Why Female Founders Thrive in Vietnam with Amy Wenham

“The first thing I saw that I just loved so much is that the women here are so fearless.” — Amy Wenham

This conversation with Amy was one of those episodes where I found myself nodding almost the entire time. I’ve been talking about how badass Vietnamese women are for years, but Amy put language to things I’ve seen but could never fully articulate.

What I loved most is that she didn’t just compare Vietnam to the UK — she compared it to Dubai, a place where she saw firsthand how a country can transform itself, empower women, and build an entirely new entrepreneurial ecosystem. And according to her, Vietnam is on that trajectory too — maybe even faster.

We also explored identity, expectations, family pressure, and the very real tension between being a modern entrepreneur and living within traditional structures. It’s something every foreigner eventually observes here, but Amy broke it down with empathy and clarity.

Key Talking Points

1. Why Vietnamese women are some of the most fearless, entrepreneurial people Amy has ever met — anywhere in the world.
2. The surprising similarities between Dubai and Vietnam when it comes to empowering female founders.
3. How social media pressures — especially the obsession with going viral — impact women and businesses in Vietnam.
4. The difference between small-town expectations and big-city ambition for Vietnamese women.
5. Why Vietnam feels like a “mother country,” and what that means for its rapid growth and future.

Chapters & Timestamps

03:00 — Amy’s Journey From London to Dubai to Vietnam
Amy talks about arriving in Dubai, cultural shock, and eventually discovering the same energy in Vietnam.

10:00 — Feminine Power, Subservience & Small-Town vs City Life
We unpack the contrast between modern entrepreneurship and traditional expectations.

18:00 — The Pressures on Vietnamese Women: Family, Work, Marriage
Amy explains the invisible load women carry and how family structure supports — and pressures — them.

27:00 — Social Media Culture & The Myth of Virality
We talk about TikTok culture, “mukbang,” seeding, and why going viral is usually bad for business.

45:00 — Vietnam’s Future & Why It’s a ‘Mother’ Country
Why Vietnam’s growth will be heavily shaped by women — and why the country feels inherently feminine.

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