Nam Nguyen
If you want to learn about my professional experience, click here.
Interested in learning about where I come from, you're in the right place.
“Maybe you have to believe in the value of everything to believe in the value of anything.”
I was born and raised in the heart of the Silicon Valley to Vietnamese Immigrants. My parents were refugee boat people who fled from persecution and risked their lives to call America home. Somewhat lost on me when I was young, the origins of my family became central to who I am as soon as I was old enough to see a world beyond legos. As a personal vow to give back to the community that gave my family a new beginning and combat my own childhood ridden with racism, bullying and fear, I committed to make my community a safer place.
Throughout high school and college, most of my spare hours were spent serving domestic violence, child development and health organizations. It still is one of the most humbling and defining times of my life.
A career that naturally began with non-for-profit organizations, with my eyes on politics, swung into the world of marketing and advertising thanks to Dr. Robert Franklin. One evening he had challenged me and thousands of other young people in public service to go into private industries. He insisted we bring our world view into places where people aren’t necessarily the priority but profit is. I immediately accepted the challenge and restarted my young career at one of the world’s top advertising agencies as cultural strategist. This role was a perfect for me. It allowed me to do what I was doing in the non-for-profit world - give a voice to the voiceless. This time it was for consumers.
After nearly a decade at some of the most influential creative agencies, I've moved into the brand side at one of the worlds largest and most innovative companies.
My charter has remained unchanged. I still believe we need to focus on people and purpose first, then profit. If we do the former right, the later will come. Because regardless of what aspect of business you are in, we are all fundamentally in the business of people. We need to stop making the creative work we want to make, but stories, products and experiences that our audiences and the world cares about and deserves.
It’s insanely difficult, but as my parents and sister have shown me, conquering something seemingly impossible and coming out on the other side full of life and light is entirely possible.
