New Book Celebrates 25 Pioneers Who Built Modern Vietnam

Vietnam's journey from hardship to prosperity gets a human face in a new book that celebrates the risk-takers who made it happen.

"40 Years of Innovators" chronicles the personal stories of 25 changemakers who helped Vietnam grow from a struggling economy in 1986 to one of Southeast Asia's fastest-growing nations. Authors Sam Van and Sam Korsmoe spent 18 months conducting over 70 interviews with business leaders, entrepreneurs, and innovators who lived through Vietnam's Doi Moi renovation period.

The book doesn't focus on policy papers or economic data. Instead, it highlights the butcher, the baker, and the tech entrepreneur who dared to build businesses when the market economy was just a radical new idea.

Co-author Sam Korsmoe, an American writer based in Ho Chi Minh City, explains their approach: "Our challenge was to match these leaders from different backgrounds to specific eras of Doi Moi in order to tell the story of Vietnam's development through the pioneers who went first."

The 25 featured individuals come from remarkably diverse paths. Some studied in Eastern Europe during the 1970s and 80s, while others trained in Western universities or learned entirely within Vietnam. The book also spotlights overseas Vietnamese who returned home to contribute and expatriates who made Vietnam their permanent home.

Van, who has helped more than 70 companies list on the New York Stock Exchange, believes the book fills a unique gap. "To my knowledge, no one has written a book like this," he says. "These stories are sublime and offer a rare insight into how Vietnam has been able to sustain strong economic development for decades."

The Ripple Effect

Dr. Truong Gia Binh, founder of FPT Corporation, one of Vietnam's largest tech companies, captured the book's broader significance in his review. "This book does not tell the story of policies," he wrote. "It tells the story of people who dared to step into uncharted territory, who broke barriers and opened new paths for the nation's development."

Former US Ambassador to Vietnam Ted Osius adds that these 25 individuals "truly made a difference for Vietnam," and their stories inspire because they show what's possible when people commit to positive change.

The book organizes Vietnam's 40-year transformation into five distinct eras, starting with the late 1980s market economy experiments and ending with analysis of the country's high-tech future, including its approach to artificial intelligence and digital innovation.

"40 Years of Innovators" will launch in both English and Vietnamese in April, with events planned in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City. The stories of Vietnam's pioneers are now ready to inspire the next generation of changemakers.