Hieu Le

Artist, Business adviser, Business leader, Educator/Teacher, Entrepreneur, Life mentor, Social entrepreneur

I am a passionate educator, a tech believer, and a dedicated social entrepreneur, who led a professional life at 2 Fortune-500 companies in financial & consulting industry before starting a journey of entrepreneurship to pursue my dream of fighting for educational equity in Vietnam. I have been in the Founding team of 2 successful educational start-ups: Everest Education, a technology-based tutoring service with locations in Ho Chi Minh City & Los Angeles, and G.A.P Institute, a career-development hub for college students. In 2016, I was honorably listed in the Forbes Vietnam 30 Under 30 in 2016 for my contribution to the educational landscape & social entrepreneurship ecosystem. In 2018, I was recognized among the “10 Young Faces of the Year” by Youth Union of Vietnam and the Office of the Government. I am currently serving and/or has served as: • Graduate Program Director at University of Hong Kong, Vietnam Office (2024) For more information: https://hku-vn.org/ • Adjunct Lecturer (Global Entrepreneurship & Strategic Human Resource Management) at RMIT Vietnam, Saigon South Campus • Human Capital Expert (formerly, Founding CEO) at G.A.P Training & Consulting Institute (2015 – present) For more information: www.gap-institute.com • Scholarship Expert & Leadership Board Member at MAX Education (2017 – present) For more information: www.max-edu.org • Founding Advisor at Axiom Academy For more information: https://axiom.edu.vn/ • Vice Principal in charge of Business Affairs, Imperial International Hotel College, Ba Ria – Vung Tau, Vietnam (2021) For more information: http://imperial.edu.vn/ • Adjunct Lecturer in Business, Management, Entrepreneurship, & Social Innovation at VinUni, Fulbright University, VNUK, and others (2019 – present) • Director of Admission & Pathway Program at VinUni (2018 – 2020) (Formerly, Director of Marketing & PR, Director of Pre-University Program, and Director of Talent Pool Initiative) For more information: www.vinuni.edu.vn • Project Director of Talent Generation Program – by the UNESCO Center for Culture, Education and Training (UNESCO - CEP) (2016 – 2019) For more information: www.talentgene.vn or http://www.unesco-cep.org.vn • Founder & GM of Hear.Us.Now – a nonprofit project aimed to provide the hearing- impaired community equal opportunities in education. Fore more information: https://hearusnow.vn/ • Other experience at ING, Deloitte, and BCG. Education background: • Doctoral candidate of Education, Johns Hopkins University (expected 2025) • Bachelor of Arts, Economics, UCLA, Summa Cum Laude, 2010. • Executive Education in Leadership in Social Enterprise, Stanford University, 2017. • M.S.Ed, Education Entrepreneurship, University of Pennsylvania, 2018. • Certificate in Learning Strategies, Cornell University, 2020. • Certificate in School Management & Leadership, Harvard University (expected 2022). Moreover, I am actively participates in research groups in Vietnam and USA: - Team leader of the "Vietnam Talent Map" research project, applying Big Data and Artificial Intelligence to evaluate the employability and competency of Vietnamese students at UNESCO-CEP. - Researcher at the Graduate School of Education, University of Pennsylvania in "How to equip students with the top three skills needed for future employment in an ever- changing world" project, partnered with IBM Technology Group, Mt. Lebanon School District (Pittsburgh, PA, USA) and the Figure 8 Research Institute (Philadelphia, PA, USA), under the guidance of Prof. Natalie W. Nixon. - Researcher at Wharton Business School, University of Pennsylvania in "Applying Smart-Home Technology into Education" project, partnered with other research associates from Pinner Park (UK) and Yonsei University (Korea), under the guidance of Prof. Jeffrey Babin. Besides, my educational leadership journey is closely associated with other social activities and nonprofit projects. For two consecutive years 2016 & 2017, I was honored at LIN Center for Community Development’s Narrow the Gap Community Fund for the best Social-Impact Initiatives: Online learning platform for deaf children (2016) and Job application skill training for students at Thu Duc university village (2017). I serve as advisors, judges, experts in many local and foreign prestigious organizations, such as: • Strategic Advisor at Vietnam Online Career Orientation (VOCO) – the first virtual career hub in VN. • Education advisor and member at Global Shapers Community - an initiative of the World Economic Forum. • Education advisor at Save Son Doong Project - the first project in Vietnam to protect Son Doong cave and promote sustainable development. • Founding Advisor at Young Makers Vietnam – a non-profit organization to promote the love for science among secondary students in Vietnam. • Executive Advisor of the Association for the International Exchange of Students in Economics and Commerce (AIESEC).

I am passionate about creating equal access to quality education and preparing young people with the skills, mindset, and networks they need to thrive in a rapidly changing world. My work spans founding and leading education startups, directing graduate programs, lecturing at top universities, and building partnerships with corporations and nonprofits to bring life changing opportunities to students across Vietnam. I am driven by a belief that education is not only a personal asset but a community responsibility. This belief guides my efforts to bridge the gap between rural and urban learners, integrate global best practices into local contexts, and design programs that connect academic rigor with real world application. Whether working with Fortune 500 companies, international institutions, or grassroots initiatives, I aim to empower the next generation to become compassionate, competent, and courageous leaders who can drive sustainable progress.

Kindness is the most underutilized competitive advantage in leadership and education. My career from Fortune 500 boardrooms to classrooms in rural Vietnam has shown me that real transformation happens when leaders put community impact at the center of every decision. Through building education startups, directing graduate programs, and partnering with corporations and nonprofits, I have seen how compassion when paired with strategic execution can unlock opportunities for thousands of students, empower underserved communities, and inspire cross sector collaboration. My idea worth spreading is that leadership in the 21st century must be defined by three forces: compassion to understand the needs of people, connection to bridge sectors and cultures, and courage to make choices that prioritize long term community well being over short term gain. When these principles guide our work we create ecosystems where education, innovation, and human potential flourish together.

In 2024, I stepped onto the TEDx stage to share a simple but urgent message: Redefining Leadership: Kindness and Community First I told three stories from my journey when I learned that leadership is not about titles, budgets, or media headlines but about showing up for people where they are. In the Mekong Delta a young boy reminded me that teaching English was meaningless to him if it could not save his friends from drowning during flood season. At a private university I learned that the most effective “marketing campaign” was spending a month in rural areas teaching STEM for free and building trust face to face. And at my social enterprise turning down higher profits meant keeping our programs accessible to youth in rural Vietnam an act of courage that later attracted major partners who shared our values. The talk distilled my belief that kindness is a strategic strength. It starts with compassion, deepens through connection, and is sustained by courage. True leaders choose to serve even when it is harder because they understand that community is not a side project but the mission.

Designing learning experiences that blend academic rigor with emotional resonance. Many know me as an educator and speaker but few realize I can translate abstract ideas into hands on transformative activities that participants remember for years. I am also skilled at connecting seemingly unrelated fields like technology, behavioral science and community development into innovative solutions for education and social change. And outside of work I am a pianist who finds joy in expressing emotions and stories through music.