In a world where only 7.2% of materials are cycled back into the economy after the end of their useful life, one RMIT alum is proving that preserving cultural heritage and building a sustainable business aren’t opposing forces, they’re powerful partners in shaping the future.
Meet Nguyen Huyen Chau, founder and CEO of VAN•HOA Creative Studio. Five years after launching with the simple mission to create gifts that “look Vietnamese” for international friends, Chau has built something far more significant, an environmentally friendly creative enterprise that redefines how Vietnamese culture can drive global innovation.
Nguyen Huyen Chau is ready to take on her next startup success with VAN•HOA.
Today, Chau’s studio offers creative consultancy, cultural research and sustainable design solutions to clients such as UNESCO Vietnam, Vietnam Airlines and the Taiwan Tourism Bureau. It’s work that matters in today’s economy, where creative services now represent 19% of all global service exports and 84% of consumers now consider sustainability as a key factor in their purchasing decisions.
“At VAN•HOA, we believe growth and sustainability come from understanding our own culture and heritage”, Chau says. Her team decodes cultural insights to uncover what she calls “irreplaceable advantages” for businesses looking to grow responsibly.
For Chau, it’s not just about business success, it’s about responsibility. VAN•HOA works closely with local communities and ensures fair trade practices, making each project culturally sensitive and socially responsible. As governments worldwide prioritise sustainability in the creative industries, Chau’s model offers a compelling blueprint.
Chau (second to the left) and her team showcasing their sustainable and creative work to promote Vietnamese cultural heritage.
Behind Chau’s success is a surprising beginning: she used to be painfully shy. As a Bachelor of Commerce student at RMIT, she rarely spoke up in class and preferred approaching lecturers privately instead of asking questions in front of peers.
The turning point came when one lecturer told her, “School is the only place you can make mistakes without paying too high a price, so make as many as possible to learn more”.
“That moment changed how I saw learning forever”, Chau recalls. “RMIT was the first environment that encouraged me to ask questions, even silly ones, and gave me space to try new ideas.”
That shift in mindset changed everything. Chau began engaging more, asking the “smart questions” her lecturer had urged. She soon took on leadership roles. She also won the RMIT Vietnam Student Leader Award. Her confidence grew through real challenges - her business plan for 808 Dance Studio, which she founded in 2011, was placed in the top 10 at RMIT Melbourne’s Business Plan Competition.
Chau (second to the left) with her team at the RMIT Business Plan Competition in Melbourne.
At RMIT, Chau found more than academic knowledge - she found a space to explore leadership and impact before graduation. She co-founded student clubs and volunteered with international organisations through which she gained the project management and relationship-building skills that proved vital in her future ventures. That foundation shaped the direction Chau would take after completing her degree.
After graduation, Chau’s curiosity took her through roles at multinational corporations and Vietnam’s largest state-owned investment firm. But it also led to work with a purpose.
She co-founded School for Kids Vietnam, which raised $32,000 to build schools for 200 students from ethnic minorities and launched CA' Library, the first art and architecture library in Hanoi. Her commitment to social impact earned her the IATSS Leadership Fellowship in Japan, and she went on to join the World Economic Forum’s Global Shapers, becoming one of the first Vietnamese under 30 to attend Davos in 2014.
She didn’t follow a set path, she created one. Chau’s journey reflects a new generation of business leaders who define success through community impact and cultural preservation, not just profit.
“I want the younger generation to not only be proud of our heritage but know how to apply it to create new value – in art, business and life,” Chau says.
Through her startup, Chau’s vision and adaptability have carried Vietnamese creativity far beyond national borders. At Vietnam Day 2022 in Switzerland, VAN•HOA introduced traditional Vietnamese weaving art and spotlighted nearly 20 sustainable Vietnamese brands to a global audience. More recently, VAN•HOA’s partnership with Indonesia’s Anantagraha has brought Vietnamese creativity into multicultural, international business environments, enabling Chau’s team to operate at global standards while staying true to their roots.
Looking back, Chau sees a clear thread, “I’m ready because RMIT gave me the mindset and space to explore, grow and act, not because I had everything figured out.”
Her story challenges conventional ideas of career readiness, showing that it’s less about knowing everything from the start and more about the courage to explore, inquire, and see connections where others don’t.
“What’s next for me is taking Vietnamese culture to broader markets through global collaboration”, Chau says, “we’re creating sustainable designs with culture at the core. Solutions that serve both business and community.”
“What I learned at RMIT wasn’t just academic. It helped me adapt to new environments, build confidence and turn small ideas into real impact.”
