After college, we moved to New York, despite dealing with immigration challenges and struggling to live in the city, we never lost sight of our dream: starting a business that paid homage to our native Việt Nam.

In 2021, after seeing COVID-19’s devastating impacts on Việt Nam, we set up a month-long fundraiser called Đùm Bọc to support organizations working in some of the most affected areas of the country. Đùm Bọc eventually blossomed into a collective of Vietnamese creatives, raising funds for organizations based in both the U.S. and Việt Nam during the past three years.

But things took a dramatic turn in early 2022 when Thảo was diagnosed with a brain tumor, blurring the line between life and death. After a grueling 16-hour long surgery, Thảo emerged victorious. During her recovery, she developed a newfound appreciation for life and knew she wanted to do something more meaningful. She started a series of cooking pop-ups and pick-ups that eventually led to an inbox flooded with orders from customers around the city.

But amid all the cooking and preparation and weekly food hauls, Thảo and Duy found themselves yearning to build something more, something that would bring them closer to home. Something in between food, cooking, and community.

In the summer of 2022, Vân Vân came to life with a foundation rooted in Vietnamese home cooking, history, and culture. Our products consist of single-origin spices and herbs sourced from different growing regions around Việt Nam.

At the heart of our business is a commitment to invest in local growers and support their livelihoods by paying a fair price for their products. Too often, domestic and foreign buyers dictate the pricing for small farmers and producers. By partnering with these growers, we aim to bring premium Vietnamese products to the world, showcase the country’s diverse flavors, and represent Việt Nam as more than just a war. In a sense, Vân Vân embodies the journey of our story as immigrants, finding our place in America through many twists, turns, and pivots.

It has taken a long time for Vân Vân to get to this point.

Thank you for being here.