Lan Phan joins Fulbright University Vietnam as the Head of the Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation (CEI), bringing with her a strong connection to higher education and an extensive experience in entrepreneurship and innovation.
Lan graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Economics from Smith College, one of the very few and first liberal arts women’s colleges in the US. She later obtained her Master degree in Economics for Development at the University of Oxford, UK. She always feels indebted to these educational opportunities that help to create the open-minded, creative and impact-driven person she is today.
With 10 years of experience in the field of entrepreneurship and innovation development, Lan took on several strategic roles including the Head of Startup Ecosystem Development at the National Agency for Technology Entrepreneurship and Commercialization (NATEC) under the Ministry of Science and Technology, and recently the Head of Exploration at UNDP Viet Nam Accelerator Lab. Lan was the co-founder and one of the main organizers of the first national startup event – TECHFEST Vietnam – since 2015, attracting hundreds of startups and investors as well as thousands of participants every year. She is one of the main authors of the National Programme to Support Startup Ecosystem in Viet Nam until 2025. In 2018, she made it to the Forbes Vietnam 30 Under 30 list as well as Apolitical’s list of 100 most influential young people in government in the world.
Besides work, Lan loves to enjoy nature, explore different cultures, exercise and sing with friends.
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