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speaker

Jimmy
Pham AM

Founder, KOTO International.

Profile

Jimmy Pham has been a pillar of the Hanoian community for over 22 years.

Born in Saigon but raised in Sydney, Jimmy keeps a foot in both camps which have allowed him to successfully operate in the hospitality sector in Vietnam, for over 20 years.

Jimmy's long history operating the KOTO social enterprise has allowed him to develop extensive experience in the social justice space and vast business networks within Vietnam.

His high visibility among both expats and local Vietnamese has long been an asset that he has utilised by mentoring socially inclusive businesses into thriving institutions in Hanoi

through the Centre for Social Initiatives Promotion.

Current Work:

KOTO was founded by Jimmy Pham in 1996. It began as a small sandwich stall in Hanoi's Old Quarter at the beginning of a period of rapid economic development for Vietnam.

That sandwich shop quickly evolved into a fine dining restaurant beside Hanoi's Temple of Literature.

KOTO's student numbers increased dramatically and it began to offer study tours, cooking courses, and catering. All of which are still available today.

In 2020, however, like many businesses around the world, KOTO was hit hard by the Coronavirus. As the tourist trade ground to a halt the Van Mieu restaurant, sadly, became no longer viable and needed to close its doors.

But KOTO's staff, trainees, and leadership have never backed down from a challenge. In November of 2020, KOTO Villa opened in Hanoi's Tay Ho district. A French colonial villa with room for over 100 people, it now feeds both Hanoi locals and visitors alike with a range of both local and foreign foods and continues to train some of Vietnam's most at- risk and disadvantaged youth.

In 2021 Jimmy co-Founded VietHarvest an innovative new social enterprise founded in 2020 that collects quality surplus food and redistributes it to underserved communities in Vietnam, based on OzHarvest in Australia.

Expertise
Talking Points

Keynote Presentations

Jimmy can tailor his presentations to incorporate the following themes and takeaways alongside his journey with KOTO.

- Circular economy
- Social Enterprise & social impact
- Impact measurement
- A gentle leader - leading with passion
- Gender equity/empowerment
- Building culture and values
- Transforming marginalised groups into active citizens
- Social impact vs charity
- Responsible tourism
- Insights into life and business in Vietnam

Core themes that Jimmy's presentation includes are:
- A deep dive into social enterprise
- Leadership
- The importance of Economic empowerment
- How to lead a life of purpose
Media
Feedback
Jimmy was wonderful, he really hit the right note with our attendees and bringing the kids in the KOTO program with him was a great addition. We had a lot of questions to Jimmy and the kids which was great. Our client was thrilled with his presentation; everyone was talking about it for days after and were really touched by his story and particularly hearing from the kids themselves that are taking part in the program. The best part was that his presentation really reinforced our theme of 'Many Voices, One Team'. CiEvents

Jimmy was a very engaging speaker. A unique and inspiring story. The audience was visibly moved by his stories of hardship and struggle.

AXA Australia
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