For younger diaspora audiences, identity often spans cultures; VietQ makes that experience visible by spotlighting Vietnamese creativity worldwide and inviting audiences to participate in contemporary culture. With teams in the United States and Vietnam, VietQ creates stories that spark mutual curiosity and explore how Vietnamese culture is evolving around the world. Johnny's mission, Viet Goes Global, is deeply personal to him. He wants the next Vietnamese singer, producer, filmmaker, designer, or entrepreneur to have access to relationships, audiences, and opportunities that were hard to find when he began his career. In many ways, he is building the platform he wishes had existed when he started out. What drives Johnny today is seeing a generation of Vietnamese creatives grow more confident in taking up space globally without feeling they have to become less Vietnamese to do so. For him, this recognition would mean more than a personal award. It would honor his team, his community, and every artist who trusted VietQ Media with their story. Most importantly, it would reinforce the idea that Vietnamese creativity belongs on the global stage.

Learn more about Johnny and VietQ: LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram

Social enterprise and vocational training center, Vietnam

KOTO (Know One Teach One) is a social enterprise and vocational training center in Vietnam, focusing on the country's most disadvantaged young people rather than providing them with handouts or short-term solutions. Over the course of more than 25 years, it has equipped young people with the practical skills, self-confidence, and real-life experience necessary to break the cycle of poverty and to lead lives based on dignity and personal choice. The core of KOTO is its fully funded, 24-month training programme, which provides instruction in culinary and front-of-house hospitality skills, as well as English, computer literacy and life skills. More than 2,000 alumni have completed the programme, including members of ethnic minorities, women from rural areas, people with disabilities, and survivors of violence, abuse and human trafficking. Although many trainees had not completed high school and faced significant personal challenges when they entered the programme, graduates have gone on to secure stable, formal employment and earn a sustainable income, improving not only their own lives but also those of their families and communities. In keeping with its philosophy, many alumni have started their own businesses, thereby employing and enabling the next generation of young people. The trainees likewise contribute by taking part in the annual Winter Appeal, traveling to remote mountain provinces to provide fresh food and essential supplies, and organizing community events. As a result, former beneficiaries become active agents of change and develop a strong sense of social responsibility. KOTO's resilience is no less remarkable; it started as a small sandwich shop for street children and has since grown into a restaurant, then an education center, and is now one of Vietnam's leading hospitality training centers. When the COVID-19 pandemic hit and tourism came to a complete halt, it quickly made the necessary changes to keep its trainees safe, housed, and in school, and as a result became stronger. We hope you will consider supporting KOTO.

Learn more about the organisation here.

Founder, Overseas Vietnamese (OV)

Quang Do was born and raised in Germany and studied at the Technical University of Munich. He later spent three years at Google in Singapore, visiting Vietnam monthly for work, before permanently moving to Saigon in late 2024. He founded a global community for Vietnamese people living abroad, providing diaspora members with a platform to connect and build a sense of belonging. The overseas Vietnamese community has grown into several local groups, including OV Saigon, OV Hanoi, OV Singapore, OV Melbourne, and OV Hong Kong. His LinkedIn community now has more than 40,000 members, while his personal LinkedIn account has more than 50,000 connections and followers. Members can connect, receive support, and build lasting friendships across borders. By bringing together thousands of Vietnamese people worldwide, he has helped make each new city feel more like home.

Learn more about Quang Do: OV Website, LinkedIn, Facebook.

Fashion and portrait photographer, Quochuy Studio

Trinh Quoc Huy is a fashion and portrait photographer with more than 35 years of experience behind the camera and a key figure in Vietnam's creative sector. He has photographed generations of the country's most renowned artists, beauty queens, and cultural personalities, from performers such as Cam Van, Khac Trieu, and Thanh Loc to pop stars like Lam Truong, Dam Vinh Hung, and Ngo Thanh Van, as well as top beauty queens and models such as Ha Kieu Anh and Mai Phuong Thuy. His portraits and album covers have helped artists express their true selves and have connected the stars with millions of fans. He has offered his expertise by judging several major competitions, including Mister Vietnam, Miss Universe Vietnam, Miss Ocean, and Duyen Dang Ao Dai, helping to establish visual standards and support emerging talent. In 2025, he served as Image Director for Top 100 Business Style, applying his artistic vision to the professional image of Vietnamese entrepreneurs and business leaders. Through his ongoing efforts to promote the Vietnamese Ao Dai, he also helps preserve and share the nation's cultural heritage with wider audiences. His lasting passion, expert craftsmanship, and strong connection with the public make his career worthy of celebration.

Learn more about Quoc Huy here.