BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Chris Runckel, Chairman Emeritus/Founder
Chris Runckel, Chairman Emeritus/Founder
Chris Runckel, Chairman Emeritus/Founder
Mr. Runckel is the principal and founder of Runckel & Associates, a Portland, Oregon based consulting company that assists businesses expand business opportunities including manufacturing, investing or opening an office/laboratory or factory in Asia. (www.business-in-asia.com).
Mr. Runckel is a graduate of the University of Oregon and Lew
Mr. Runckel is the principal and founder of Runckel & Associates, a Portland, Oregon based consulting company that assists businesses expand business opportunities including manufacturing, investing or opening an office/laboratory or factory in Asia. (www.business-in-asia.com).
Mr. Runckel is a graduate of the University of Oregon and Lewis and Clark Law School and practiced law in Washington State before joining the Foreign Service in 1975.
He has had a long association over his career with Asia and particularly with Vietnam. He served in the U.S. Army in Vietnam from 1969-70. He worked in President Ford’s White House as Deputy General Counsel of the Presidential Clemency Board, which recommended clemency for Vietnam era draft deserters and evaders. In 1994, Runckel became U.S. Special Negotiator for Vietnam.
He was assigned to Hanoi as the first permanently assigned U.S. diplomat since the Vietnam War. In 1995, Mr. Runckel headed up the U.S. Department of State office in Vietnam. In January, 1996 after helping to negotiate all the basic agreements, Mr. Runckel became Deputy Chief of the U.S. Liaison Office in Hanoi. In 1997, Mr. Runckel was recognized for the breadth of his contribution to U.S. - Vietnam relations by being awarded the U.S. Distinguished Honor Award, the highest U.S. Award for diplomatic service.
Mr. Runckel currently shares his time between Thailand, Vietnam, China and the US. He works with many Universities in taking student groups to Asia and is a frequent writer and speaker on Asian business.
Kevin Morgan, Chairman
Chris Runckel, Chairman Emeritus/Founder
Chris Runckel, Chairman Emeritus/Founder
Kevin Morgan has extensive experience in cultural and educational exchange dating back to the 1970’s. He is currently Chairman of The Cultural Exchange Project (formerly The GeoVisions Foundation) and of Academic Language Solutions-iTEP .
In these capacities he is active in promoting teaching, tutoring, au pair and volunteer experiences
Kevin Morgan has extensive experience in cultural and educational exchange dating back to the 1970’s. He is currently Chairman of The Cultural Exchange Project (formerly The GeoVisions Foundation) and of Academic Language Solutions-iTEP .
In these capacities he is active in promoting teaching, tutoring, au pair and volunteer experiences throughout the world, as well as innovative, online English Language tests for academic and career purposes.
Kevin is recognized for his expansion of educational and cultural exchanges to then-underserved parts of the world, including South America, Africa and Asia. He lives in New Hampshire (USA), and has resided and worked in Hong Kong, Thailand and Australia. He has managed Asian marketing, operations and government relations for leading organizations.
"Joe" Trung Trinh, Vice Chairman
Chris Runckel, Chairman Emeritus/Founder
"Joe" Trung Trinh, Vice Chairman
With a background in Human Resource Development in public and private sectors in Vietnam and in the US, Mr. Trung Trinh decided to return to Vietnam in 1994 to explore business opportunities where he could fully utilize his skills and experience to become a catalyst for mutual cooperation between Vietnamese and American companies.
His fi
With a background in Human Resource Development in public and private sectors in Vietnam and in the US, Mr. Trung Trinh decided to return to Vietnam in 1994 to explore business opportunities where he could fully utilize his skills and experience to become a catalyst for mutual cooperation between Vietnamese and American companies.
His first project in Vietnam was to organize and operate the First American Product Showroom in July 1995 in Ho Chi Minh City in cooperation with the Foreign Trade Promotion Company, a trade promotion agency of the city government.
As CEO of the Vietnam Resource Group, Mr. Trinh - a graduate of the Saigon Law School in 1972 - has been involved with many projects related to trade/investment/ training/ education.
Throughout his business development activities in Vietnam and in the US, Mr. Trinh has created and maintained a well-established and reliable networks and resources that will be beneficial for UVBC members. US Vietnam
Hoang Nguyen, Member
Phillip Nguyen, Member
"Joe" Trung Trinh, Vice Chairman
With decades of experience in hi-tech businesses, Mr. Hoang Nguyen is responsible for UVBC operation in the West Coast. Graduated with a BS/MS in Information Systems and a MBA in Management from San Francisco University, Mr. Hoang has developed various business projects especially in IT, Import/Export, Logistics..
