Biography
As the Director of the Entrepreneurship Lab at VinUniversity and a Standing member of the Vietnam High Education Network of Entrepreneurship and Innovation (VNEI), Nguyen Minh Phuong brings a wealth of experience and a visionary approach. Her collaborative framework for entrepreneurship at VinUniversity is a testament to her commitment to addressing challenges in Vietnam’s startup ecosystem, fostering innovation, and nurturing the next generation of entrepreneurs. The framework involves fostering collaboration between different universities and organizations to create a mutually supportive ecosystem. This aims to address challenges such as limited resources for incubation programs and the need for a more interconnected network of innovative minds.
With a diverse professional journey and a commitment to excellence, she has excelled in various domains. Before joining VinUniversity, in her previous role at the Ministry of Industry and Trade, Phuong played a pivotal role in running state-funded programs focused on capacity building and supply chain matchmaking for enterprises in the automotive and E&E (Electrical and Electronics) industries. She was also listed as one of a few female consultants under the ILO SCORE Project. Her efforts to run programs collaborated with IFC – World, ILO, USAID, GIZ, and MNCs like Samsung, and Toyota Vietnam had a significant impact, benefitting hundreds of SMEs and FDIs. She also actively contributed to sustainable energy initiatives at the Ministry of Industry and Trade, such as the project “Assessment of Offshore Wind Power Supply Chain Potential in Vietnam,” collaborating with Equinor and BVG Associates to evaluate and enhance offshore wind power supply chains in Vietnam. This effort aimed to establish valuable data on capabilities and supply chain development, significantly contributing to Vietnam’s maritime economy and advancing the overall management and technical capabilities of the energy sector.
In her capacity as a former Board member at Junction Vietnam, Phuong’s strategic insights and collaborative efforts contributed significantly to the growth of the local tech talent community and the partnership ecosystem for the organization. She also excels in every facet of business, from sales, and marketing to finance and HR with previous leadership roles at a Big4 bank, a Top Technology Group in Vietnam, and her own retail business.
Phuong earned a BSc. in International Business Management from the National Economics University of Vietnam in 2015 and an MSc. Management and Finance in 2017 from Nottingham Trent University, UK.