Eight entrepreneurs from Vietnam have been selected to participate in the 2016 Global Entrepreneurship Summit (GES), to be held in Silicon Valley from June 22 to 24.

Bui Hai An (founder of Silicon Straits Saigon), Nguyen Thi Thuy Trang (founder of Emwear Lounge & Sleepwear), Pham Tan Phuc (founder of Gcall Vietnam Pte Ltd), Dao Xuan Hoang (founder of Monkey Junior), Nguyen Trung Nguyen (founder of Ask Doctors), Nguyen Ngoc Diep (marketing manager of Beeketing), Nguyen Minh Thuy (founder of iMed), and Nguyen Ba Hoi (founder of FabLab Danang) are the eight Vietnamese representatives to partake in the three-day entrepreneurship summit in the U.S. 

These young startup talents were invited to attend the entrepreneurship event hosted by U.S. President Barack Obama during his visit to the southern metropolis on May 25.

Bui Hai An from Silicon Straits Saigon and Nguyen Ba Hoi from FabLab Danang had the chance to introduce their startups to the U.S. leader at Dreamplex, a co-working space for entrepreneurs in District 1, Ho Chi Minh City.

Bui Hai An (3rd from left), founder of Silicon Straits Saigon. Photo: By courtesy of Bui Hai An

Talking to Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper reporters, Thuy Trang, founder of Emwear, said she submitted her entry only a few hours before the GES application closed.

“In 2014, Vietnam had two representatives invited to join GES. When my friend told me about the program, I asked myself ‘why don’t I give it a try?’” Trang recalled.

“I couldn’t believe in my eyes when I saw the email announcing that I had been selected to join this year’s event. I read it three times and wanted to scream as loud as I could,” she shared.

Trang, whose company operates under a “by women for women” mantra, said she wishes to bring a positive image of young Vietnamese entrepreneurs to the world and inspire other people with her business idea.

Nguyen Thi Thuy Trang (center), founder of Emwear Lounge & Sleepwear, is among eight young entrepreneurs to attend the 2016 Global Entrepreneurship Summit in the U.S. Photo: By courtesy of Nguyen Thi Thuy Trang

GES is an annual event that aims to showcase inspiring entrepreneurs and investors from around the world, creating new opportunities for investment, partnership, and collaboration, while highlighting entrepreneurship as a means to address some of the most intractable global challenges.

This summit will be the 7th installment in a series previously hosted by the United States and the governments of Turkey, the United Arab Emirates, Malaysia, Morocco, and Kenya.

President Obama hopes that bringing the summit back to the United States will highlight his commitment to tackling global challenges as a global community.

The summit is expected to welcome thousands of attendees, including experts from the entrepreneurial community and potential entrepreneurs.

It will include a wide range of workshops, panels, pitch competitions, mentoring, and networking sessions aimed at giving participants tailored opportunities to gain the skills and relationships they need in order to grow their ventures.

Pham Tan Phuc (sitting, center) and his members at Gcall Vietnam Pte Ltd. Photo: By courtesy of Pham Tan Phuc

In 2014, Pham Anh Khoa, 30, and Tran Thi Thuy Trang, 24, were the two representatives from Vietnam that participated in the GES, held that November in Morocco.

Khoa is currently the director of the Yola Institute, an educational service provider in Vietnam, as well as the co-founder of VietAbroader, a student-run, nonprofit organization that provides Vietnamese students with training, guidance, and encouragement to study abroad, particularly in the U.S.

Trang is a founder and director of Domino Vietnam, also an educational service provider. She once received the Australian Prime Minister’s certificate of merit and was one of eight U.S. alumni to meet former U.S. Secretary of State Hilary Clinton.

Both studied in the U.S. on full scholarships and were honored with several major academic awards.

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