Phillip Nguyen, Member
Phillip Nguyen, Member
Phillip Nguyen, Member
Phillip Nguyen, Founder and Chief Software Engineer of the Digital Marketing Solutions -DMS - a leading website design company headquartered in Grand Rapids, Michigan.
DMS has been in the Information Technology business over two decades specializing in complex websites and digital marketing.
Besides running his company, Phillip is responsible for UVBC's operation in the MidWest.
Jenna Nguyen, Member
Phillip Nguyen, Member
Phillip Nguyen, Member
Ms. Huong (Jenna) Nguyen has been working in Business Analytics and Strategy Consulting space for more than 8 years with a diverse exposure to multiple industries including IT, E-commerce, Finance, Real Estate, Energy and Infrastructure Construction.
In Vietnam, she worked as an Investment Consultant for Commercial Office of South Ko
Ms. Huong (Jenna) Nguyen has been working in Business Analytics and Strategy Consulting space for more than 8 years with a diverse exposure to multiple industries including IT, E-commerce, Finance, Real Estate, Energy and Infrastructure Construction.
In Vietnam, she worked as an Investment Consultant for Commercial Office of South Korean Embassy for 4 years, assisting Korean companies in investing and doing business in Vietnam.
In the U.S. She worked as Research Associate for National Labs such as Berkeley Lab, PNNL under U.S. Department of Energy and as a Data Modeling Analyst for the Pacific Gas and Electric in San Francisco.
Currently, Huong is providing the US-Vietnam Business Council with data analytics advisory services and treasuring support.
Ms. Huong Nguyen earned Master of Art (MA) in Economics and Finance and Master of Business Administration (MBA), Data Analytics Specialization from Brandeis University based in Massachusetts, USA.
ADVISORY BOARD
Mark Chandler, Director of San Francisco Mayor’s Office of International Trade and Commerce
Mr. Mark Chandler first began working on US-Vietnam relations in 1994 and was part of the founding team that established the San Francisco-Ho Chi Minh City Sister City Friendship Agreement in April 1995.
This was the first sister city partnership between a US City and a Vietnamese City and preceded the Establishment of Diplomatic Relations between our two countries by three months. Mark has continually worked to further San Francisco's connections with Vietnam, including support in opening Vietnam's first Consulate General in the USA in 1997 and Vietnam Airlines North American Headquarters in 2002.
As the Director of the San Francisco City Office of Global Engagement, Mark has hosted dozens of trade and governmental organizations visiting San Francisco and has consistently supported strong US-Vietnam partnerships and cooperation.
Olga Buchonina, Advisor on IT Development, San Jose, CA
Olga Buchonina founded ActionSpot Center in Silicon Valley with the vision to build an environment for entrepreneurs where they are focused on building products by integrating concepts of Data Science, Data Security, and Data Engineering, Blockchain technology helps us to bring it to the next level of innovation.
ActionSpot promotes innovation through diversity and inclusion and measure people by what they can do to build great companies. Olga serves on boards of organizations such as Women Who Code and IEEE.to name a few. Olga's background is deeply rooted in Oil and Gas and High Tech. She spent over 20 years working at the senior level of business and engineering. roles and holds several patents.
Dr. Son Tran, Advisor on Business Development, Cobleskill, NY
Dr. Son Tran is an Assistant Professor of Business at SUNY Cobleskill, where he teaches courses in Entrepreneurship, Strategic Management, Innovation, and Business Communication and serves as Director of Steps for Success Entrepreneurship Program.
With over 25 years of experience as an inventor, entrepreneur, and angel investor, Dr. Son Tran has founded and led more than ten startups across sectors such as software, renewable energy, and environmental technology. He is also the founder of Planet Impact Capital, an impact investment firm in Southeast Asia.
Dr. Son Tran holds a Ph.D. in Physical Chemistry from the National University of Science andTechnology in Moscow (Russia) and an SM in Management of Technology from MIT Sloan School of Management, where he was a Fulbright Scholar.
His passion for innovation has led him to mentor entrepreneurs through programs like NSF I-Corps (hosted by University ofMaryland), Climate Launchpad (The Netherlands), as well as founding incubators like VISIA and MITFive (Vietnam).
A pioneer in entrepreneurship education, Dr. Son Tran has developed proprietary teaching tools including the “7 Steps to Start a New Venture”; the “Competitive Business Model Canvas”,and the “4Ps of Entrepreneurship”. His commitment to global innovation is underscored by fellowships and scholarships from Japan, Israel, the UK, and the US.
Aaron Magenheim, Advisor on AgTech Development, Salinas, CA
Aaron Magenheim is an entrepreneur who grew up in California Agriculture and has become a global industry leader working across the Agriculture and Technology nexis.
