PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
Co-Founder & Head of Finance
VANCY BAR
A retail start-up providing non-alcoholic drinks with an attractive, untouched scenery of highland towns, aiming to promote local delicacies to young people
I didn’t learn about business in a classroom. I learned it from the market. In the summer of 2022, I challenged myself to create real cash flow from a real product. I didn’t solve case studies or read business books; I jumped into entrepreneurship myself. That’s how Vancy Bar was born, a non-alcoholic beverage venture inspired by the authentic flavors of Vietnam’s mountains and highlands.
The idea came during a trip to Mộc Châu, where I discovered the bold taste of mountain cocoa and herbal tea. Those flavors captured the essence of Vietnam—simple yet full of character. I wondered why they shouldn’t become a brand of their own. My friends and I started from scratch. We had no investors and no fancy location—just one second-hand van that we repaired, repainted, and turned into a mobile drinks bar.
I took charge of finance and operations. I forecasted cash flow, set prices, calculated daily break-even points, and managed margins while keeping operations lean. Reality hit fast—rainy days meant no customers, supply delays disrupted business, and poor purchasing choices led to negative cash flow. But instead of giving up, we adjusted. We cut unnecessary costs, rotated inventory based on demand, and used free digital marketing to reach young customers.
After two months, Vancy Bar made $1,700 in revenue with a 42% ROI. But the true success wasn’t just the number—it was the discipline and mindset I gained. I learned that speed means nothing without financial control, growth has to be sustainable, and problems are not roadblocks; they are signs to improve the model. Vancy Bar wasn’t just my first business; it was where I proved to myself that finance only matters when it works in real life.
Founder & Director
FUNDAMENTA CAPITAL LAB
"An initiative sharing insights of sustainable investing and offer collective investment opportunities"
After Vancy Bar, I learned how to make a profit. But one question lingered: What is the purpose of finance if it only serves itself? This question stayed with me after volunteering under Chuong Duong and Long Bien Bridge, where I distributed meals to people who had lost their jobs, homes, or families. I realized that poverty doesn't always come from bad choices; sometimes, it results from losing a fair chance. Charity alone isn’t enough; it satisfies hunger for a day but doesn’t restore dignity or opportunity.
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This insight led me to start the 365 Meals Program—a project based on respect, not sympathy. Rather than having people wait in line for charity meals, I created a meal card system that offers three meals a day at local food stalls. With a card, recipients could choose when and where to eat, just like anyone else.
I printed the cards myself and visited restaurants like Pho Thanh Ha, Banh Mi Ha Long, and Com Binh Dan Ha Noi to convince them to partner at reduced prices. In just three months, with help from over 20 volunteers, the program provided more than 500 meal cards to people in Chuong Duong, Long Bien, Lo Duc, and Phuc Tan.
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But I understood something important: good intentions do not ensure a project’s sustainability; good financial systems do. So in 2024, I founded Fundamenta Capital Lab, a student-led investment initiative that uses finance to support social impact. Instead of trading on paper or running simulations, we invested in real companies, handled real risks, and built a diversified equity portfolio. After nine months, our portfolio achieved a 68% return on investment, and we reinvested all profits to sustain and grow the 365 Meals Program.
At the same time, I developed an AI-powered stock selection system that can evaluate risks, optimize portfolios, and provide real-time market alerts. It was backtested using Vietcombank financial data and achieved a 62% prediction accuracy. I later presented it at the Silicon Valley International Invention Festival 2025, where it won the Gold Award.
To me, finance is not just about making money; it is about creating meaning. Fundamenta Capital Lab shows that finance can be profitable, ethical, and impactful at the same time. And I am just getting started.
Project Management Trainee
X-CULTURE
After valuable experiences, I sought global opportunities to challenge myself. I joined X-Culture, an international business program with over 6,000 participants from 100+ countries, where I developed global leadership skills. Leading a team from Italy, India, Mexico, Romania, and Vietnam, we created a market expansion strategy for a European startup entering Asia. Despite the challenges of different time zones and cultures, I built our workflow, organized meetings, and ensured progress through conflict resolution. I led market analysis using PESTLE, Porter’s Five Forces, and risk-return evaluations, resulting in a strategy praised by the client for its practical, controlled-risk approach. Earning the X-Culture Global Collaboration Certificate, I learned that finance is not just about analysis but about making decisions that transcend cultural and operational boundaries.
Research Assistant
BRIGHT FUTURE & TECHNOLOGY JSC
There was a time when I thought finance only lived in markets—in charts, price movements, and profit margins. But research taught me something more powerful: behind every financial outcome is a mechanism, and behind every mechanism is a question waiting to be solved. That curiosity led me to academic research.
I applied for the Research Assistant position at Bright Future Education & Technology JSC not to decorate my résumé, but to find answers. I wanted to understand why some financial and business strategies succeed while others fail—even under similar conditions. Out of 314 applicants, I was selected as one of only two high school students to join a research project with Professor Đinh Văn Hoàng. The topic was complex but essential in today’s digital economy: “How digital knowledge absorptive capacity enhances sustainable competitive advantages of emerging market manufacturing SMEs.”
Beneath the academic language, the question was clear: Why do some companies thrive in digital transformation while others fall behind, even with access to the same technology?
I participated in the entire research cycle. Our team sent surveys to 980 SMEs, but collecting data wasn’t as simple as sending forms. We received 481 responses, yet 298 had to be rejected due to missing or inconsistent answers. Only 183 valid datasets remained—an effective response rate of just 18.7%. That was a turning point for me: I realized research isn’t just about running PLS-SEM models or fsQCA analysis—it is about data integrity. I learned that without clear guidance and strict control, data becomes noise.
From that insight, I proposed a standardized respondent instruction system to improve data reliability and later contributed to construct refinement before running the model. I also discovered inconsistencies in translated academic materials and recommended a two-round independent translation protocol, which was accepted by the research team to improve validity.
Using PLS-SEM, we tested structural relationships among constructs, and with fsQCA, we identified different configurations of digital capabilities that lead to competitive advantage. On March 2, 2025, we submitted the paper to the International Journal of Innovation and Learning (ISSN: 1741-8089), and it is currently under review.
For me, this experience was more than a research milestone—it reshaped the way I think. I no longer want to just practice finance. I want to understand it—scientifically, fundamentally, and truthfully.
Investment Analysis Intern
MSB JSC BANK
In June 2025, I interned at Maritime Bank (MSB) as an Investment Analysis Intern. This experience marked my first real step into professional finance, where every number has importance and every analysis affects outcomes.
I worked on assessing the financial health of 15 publicly listed companies in various sectors, including manufacturing, logistics, real estate, and consumer goods.
My responsibilities included:
- Assessing profitability, liquidity, and capital structure using key financial ratios.
- Evaluating business models and long-term growth potential based on operational data.
- Identifying investment risks related to economic changes, regulatory policies, inflation, and currency shifts.
- Creating a proposed equity portfolio by selecting companies with over 15% profit growth and an average return exceeding 25% during the review period.
In addition to investment analysis, I collaborated with MSB’s internal audit and corporate accounting teams. This helped me gain a clearer understanding of financial transparency, data reconciliation, risk management, and compliance with reporting standards.
At the end of the internship, I was honored to receive the Certificate of Excellence, given to the top-performing intern among 10 candidates.
What I gained at MSB went beyond technical skills; I developed a professional mindset toward finance: Strong investment decisions do not rely on luck or trends; they are built on discipline, awareness of risk, and honesty with data.