From startup success to social impact: Hoàng Như Yến’s journey back to Gia Lai

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(GLO) – Despite her successes in the city, 9X-generation architect Hoàng Như Yến frequently returns to her hometown of Phú Thiện (now Phú Thiện commune, Gia Lai province) to build schools, support children, and empower women in disadvantaged areas.

Hoàng Như Yến, a 9X-generation architect and entrepreneur in Ho Chi Minh City, is channeling her professional success into charitable projects in her hometown of Phú Thiện, Gia Lai province.

At the start of the 2025–2026 school year, Hoa Sen Kindergarten in Chư A Thai commune welcomed a new classroom, a canteen for day-boarders, two restrooms, and a solar-powered clean water system funded by Yến. She also donated clothes and supplies for the children, with a total contribution of nearly 400 million VND (about USD 15,700). The school, which serves 316 students—80% from ethnic minority groups such as Jrai, Bana, Thai, Muong, Tay, and Nung—has long faced shortages in facilities and resources.

Yến, director of KPY Interior Architecture Co., Ltd., is one of Vietnam’s most prominent young entrepreneurs in interior design and construction. Her company has partnered with major domestic and international corporations and recently delivered the VinFast D1 showroom to 1S sales standards in just 50 days. In 2023, she was named among the Top 100 Outstanding Young Startup Entrepreneurs nationwide.

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A new, modern classroom at Hoa Sen Kindergarten, sponsored by Hoàng Như Yến. Photo: Minh Châu

Her ties to Phú Thiện remain strong. Since 2021, Yến has become a “foster mother” to five disadvantaged children, providing monthly financial support of 500,000 VND (USD 20) per child. Among them is Rơ Châm Hị, who lost her mother at two months old, and two pairs of twins living in extreme hardship. Yến regularly visits the children, bringing encouragement and gifts.

“Every time I return, my heart is filled with love,” she said. “I hope the children, by feeling community support, will not feel alone on their journey.”

Yến’s long-term vision focuses on sustainable development for disadvantaged communities. Through her role in the Ho Chi Minh City Young Entrepreneurs Association, she mobilizes philanthropic support for educational infrastructure, scholarships, clean water facilities, and aid for children with disabilities and orphans.

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Foster mother Hoàng Như Yến with twin brothers Đinh Thương and Đinh Thái (Plei Trớ village, Chư A Thai commune), whom she has adopted. Photo: Minh Châu

In 2024, she founded JCI Wonder Woman, a community initiative supporting women in disadvantaged areas with vocational training, including livestream sales skills one-commerce platforms like Facebook, Shopee, Lazada, and Amazon. The project has already reached women in Lâm Đồng and Bình Phước, and is expanding to Gia Lai.

“I always feel fortunate to have a family, a hometown, and success in my career,” Yến said. “I am happy to return and share that good fortune, planting seeds of love and hope.”

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