Overseas Vietnamese Entrepreneurs to bridge Vietnam - US relations
WVR - Having gained success in the United States, many overseas Vietnamese entrepreneurs are still eager to contribute to the development of their homeland, serving as a bridge between the two countries.
Latest
Their practical contributions at the recent 4th World Conference of Overseas Vietnamese demonstrated their desire to work together for a richer country which has a deeper integration.
 |
| Dr. Nguyen Duy Lan speaks at the Digital Assets Summit 2024 on March 28 in Hanoi. |
Vietnam can become a cybersecurity powerhouse
After eight years at Microsoft Research in the US, Dr. Nguyen Duy Lan and several colleagues decided to leave their positions to start their own venture, founding Veramine, a company specializing in advanced cybersecurity products.
Founded in 2016 by key cybersecurity experts who led the response, patching, and updating for all Microsoft products, Veramine now has annual contracts with major US cybersecurity agencies such as the Department of Defense, the Department of Homeland Security, and the US Air Force.
When the company stabilized, Dr. Nguyen Duy Lan has had more chances to return to Vietnam to participate in programs and projects related to cybersecurity.
In 2018, he joined a delegation of 100 overseas Vietnamese intellectuals to visit and work with agencies and businesses in Vietnam, as well as attending the annual “Xuan Que huong” - Homeland Spring program.
Notably, Veramine has collaborated with key agencies such as the Ministry of Defense, Ministry of Public Security, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Information and Communications and the Government Cipher Committee.
He shared: “We have been working alongside and providing completely free contributions to Vietnam, including offering Veramine’s cybersecurity products, and high-quality cybersecurity training for major agencies, corporations, and banks.
Significantly, we have identified, addressed, and reported on cyberattacks in Vietnam for major corporations and agencies, including critical systems of the Party and State”.
Dr. Nguyen Duy Lan envisions Vietnam as a potential cybersecurity powerhouse, driven by the impressive progress in digital technology in his homeland.
Achieving this goal, according to him, requires the Government to strategically invest in the gradual development of the cybersecurity industry, continuously researching, proposing, and adjusting policies and regulations to both directly protect cyberspace and create the foundation for the growth of the cybersecurity sector.
Regarding human resources, Dr. Nguyen Duy Lan proposes a dual training strategy: widespread basic information security education for the public and specialized training for high-level cybersecurity experts to handle critical and challenging tasks.
He emphasizes: “Just like the saying goes, it’s better to give a ‘fishing rod’ than a ‘fish’, it is crucial to establish mechanisms that allow cybersecurity experts to live and work under favorable conditions so they can focus on contributing to cybersecurity technology. Additionally, a career development pathway for technical professionals should be created to ensure they are recognized and valued by the society”.
 |
| Entrepreneur Pham Duc Trung Kien (right, sitting) and his associates. |
Aspiration to become a “bridge builder”
Despite being visually impaired, entrepreneur Pham Duc Trung Kien has worked for major Fortune 100 companies and served under three the US Presidents in various capacities, including the Office of the US Trade Representative, the Office of the US Secretary of Defense focusing on global security, the Vietnam Education Foundation and the US Senate.
With the aspiration to being a “bridge builder” between Vietnam and the US, Mr. Kien has spent nearly 20 years living and working primarily in Vietnam as an investor and philanthropist in the field of education.
When returning to Vietnam and witnessing the strong desire for knowledge and education among Vietnamese people from cities to rural areas, he commits to dedicate his life to contributing to the country’s education system.
In 2008, Pham Duc Trung Kien and his colleagues officially established the Vietnam Foundation (VNF), a non-profit organization aimed at providing Vietnamese students with free, high-quality educational resources of international standard.
VNF has implemented numerous educational support programs in Vietnam, including persuading Sal Khan, the founder of Khan Academy, to introduce the Khan Academy platform to Vietnam.
Mr. Kien and his team seek the best educational content from abroad, bringing it back for Vietnamese students to free use. They have imported English-language programs, then localized them to help teachers, students, and parents effectively use these resources in their studies.
In addition to his focus on education, Mr. Kien currently serves as a senior advisor to the world-renowned private equity firm TPG Capital, consistently promoting and showcasing Vietnam as an attractive investment destination with significant growth potentials.
 |
| Entrepreneur Daniel Nguyen Hoai Tien (second from right) accompanies Vietnamese farmers. |
Belief in a purely Vietnamese brand
Born in Orange County, California, Vietnamese-American Daniel Nguyen Hoai Tien moved to New Orleans to build his career, working in various fields including environmental science, natural resources, agriculture, and community economic development.
In recent years, he returned to invest and develop a brand in the homeland, and is now the Director of Song Cai Distillery, a premium Vietnamese wine brand that has expanded into markets such as the US, the UK, France, Italy, and Hong Kong (China)…
He shared: “We are very proud to develop a brand that is purely Vietnamese. The pure Vietnamese element here not only comes from the fact that the ingredients are grown entirely in Vietnam but also from the fact that all components of the product are authentically Vietnamese—ranging from the varieties of rice, fruits, and herbs such as Nep Cai Hoa Vang stick rice, Dien pomelo and Mac Khen, to the purely Vietnamese cultural elements on the packaging, like Hang Trong paintings, and notably, the brand name itself”.
Song Cai is particularly linked with ethnic minorities, not only to cultivate local crops but also to harness traditional knowledge in the preliminary processing of agricultural products and in blending flavors.
The company also collaborates with the Vietnam Academy of Agricultural Sciences to invest in local seedling nurseries, aiming to preserve and maintain local varieties for production purposes and to restore biodiversity.
Daniel Nguyen Hoai Tien explains that the focus on rare, purely Vietnamese agricultural products helps create a brand deeply rooted in Vietnamese identity, produced in Vietnam by Vietnamese people, and reflecting the local soil and cultural heritage. Although local varieties may not have the same yield as industrial ones, they compensate with superior quality, flavor, and cultural value.
The young entrepreneur said: “Thanks to a brand with a clear and unique identity, we have a distinctive edge in the international market. As domestic brands grow, they help develop the national brand and elevate Vietnam’s position in the global supply chain. My path and that of Song Cai might be an exception in Vietnam, but it can be seen as a practical example of how we can take Vietnamese brands to the global market”.
