In this episode of The Vietnamese Podcast, Ken sits down with a powerhouse team: Tee Tran, a brand visionary from Montreal; his wife Bao Han, an iconic Paris by Night singer; and Michael Le, a Gen Z digital pioneer with over 50 million followers.

Together, they reveal the heart behind Saigon Bonbon, a brand that is much more than a gummy company. It is a "love letter" to Vietnamese resilience, a bridge between generations, and a masterclass in cultural branding. We discuss the viral speech that moved millions, the struggle of living with Parkinson's, and why the next generation of Vietnamese "rebels" is finally ready to take center stage.

Inside this deep dive into culture and commerce:

The "Kỳ Lân" Philosophy: Why replacing gummy bears with Lion Dance lions (Kỳ Lân) is a daily reminder to celebrate life, not just for Tết.

Resilience in Real Time: Bao Han discusses retiring from the stage due to Parkinson’s and how her "alive and positive" energy became the DNA of the brand.

The Gen X vs. Gen Z Bridge: Tee explains the shift from "survival mode" to "expression mode" and how the launch party became a magical exchange between legends and newcomers.

The "Vanilla of the East": A breakdown of the "Guifao" (elegant) flavor profiles, from spicy street food nostalgia to botanical lychee.

Michael Le’s "Sauce": Why a global superstar is looking back to his Vietnamese roots to define his next chapter as an entrepreneur.

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Many of you still have the chance to record and preserve the legacies of your own families. I’ve sat with families now for interview sessions to record the rich histories of parents and explore the lives of the generations that preceded them. Don’t let your family stories go untold! Take a moment to reach out and together we will bring out your family’s story on a recorded journey. - Kenneth Nguyen

Visit https://www.vietnamstorybank.com/ today for more information!

In this episode, Ken is joined by filmmaker Khoa Ha to discuss her powerful debut documentary, YVAN: The Lost Sounds of Saigon.

Khoa, a former graphic designer, spent a decade archiving the work of her grandfather—the legendary composer Y Vân—before ever picking up a film camera. Y Vân was the mastermind behind Vietnam’s most iconic anthems, from the upbeat "Sài Gòn" to the mournful "Lòng Mẹ."

In this episode, we explore:

The "Un-Jaded" Director: How coming from a design background allowed Khoa to break traditional filmmaking rules and tell a more authentic story.

The Quincy Jones of Vietnam: Why Y Vân’s range—from Latin-inspired Cha-Cha-Cha to heavy rock and roll—makes him a unique figure in world music history.

Healing a Nation: The movement to move past the political lines of North vs. South and unite under a shared creative heritage.

The Archiving Movement: How Western labels and young DJs are sparking a resurgence in "The Lost Sounds of Saigon."

Killing Your Babies: The brutal reality of cutting 90 hours of raw footage down to a tight 93-minute feature.

Catch the Movement:

The film is currently on its 2026 festival run, hitting cities like Atlanta, San Diego, Los Angeles, and Houston. Follow @yvan.film on Instagram for the full screening schedule and a special Orange County event at the end of May.

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Many of you still have the chance to record and preserve the legacies of your own families. I’ve sat with families now for interview sessions to record the rich histories of parents and explore the lives of the generations that preceded them. Don’t let your family stories go untold! Take a moment to reach out and together we will bring out your family’s story on a recorded journey. - Kenneth Nguyen

Visit https://www.vietnamstorybank.com/ today for more information!

In this episode, Ken sits down with the Tree Vo—content creator, theater kid, and the voice of a generation navigating "Vietlish" identity.

Tree breaks down her transition from the high-stakes world of HR in Silicon Valley to the creative chaos of Los Angeles. We explore the "trauma-to-comedy" pipeline, why she thinks American bathroom habits are wrong, and the deep linguistic history behind Vietnamese slurs.

In this episode, we explore:

The "Marble Drip" Morning: How a simple coffee run turned into a graphic lesson on performance anxiety and defensive humor.

Silicon Valley to Showbiz: The moment Tree realized corporate alignment was gone and her theater kid roots needed to take over.

The Flow State: Kenneth analyzes the neuroscientific precision behind Tree’s seamless blending of English and Vietnamese.

Bê Đê & Chinky: A heavy but necessary dive into the etymology of slurs, reclaiming identity, and the "rebel" role of Vietnamese Americans in challenging traditional families.

Vietnam Dialects: Tree’s connection to Huế and why the "yelling" volume of Vietnamese content is actually a product of cultural history.

AI vs. The Soul: Why ChatGPT can’t replicate the "ashy" reality of human experience or the specific comedic timing of a frustrated Vietnamese mom.

