THE NEXT CREATIVE LEADERS: A journey of Paying It Forward – And Back - It could be you! Pass it on!
The NEXT Creative Leaders is not just a program—it’s the unfolding of a calling.
It began with a single idea:
What if every driven person in developing countries like Vietnam had the opportunity to fully become who they were meant to be—bold, compassionate, and creative leaders in their own lives and communities?
FROM ROOTS of Opportunity to Seeds of Transformation
The story begins with its founder, Jen VuHuong— a Chevening alumna, Erasmus Mundus scholar, YSEALI alumna, Samsung scholar, and doctoral researcher supported by a Finnish university. Jen’s path was shaped by global fellowships, immersive leadership ecosystems, and real-world practice across Europe and Asia.
It wasn’t just academic accolades that transformed her—it was the power of community.
Once a silent, misunderstood child labeled “impossible,” Jen found her voice and purpose through speaking and coaching communities—especially Bayan Baru Toastmasters Club Toastmasters Bristol | Public Speaking Toastmasters International District 97 Hanoi Speakers Toastmasters International, where she became Vietnam’s second Distinguished Toastmaster. There, she didn’t just learn to speak—she learned to lead, mentor, and connect across borders.
Inspired by these experiences, Jen began building empowering communities of her own—most notably the Hanoi Entrepreneur Community (HEC), connecting over 7,000 members globally.
Over the past 15+ years, Jen has worked across 50+ countries, designing transformative coaching, mentoring, and leadership programs, thanks to: Empower You (2017, the UK), Cspeaking Gym (2018), Be The Leader (2019) with the U.S. Embassy, Creative Lifelong Learners (2021) with Bangor University-UK; Future Innovation Concert (2021), S-Growth Innovation Coaching (SIC) (BK Holdings) —Vietnam’s first international-standard coaching certification for senior leaders
These became the foundation for The NEXT Creative Leaders, with a mission to awaken the creative mindset of youth and champion the belief that every person can be part of the solution.
This aligns deeply with employability and entrepreneurial spirit—both critical for navigating the future of work.
Pass It On: From Gratitude to Action
In the film Lucy, when asked the purpose of reaching 100% potential, the answer is simple: Pass it on.
Jen has lived that answer.
After years of transformative opportunities, she felt a responsibility to give back—and forward. Despite societal doubts about youth being non-committal or lacking depth, she believed deeply in their potential.
Soon, others joined her mission: Lucy Le, who helped build HEC, @Phương Anh, contributor to Creative Leaders 3-week program, Dương Đình Huy, who helped implement SIC, Hoàng Linh cordinated Lab2Market - Bring Research to Life, Khanh Linh Tran brought Lab2market to another holistic evolvement, Huong Hoang nuturing jen books community, Hoàng Hiệp cordinating SIC and coaching venture builder team activities...
And the team Internationally: Abhishek (India), Yvette, Justin (US), Steve (UK)
All united by the 7Cs values: Creativity, Confidence, Competence, Communication, Collaboration, Commitment, Compassion.
The question became: How do we replicate this across Vietnam—faster, deeper, and together?
FROM Vision to Scaled Impact
In 2024, Jen joined forces with long-time collaborator Mr Pham Tuan Hiep, Secretary General of the VNEI Network and Investment Director at BK Holdings.
Together, they envisioned a model:
What if instead of 1–2 changemakers every few years, we could incubate 10–15 every cycle—through a collective, high-impact experience?
Thus, The NEXT Creative Leaders was born—a 4-week immersive journey combining coaching, mentoring, business challenges, and reflection.
Their goal: incubate creative, employable, and entrepreneurial talent across Vietnam and even outside of Vietnam, through a core framework rooted in the 7Cs.
FROM Concept to a practical step:
It wasn’t just an idea.
It became a movement—made possible by people like:
+ Diep Bui, co-founder of eJOY, a dedicated global life-long learner herself and a VNEI member who asked: “What if language learning helped youth become confident, lifelong learners?” Her platform became the host of the online learning space.
+ Mentors and contributors like Aaron James Everhart and Paul Kallmes brought their startup wisdom into the coaching journey.
+ Alumni from Jen’s past programs Hoàng Hiệp Huong Hoang Do Hong Viet stepped forward as facilitators, mentors, and role models.
+ The Toastmasters Vietnam community returned the favor—ready to nurture new voices and leaders. Phùng Hữu Minh Hiếu Hằng Nguyễn
+ The SIC coaching community supported the entrepreneurial empowerment track. Do Hong Viet An Nguyễn Nguyen Thi My Huong Huynh Hong Mai Phạm Dung Minh Vu Phuong Minh Do
+ And business partners like Dichung Nam Thanh Nguyen, NextU, and eJOY... stepped up to offer real-world challenges, mentorship, and opportunities.
+ And especially the motivation and encouragement and sponsor for the last celebration event of Chevening Awards (FCDO) in Vietnam through their CAFT program, thanks to ms Mai Thu Ha @Phương Anh, and looking forward to having the joining of our Chevening alumni Hilary Nguyễn Tuấn Nguyễn Khổng Loan
A NEW Generation of Vietnamese Leadership
The NEXT Creative Leaders is not just a course.
It is a launchpad.
A living legacy.
A bridge between potential and purpose.
It’s where global mentors and local youth tackle real problems.
Where one person’s transformation becomes many.
Where stories are passed on—again and again.
It’s about paying back what was given—and paying it forward to the next.
For Jen, her partners, and the growing team, this is more than leadership training.
It’s legacy in motion, starting from you, me and each of us.
