Tho Wien: Sustainable Entrepreneurship in Vietnam

By Anna Masseroli

‘12 years to save the planet,’ the statistic we’ve all heard regarding the impact of climate change; nine years now, given that this report was published in 2018. If you were asked to suggest what we can do to contribute to this effort as individuals, one of your first responses would most likely be to recycle. The US recycles 35% of its waste, which is good, but still a long way to go to catch up with other countries like Germany’s impressive 68%, or Japan, recycling 84% of its plastics as opposed to the US’ 9%. Vietnam in contrast, Tho Wien’s home, only recycles between 10 to 15% of its waste.

As explained by Tho, it is a country on an economic rise. Financial survival is often prioritized over environmental issues — which is understandable, given the large proportion of the population living in poverty. Unfortunately, the direct effects of pollution tend to most affect those who contribute to it the least. In this session, Tho talks about the idea that people are “working to die,” rather than “working to live;” incomes are on the rise in Vietnam, but so are medical costs and the need to treat illnesses like cancer. Seeing his family, friends, and neighbors affected by a significant surge in cancer rate, Tho was inspired to stop his work as a tour guide and turn to a newfound mission — to raise awareness of how important it is to do keep our environments clean, livable, and healthy.

The success of his entrepreneurial business, Hidden Gem Café is even more impressive than it physical appearance. As Tho says, thinking about the environment might be a well-received sentiment in the US or Europe, but in Vietnam will only make you seem crazy. And yet, he has managed to start a café in Old Hanoi, beautifully decorated entirely from recycled materials. A thriving, colorful and attractive business, Hidden Gem has even brought about media attention, further amplifying his message to eliminate waste for the sake of future generations if not our own. It’s a living example that anything, including repurposing, can be made beautiful, playful, and fun.

Although Tho’s message is very serious and rooted in loss, he manages to make environmentalism fun and appealing. His work easily aligns with the UN’s SDGs – in particular, the goals for sustainable communities (SDG #11) and climate action (SDG #13). Hearing such an inspirational entrepreneur talk in this way can kick us all into action, or so let’s hope!

For a preview of Tho’s session, check out the trailer below. For his full session, join our Global Sustainability Member Space here.