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Many of you still have the chance to record and preserve the legacies of your own families. I’ve sat with families now for interview sessions to record the rich histories of parents and explore the lives of the generations that preceded them. Don’t let your family stories go untold! Take a moment to reach out and together we will bring out your family’s story on a recorded journey. - Kenneth Nguyen

Visit https://www.vietnamstorybank.com/ today for more information!

Mia is the founder and host of Viet Boss Babe — a media and community platform for Vietnamese women, everywhere. From the diaspora to the homeland, Viet Boss Babe exists for the women who are rewriting what it means to be Vietnamese, on their own terms.

Bold, Vietlish, and unapologetic — this is the space for the stories that don't always make it to the main stage. The careers being built, the culture being carried, the conversations happening at the dinner table that never make it online.

Viet Boss Babe is where Vietnamese women come to be seen, heard, and celebrated.

Follow Viet Boss Babe:

https://www.instagram.com/vietbossbabe

https://www.youtube.com/@vietbossbabe

Welcome to a special collaborative series between The Vietnamese Podcast and Viet Boss Babe. In this premiere episode of "Đàn ông phải thế" (Men Must Be This Way), host Mia and Kenneth Nguyen pull back the curtain on the silent struggle of the modern Vietnamese man.

We explore the "Gia trưởng" (patriarchal) script that has governed Vietnamese households for centuries—the idea that a man is a provider, a protector, and above all, someone who never cries. But what happens when that script is torn up? In a world where women are dominating medical schools and out-earning their partners, where do men fit in?

In this episode, we tackle:

"Con trai không được khóc": The long-term psychological damage of suppressing male emotions and the fear that vulnerability will "rock the foundation" of the family.

The Norwegian Warning: A startling look at how men are being left behind in education, with 99% of medical students in some countries now being women.

The "Invisibility" of Women: Kenneth’s honest admission about being raised in a culture where women were socially invisible and the work required to break that conditioning.

The 4 Pillars of Radical Self-Love: Mia and Kenneth discuss why meditation, journaling, the gym, and affirmations are no longer "optional" for the modern man.

Learning from Gen Z: Why Kenneth believes 50-year-old men need to seek guidance from 30-year-olds to navigate modern relationship dynamics.

Upcoming Headline Show:

Will is headlining his biggest show yet at Cobb’s Comedy Club in San Francisco on April 24, 2026. You can find tickets in the following link: https://willpepper.komi.io/

In this episode, Ken sits down with Will Pepper (born Will Tieu). You might know him from his viral cooking videos with his "Daddy Pepper," his work managing Jimmy O. Yang’s TikTok, or as the "loan shark" in Uncle Roger’s skits.

Will opens up about a life that sounds like a dark comedy script: growing up as a "nail salon kid" in Utah and Phoenix, navigating his father’s past struggles with addiction and gambling, and the surreal moment his family name was changed to "Pepper" overnight just to secure a business loan.

In this episode, we explore:

The "Pepper" Strategy: The wild story of how Will's dad changed the family's last name on a random Tuesday in high school to sound "more American" for credit applications.

Healing Through Ayahuasca: A vulnerable look at how Will and his father used psychedelics to process intergenerational trauma and reconcile their past.

The Comedy Grind: Will’s journey from "boring" pre-med student to moving to LA, managing major stars, and finally finding his own voice on stage.

Honoring Alex Jung: A tribute to the late Vietnamese comedian and the tight-knit community of "Viets in Comedy" who keep the grind going.

The "Retarded" Intelligence of Comedy: Why being a great comic requires high emotional intelligence and the ability to "read the room" rather than traditional book smarts.

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Many of you still have the chance to record and preserve the legacies of your own families. I’ve sat with families now for interview sessions to record the rich histories of parents and explore the lives of the generations that preceded them. Don’t let your family stories go untold! Take a moment to reach out and together we will bring out your family’s story on a recorded journey. - Kenneth Nguyen

Visit https://www.vietnamstorybank.com/ today for more information!

Kevin Quach was born and raised in the Atlanta, Georgia area to Vietnamese parents. He is an Aerospace Engineer (BSAE Georgia Tech 2014) who has worked the past 3 years for Blue Origin where he tests rockets that will bring humanity to work and live in space. Kevin has previously worked at Sikorsky (Lockheed Martin) for almost 8 years, where he tested experimental helicopters for the Marines and the Army. He currently lives in Orlando, Florida with his wife Thanh who works in the Vietnamese and American film industry. Kevin also runs a small rental property business in Florida.

