Overseas Vietnamese – Details, episodes & analysis

Alice Nguyen is an Account Manager at Meta. Alice grew up in Vietnam, studied in the US, and now lives in Singapore. She has also been leading the OV Singapore chapter.

In our conversation, we cover:
• Her experience moving to the US from Vietnam
• Her way to joining Meta today
• And more!

Podcast is brought to you by Overseas Vietnamese (OV) – the global community for Vietnamese professionals.
Join our community: ovfellow.com

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Connect with Alice Nguyen:
• LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/alicenguyen2712
• Instagram: instagram.com/its.alicehere

Connect with Quang Do:
• LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/ovquang
• Instagram: instagram.com/quang

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You can connect and chat directly with Alice and Quang if you join the OV Fellowship. 
Learn more at ovfellow.com

Mark Erickson is a Vietnamese adoptee, currently Managing Partner at BlackRock, formerly at Goldman Sachs and other financial institutions, and holds a BA from Harvard University.  

In our conversation, we cover:
• His long and successful career finance and Wall Street
• What he has learned along the way
• And more!

Podcast is brought to you by Overseas Vietnamese (OV) – the global community for Vietnamese professionals.
Join our community: ovfellow.com

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Connect with Mark Erickson:
• LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/mark-f-erickson

Connect with Quang Do:
• LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/ovquang
• Instagram: instagram.com/quang

You can connect and chat directly with Mark and Quang if you join the OV Fellowship. Learn more at ovfellow.com

Nhat Nguyen is Chief of Staff at Convai, an AI startup. Nhat grew up in Vietnam, moved to the US for college, holds a dual master degree from Harvard and MIT and has worked in finance for Goldman Sachs before moving to the Bay Area and into tech.

In our conversation, we cover:
• What coming to the US as a Vietnamese immigrant was like
• Tips on how to think about and design your career
• And more!

Podcast is brought to you by Overseas Vietnamese (OV) – the global community for Vietnamese professionals.
Join our community: ovfellow.com

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Connect with Nhat Nguyen:
• LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/nhattnguyen

Connect with Quang Do:
• LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/ovquang
• Instagram: instagram.com/quang

You can connect and chat directly with Nhat and Quang by joining the Overseas Vietnamese community. Learn more at ovfellow.com

Robert Huynh is the co-founder & CEO of Reforge Labs based out of Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. Robert grew up in the US, worked for Microsoft and Google, and dropped out of Harvard Business School to pursue his entrepreneurial dreams in Vietnam.

In our conversation, we cover:
• Why he left his prestigious jobs to become a Vietnam-based founder
• The emotional rollercoaster of his journey
• And much more!

Podcast is brought to you by Overseas Vietnamese (OV) – the global community for Vietnamese professionals.
Join our community: ovfellow.com

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Connect with Robert Huynh:
• LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/huynhrobert
• Instagram: instagram.com/12oberthuynh

Connect with Quang Do:
• LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/ovquang
• Instagram: instagram.com/quang

You can connect and chat directly with Nhat and Quang by joining the Overseas Vietnamese community. Learn more at ovfellow.com

Lan Doan is the Founder of Asla. She grew up in Vietnam, went to the U.S. to study—including completing her MBA at Harvard Business School—returned to Vietnam to work as a consultant at the Boston Consulting Group, and eventually became the Chief Executive Officer of Taptap, one of Vietnam’s leading engagement and loyalty platforms.

In our conversation, we cover:
• Her experience moving from Vietnam to the U.S. and back
• Her approach to navigating life challenges and transitions
• And more!

Podcast is brought to you by Overseas Vietnamese (OV) – the global community for Vietnamese professionals.
Join our community: ovfellow.com

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Connect with Lan Doan:
• LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/landoan

Connect with Quang Do:
• LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/ovquang
• Instagram: instagram.com/quang

Overseas Vietnamese (OV) is a private network for Vietnamese professionals, entrepreneurs & leaders worldwide.

You us at joinov.com

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In OV Career Stories, we share about the lives & careers of our members.

This week, we chatted with Khanh P. Ngo—Chief Executive Officer at Liobank.

In this conversation, Quang interviews Khang about his personal and professional journey, focusing on his experiences in networking, career transitions, and leadership. Khang shares insights on the importance of relationships in Vietnam, the challenges of moving from consulting to roles in tech and banking, and his approach to leadership and team dynamics. The discussion also touches on the unique strategies of Liobank in the competitive banking landscape.

