Vietnam
In December 2024, the Foundation ran programming in Vietnam — inspired and co-taught by Bao Phan, a former student of co-founder Chuck Eesley — in partnership with Fulbright University Vietnam, UEH University, and an HKU/AWS workshop on AI Innovation & Trends.
The Foundation’s Vietnam programming, like the Tanzania trip, came through a former student. Bao Phan had taken Chuck’s courses years earlier, served as a Foundation research assistant during his Stanford MS&E studies, and pitched the idea of bringing programming to Vietnam — then organized the trip and co-taught alongside us in December 2024.
Across the visit, we ran three events at partner institutions in Ho Chi Minh City: Fulbright University Vietnam, the University of Economics Ho Chi Minh City (UEH ISB), and an AI Innovation & Trends workshop in collaboration with HKU and AWS at the AWS Vietnam office.
UEH ISB Leadership Program — “Ignite Business Potential with AI & Entrepreneurship”
At the University of Economics Ho Chi Minh City (UEH ISB), the Foundation co-led the Ignite Business Potential with AI & Entrepreneurship workshop hosted by the ISB Leadership Program. The three sessions ran in sequence: Bao Phan (then Head of Growth at Rippling) opened with practical knowledge about digital technologies; Lijie Zhou (then Infrastructure Engineering Leader at Gusto) walked the students through effective use of AI tools; Chuck closed with From Ideas to Prototypes — An Introduction to Entrepreneurship, running interactive group activities pushing students to develop their own business ideas. Teaching delivered pro bono; local logistics hosted by UEH ISB.
Fulbright University Vietnam — CEI “Empowering AI for Success” Masterclass
At Fulbright University Vietnam’s Crescent Campus in Phu My Hung, the Foundation participated in the Empowering AI for Success masterclass series organized by the Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation (CEI). Across the series, Bao Phan led Session 1 on leveraging technical skills for business roles; Lijie led Session 2 on using AI tools to lower technical barriers; Chuck delivered Session 4 on December 27, 2024 — Entrepreneurship Education and Stanford’s Economic Impact — covering the empirical economic impact of entrepreneurship education, AI’s role in transforming teaching, and the algorithmic monetization of misinformation by digital platforms. Teaching delivered pro bono; local logistics hosted by Fulbright Vietnam CEI.
What this looks like in practice
- Programming co-taught with Bao Phan, who organized the trip
- Three-session masterclass series at Fulbright Vietnam CEI
- Three-session leadership workshop at UEH ISB
- AI Innovation & Trends workshop with HKU and AWS partners
- Cross-border connections between Vietnamese partners and the Stanford / Bay Area technology ecosystem
Why it matters
Vietnam’s growth story will be written largely by the founders coming up through its university system over the next decade. The Foundation’s bet is that putting AI and entrepreneurship inputs into the hands of students who don’t yet have access to them will compound for years. Bao’s invitation made that work possible — another reminder that the Foundation’s most durable partnerships come through people who were once our students.