In this fascinating episode of The Vietnamese Podcast, host Kenneth Nguyen sits down with Kevin Quach, an Aerospace Engineer at Blue Origin. From working on experimental heavy-lift helicopters like the Sikorsky CH-53K to testing the next generation of rockets at Cape Canaveral, Kevin brings a grounded, technical perspective to the most "out of this world" topics.

Kevin walks us through the rigorous world of flight test engineering, the reality of working in an industry where "failure is not an option," and how the laws of physics finally put the moon landing conspiracy theories to rest.

In this episode, we dive into:

Debunking the Hoax: Why the math and physics of 1969 are immutable, and the "PR" reality behind famous space photography.

The "Jack of All Trades": What it actually takes to become an aerospace engineer and the grit required to survive "experimental" flight tests.

Helicopters vs. Rockets: A surprising comparison of mechanical complexity—why mastering the rotor head is a different beast than mastering a launch vehicle.

Blue Origin’s Mission: Moving beyond "space tourism" to build an infrastructure "for the benefit of Earth," including manufacturing solar panels from lunar dust.

The Lunar Gateway: How the 2026 Artemis missions are creating a "gas station/rest stop" in lunar orbit to enable deep space travel.

Aerospace in Vietnam: The potential for VinSpace and Viettel and the complex political "ITAR" hurdles for engineers in the diaspora.

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Many of you still have the chance to record and preserve the legacies of your own families. I’ve sat with families now for interview sessions to record the rich histories of parents and explore the lives of the generations that preceded them. Don’t let your family stories go untold! Take a moment to reach out and together we will bring out your family’s story on a recorded journey. - Kenneth Nguyen

Visit https://www.vietnamstorybank.com/ today for more information!

In this episode, The Vietnamese Podcast joins forces with Little Saigon Official to ask the ultimate question: Are we too obsessed with our past to build our future?

Host Kenneth Nguyen, Chris, and Dana dive deep into the "Identity Loop." We discuss why the diaspora is "addicted to angst" while Vietnam is already moving at light speed, and whether our "biological pull" to the motherland is a gift or a golden cage.

Inside this discussion:

The "Pungent" to "Fragrant" Shift: How Little Saigon successfully rebranded Vietnamese culture for the world.

The "Broken" Fragment: Why we feel a biological need to return to the "ocean" of the motherland.

Standstill vs. Creation: Breaking the cycle of "Am I Vietnamese enough?" to start making things that matter.

The Global Platform: Why we need an intentional "council" to push the Vietnamese brand forward in 2026.

Are you ready to stop searching for who you are and start creating what you want to be? Join the conversation in the comments.

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Many of you still have the chance to record and preserve the legacies of your own families. I’ve sat with families now for interview sessions to record the rich histories of parents and explore the lives of the generations that preceded them. Don’t let your family stories go untold! Take a moment to reach out and together we will bring out your family’s story on a recorded journey. - Kenneth Nguyen

Visit https://www.vietnamstorybank.com/ today for more information!

Welcome to The Vietnamese Podcast, hosted by Kenneth Nguyen. In this episode, we sit down with Nguyễn Owen Tangavelou, a French-Vietnamese Formula 3 (F3) driver who is on a singular mission: to become the first person of Vietnamese descent to reach the pinnacle of motorsport—Formula 1.

Owen’s journey is far from typical. Unlike most F1 stars who begin karting at age 4, Owen didn't step into a cockpit until he was 14. From playing F1 video games to pulling $4G$ in a real race car, Owen discusses the grit, the late-start disadvantage, and the staggering financial reality of the "pay-to-play" world of professional racing.

In this episode, we explore:

The Racing Ladder: Breaking down the progression from F4 to the $1.5$ million Euro seasons of F3 and the "feeder" system for F1.

The Physics of Speed: What it feels like to endure $5G$ to $7G$ of force—gravity levels usually reserved for fighter pilots.

The Money Game: The brutal truth about racing—why talent isn't always enough and why Owen is seeking Vietnamese investors to help bridge the funding gap.

National Pride: Why bringing a Vietnamese name to the F1 grid represents more than just a career—it’s a demonstration of national power and the "indomitable spirit" of the people.

Owen is currently balancing business school in France while training for his next shot at the track. If you’ve ever wondered what it takes to drive at 300+ km/h or how the business of racing actually works, this conversation is for you. Subscribe to join Owen’s journey to the grid.

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Many of you still have the chance to record and preserve the legacies of your own families. I’ve sat with families now for interview sessions to record the rich histories of parents and explore the lives of the generations that preceded them. Don’t let your family stories go untold! Take a moment to reach out and together we will bring out your family’s story on a recorded journey. - Kenneth Nguyen

Visit https://www.vietnamstorybank.com/ today for more information!