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Connect with Khanh P. Ngo:
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/khanhpnngo/

Connect with Quang Do:
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ovquang/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/quang
• X: https://x.com/ovquang

Join OV:
• https://www.joinov.com

Overseas Vietnamese (OV) is a private network for Vietnamese professionals, entrepreneurs & leaders worldwide.

You us at joinov.com

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In OV Career Stories, we share about the lives and careers of our members.

This week, we chatted with Kieu My Dang—Consultant at Boston Consulting Group.

In this conversation, Kieu-My shares her multicultural background, navigating her identity as a Vietnamese immigrant in Switzerland and France. She discusses the challenges of transitioning between cultures, the influence of her parents on her education and career choices, and her journey into the competitive world of consulting at BCG. Kieu-My reflects on her experiences with imposter syndrome, the intensity of her work environment, and her ongoing efforts to build confidence in her professional life. In this conversation, Kieu-My shares her journey of self-discovery, coping with imposter syndrome, and the importance of coaching. She discusses her emotional coping mechanisms, the structure of her daily life, and the lessons learned from her experiences. Kieu-My emphasizes the significance of work-life balance, reflection, and self-confidence, especially for women in demanding careers. She also shares her future aspirations, including a desire to move back to Vietnam and invest in her creative projects.

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Connect with Kieu My Dang:
• LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/kieu-my-dang-23a245b1/
• Instagram: instagram.com/kmy.dg/

Connect with Quang Do:
• LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/ovquang/
• Instagram: instagram.com/quang

Join OV:
• joinov.com

Overseas Vietnamese (OV) is a private network for Vietnamese professionals worldwide.

You us at joinov.com

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In the OV Career Stories podcast series, we share about the lives of some of our remarkable members.

This week, we chatted with Tuan Le—Co-founder & CEO of The Lab Saigon.

In this conversation, Tuan shares his journey across cultures—from Vietnam to the US, Dubai, and back—highlighting his artistic development, entrepreneurial ventures, and family influences. He discusses reconnecting with his roots, the challenges of launching a co-working cafe and design studio in Vietnam, and lessons on adapting to local markets. Tuan delves into navigating Vietnam’s competitive F&B and design industries, talent acquisition, and staying attuned to consumer trends and pop culture. Balancing family life with business growth, his story offers valuable insights into identity, culture, and entrepreneurship.

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Connect with Tuan Le:
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/copytuan/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bluefintuna.le/

Connect with Quang Do:
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ovquang/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/quang

Join OV:
• https://www.joinov.com

Mai Vo left Big Tech to solve a problem she lived: modern women navigating big life and career transitions without a trusted peer group. She founded Podium, a connection platform that brings small, curated circles together in person—so women can find support, clarity, and momentum. 

We talk about the reality behind “glorified entrepreneurship,” why she did 65 unscalable events to build a playbook, what community impact actually looks like, and how Vietnamese heritage and operating in Vietnam/Singapore shaped her leadership. 

Mai Vo is the Co-founder & CEO of Podium, a platform for modern women (late 20s–40s) to find peer support through curated dinners, intimate groups, and retreats. Previously, she worked at Google (London → Singapore) after starting her career at Samsung. 

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We discuss: 

00:31 Who is Mai? German-born Vietnamese across cultures 
03:35 Big Tech years: Samsung → Google (London & Singapore) 
06:15 COVID: the push/pull to leave Big Tech 
08:08 Advice to corporate folks considering entrepreneurship 
11:58 Unlearning “ambiguity”: trusting gut without a million data points 
13:26 Podium’s idea: women’s peer groups for life & career transitions 
15:27 From first events to co-founder; bootstrapping the early days 
16:48 Family expectations; rebuilding a new peer community 
20:47 How Podium works: intimate dinners, topics, and retreats 
22:37 Measuring impact: from feelings to tangible outcomes 
27:59 Do the unscalable (65 events) → playbooks & hosts; future vision

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Connect with Mai: 
https://www.linkedin.com/in/mailienvo/ 
https://www.instagram.com/maiivo/ 

Connect with Quang: 
https://www.linkedin.com/in/ovquang/
https://www.instagram.com/quang

Join OV: https://joinov.com
About OV: https://overseasvietnamese.com

Kevin Huynh is the co‑founder and CEO of PiKNiK & Company, where he leads the development of boutique cloud computing services built on open‑source storage protocols. With a background in medicine, management consulting, and venture investing, Kevin combines deep technical expertise with strategic insights. Under his leadership, PiKNiK is working to decentralize and democratize data for businesses and individuals worldwide.

In this episode, we dive into his entrepreneurial journey, lessons from consulting to tech entrepreneurship, and what drives him as an overseas Vietnamese founder.