As CEO and co-founder, his companies Growers Insight and AgTech Insight specialize in business process mapping and innovation strategy by aligning business, processes, data, people, and technology.
As a realistic boots-on-the-ground expert, Aaron leads diverse teams advising growers, food companies, Corporates, Governments, NGO's, investors, and startups on building successful ecosystems leveraging best processes, practices, and technology throughout the Agri-Food supply chain.
Ross Meador, Advisor on Legal Affairs, Irvine, CA
Ross Meador is a lawyer, entrepreneur, investor, teacher, and philanthropist.
Mr. Meador graduated from UC Berkeley’s Boalt Hall School of Law in 1986, where he served as Executive Editor of the International Tax and Business Lawyer law review.
He also practiced law with Kim & Chang in Korea, with SSEK in Indonesia, and with VILAF and Kirin in Vietnam for over 10 years.
His law practice focuses on privately held companies and entrepreneurial ventures, particularly in the areas of technology and entertainment. He has negotiated and drafted hundreds of business agreements, and advises clients on business models, financing issues, strategic relationships, and the protection and licensing of intellectual property. He applies all of these skills in service to his clients.
Dr. Thuy Le, Advisor on Science & Technology, San Jose, CA
Thuy T. Le received his Ph.D. (1990), M.S. (1987), and B.S. (1985) degrees from the University of California at Berkeley.
Presently he is a Professor and Department Chair of the Electrical Engineering Department at San José State University. His teaching and research interests are in the areas of chip design, embedded systems, hardware accelerators, and quantum computing.
Before joining San José State University in 2001, Dr. Le has worked for Fujitsu America in the area of High-Performance Computing and for Westinghouse Savannah River Laboratory in designing of five new production nuclear reactors for the United States Department of Energy. He has also worked part-time as a Researcher in the Physics Department of Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, a Nuclear Reactor Operator of the Berkeley nuclear research reactor, a consultant and advisor of several private high-tech companies.
Dr. Le has also served as a General Chair, Technical Program Chair, Keynote Speaker, Editor, Advisor of many international conferences, symposiums, journals, and non-profit organizations. His publications include more than 60 technical papers and reports in areas of integrated circuits and digital system design, hardware accelerators, high-performance computing, computational nuclear reactor physics, and engineering curriculum development.
Vasudha Paul, Advisor on IT Marketing, San Jose, CA
Vasudha Badri-Paul is a technology marketing professional in Silicon Valley, working with corporations such as Intel, Microsoft, and GE. She is also involved with startups ecosystems in Silicon Valley and India.
She is active in growing and building bridges between communities and works with India, Israel, USA, and now Vietnam to bring forth mutually beneficial partnerships in technology, education, investment, and consumer specialities.
Dr. Uyen Nguyen, Advisor on Agriculture Automation, HCM City, Vietnam
Dr. Uyen Nguyen, Founder and CEO of the Agriculture and Automation Service (AAS) , a research development company based in the Quang Trung Software Park, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.
AAS is currently working with agriculture companies in Vietnam to develop their own automation in growing mushroom, automatic aquaponics systems, and container plant factory
In addition, Dr. Nguyen is also a lecturer on Electrical Engineering at the Vietnam National University, Ho Chi Minh City.
Graduated from from Catholic University in Washington DC with a PhD degree in Electrical Engineering in 2001, Dr, Nguyen has spent 20 years working for various technology companies in the US before returning to Vietnam to work on the AgTech industry which is greatly needed in Vietnam.
Kim Ngoc Lewis, Advisor on US Customs, Import/Export, Portland, OR
Kim Ngoc Lewis is a U.S. Licensed Customs Broker and International Trade Consultant with over a decade of experience in global logistics (air, sea, and road) and trade compliance.
She specializes in simplifying complex customs processes, reducing regulatory risk, and helping businesses optimize their international supply chains.
Kim Ngoc has supported shippers across a wide range of industries while working with leading global freight forwarders, offering strategic guidance on trade compliance, logistics efficiency, and navigating ever-changing international regulations.
As a former direct importer, she brings firsthand knowledge of global sourcing, customs clearance, and end-to-end logistics—expertise she now leverages to help Vietnamese exporters confidently meet U.S. Customs and Partner Government Agency (PGA) requirements while improving operational performance.
FORUM ON CURRENT US TARIFF POLICY
Organized by:
THE INVESTMENT & TRADE PROMOTION CENTER OF HO CHI MINH CITY
In cooperation with
THE US-VIETNAM BUSINESS COUNCIL
DATE/TIME: 08:30 am - 12:00noon, Friday, May 09, 2025
LOCATION: ITPC Export Showroom, 92-96 Nguyễn Huệ Blvd., District 1, Ho Chi Minh City
The event will also be live streamed.