How Vlerick empowered Huyen to reach her full potential

From the start of her career, Huyen knew she wanted to have a positive social impact in the world. She’d already co-founded a company that is now one of the biggest wedding planning agencies in her native Vietnam, and had experience of setting up a Fintech start-up in Singapore. But Huyen was hungry for more.

She says: “I knew I wanted to found a new start-up – and make a real difference. I already had professional experience in Singapore and a successful start-up at home, but I had more to learn.”

Huyen knew she wanted to gain a deeper understanding of entrepreneurship – and study somewhere she could explore new cultures. So she began her search for an MBA programme in Europe.

Energy and passion that drives success

She says: “I chose the Full-time MBA programme at Vlerick because of its focus on social impact entrepreneurship. I’d already founded a start-up – but I was lacking in-depth knowledge and a full picture of all the different aspects of running a company. I wanted to learn about negotiation, strategy, finance, accounting – and more.”

“Vlerick were so friendly and helpful. I was awarded an incredible scholarship that allowed me to join the Full-time MBA programme – and reach my full potential.”

And from the beginning, Huyen was empowered to succeed. She says: “I loved all my classes. The professors are warm and engaging – there’s a very open and friendly energy at Vlerick. The Full-time MBA programme taught me about the different business units, and how successful organisations are run.”

As part of Huyen’s studies, she delivered a consulting project for global brewery, AB InBev. She says: “Solving a business problem was a great opportunity to learn how the company works – and to build a strong network. I’ve only ever worked in B2B, so it was interesting to gain insights into how a B2C company works.”

Lifelong skillsets

“I’m Vietnamese and had already worked in Singapore – but I’d never worked with people from continents like Africa, Europe and South America.”

“In a small, hands-on class of 35, we had professionals representing four different continents. It was incredible to work in such an inspiring and diverse class.”

And being immersed in such a diverse environment was a dream come true for Huyen. She says: “I’m really interested in other cultures, so it was amazing to learn about their lives – and build professional working relationships.”

In fact, one of Huyen’s biggest take-aways from Vlerick has been further strengthening her communication skills. She says: “As a marketer, I was already a strong communicator. But studying in such a diverse and international school and cohort gave me an incredible opportunity to strengthen my communication skills by collaborating with people from anywhere in the world.”

Lighting an entrepreneurial fire

Huyen took advantage of Vlerick’s dedicated careers team. She says: “They helped me with my CV and prepared me for work after graduation. They coached me to improve my interview skills – and helped me with salary negotiation.”

And before she knew it, she was being offered jobs to work and live in Europe. She says: “Vlerick’s careers events helped me find great opportunities – and build a strong network. I received two incredible job offers before graduating from contacts I made at Vlerick events.”

She went on to work as a project manager at Asahi Kasei. But her inner entrepreneur was fighting to get out. She says: “I think I’ve always had an entrepreneurial spirit – and I used it in my work. But Vlerick really lit the fire inside me, and when I saw a problem that needed to be solved, I launched another start-up."

Huyen then successfully launched a SaaS start-up called Joylists

She says: “We provide independent creatives, artists, creators and creative organisations with one-stop-shop SaaS tools from branding to post-monetisation. The platform went live in November 2023 – but we’ve come a long way, growing from a one-person team to having nine core members with complementary skills in tech, design and business. My technical co-founders have scaled up a Unicorn from an early stage. And our CMO has transformed businesses on both sides of the Atlantic. We’ve already secured some incredible partnerships – and are planning our expansion into Southeast Asia.”

The confidence to succeed

“As a start-up founder, I’ve been able to implement so many of the skills I learned at Vlerick. I have to wear many different hats – I’m in charge of HR, recruitment, sales and marketing and budgeting. I also liaise with different departments, talk to investors and speak to customers. Without Vlerick, my job would have been much harder.”

One of Huyen’s main take-aways is the confidence she built throughout the programme. She says: “I’m a much better version of myself thanks to Vlerick. We all make mistakes, but now mine are much less frequent – and nowhere near as big as when I founded my first start-up. I’ve gained so much confidence to trust my decisions and run the company – and I’m much more able to stay calm.

“In the SaaS sector, I’m often one of the only women in the room. And being a minority can make speaking up even more intimidating. Vlerick really boosted my confidence
going into those situations. Now, I’ve got the self-confidence and belief to go into those
rooms and know I belong.”

Empowering you to reach your full potential

“Vlerick believed in me from day one. They gave me the incredible opportunity to join the Full-time MBA programme with a scholarship. And since graduating, the Vlerick Entrepreneurship Fund has awarded Joylists a €30,000 grant. They’ve really empowered me to reach my full potential.”

Huyen had a dream of creating positive social impact. She wanted to step out of her comfort zone by studying in a new continent. And she wanted to learn about social entrepreneurship.

And, with Vlerick as a springboard, she’s made the leap to achieve her dreams.

She says: “My one piece of advice to anyone considering studying the Full-time MBA at Vlerick would be to go for it. You get so much more than a degree. You get the network, the knowledge, the confidence – and the time to reflect on your journey. It was an extremely transformative experience – and I loved it.”