Yen earned a significant scholarship to a university far from home at 18. Soon after, she co-founded a startup that quickly reached VND500 million (US$18,966) in monthly revenue. These achievements garnered admiration from her peers. However, as the initial success faded, Yen experienced missteps that eventually led her to step away from a project she believed would “surely pay off.”
Yen accepted the necessity of slowing down. She learned to confront failure, extract lessons from stumbles, and adapt her approach to achieve sustainable growth.
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Le Thi Minh Yen, a CEO born in 2002, regained her confidence by learning to embrace failure. Photo courtesy of Yen |
Breaking out of the comfort zone
Growing up in the quiet M’Nong highlands, Yen initially feared failure and judgment. However, the desire to step outside her comfort zone and create something through her own effort motivated her to change. She intentionally practiced speaking up in class, honed public speaking skills, and joined community activities because she wanted “to do something meaningful for others.”
She soon became president of her school’s volunteer club and earned a 30% scholarship to study International Business Management at the British University Vietnam (BUV). She vowed to “outgrow comfort,” determined not to rely indefinitely on her parents’ sacrifices.
Drawn to startups since high school, Yen quickly found ways to apply her learning during her freshman year at BUV. She co-built an investment academy with classmates that introduced young students to basic stock market principles.
According to Yen, Vietnam’s stock market was booming in 2021, and she capitalized on the opportunity. Within just four months, her company’s revenue reached VND500 million a month. “At 18, I thought making money was not that difficult, and I felt proud,” said Yen.
She recalls strategy meetings that stretched past 2 or 3 a.m., rushing across Hanoi to meet mentors, and discussing future plans, moments that formed some of her most memorable experiences at age 18.
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Le Thi Minh Yen (L) hosts and emcees a finance and investment event at BUV. Photo courtesy of BUV |
Lesson from failure
Yen admitted that early success often carries heavy pressure for someone barely in their 20s. Over time, her team began facing psychological strain and operational challenges. The relentless workload, the fear of being replaced, and an increasing sense of isolation left her exhausted. When work became driven by anxiety rather than motivation, she decided to step away from the project she helped build.
Hoping to immediately rebound with a greater achievement, she applied to Harvard, believing the school’s prestige was like a “high-performing stock.” The resulting rejection served as a new lesson. Instead of breaking down, she realized that ambition alone is insufficient; achieving a major goal requires capability, discipline, strategy, and appropriate motivation.
“In retrospect, choosing Harvard was akin to investing in a stock without first reading its financial reports, analyzing risks, or understanding its intrinsic value,” Yen said. “I invested because it appeared ‘good,’ and I believed it was the quickest way to demonstrate my worth. Meanwhile, I hadn’t evaluated my own ability or recognized the odds.”
After these two significant setbacks, the confidence she had cultivated crumbled. She returned home to begin what she describes as “a journey of revaluing myself.”
Taking a pause to return stronger
Yen took a gap year from school to recalibrate her direction. Utilizing her local roots and the training received at BUV, she soon became a marketing manager for Enjoy Coffee, a major coffee brand.
In this role, she learned sustainable product thinking, how to express the cultural stories of the M’nong people through the coffee business, and how to establish consistent cash flow for a firm with more than 10 locations.
Working in her hometown, the land of coffee, also taught her the essential value of local agriculture and how to develop an authentic business model. Her year-long pause became a turning point, providing clarity, healing, and vital experience. “Coffee taught me a simple but life-changing lesson: to create value for the world, you must first know who you are, what you are doing, and where you can grow most sustainably,” she said.
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Yen won first prize ($5,000) at the Green Energy Startup Accelerator organized by Vietnam’s Ministry of Industry & Trade and the EU. Photo courtesy of Yen |
Investing in knowledge
Yen returned to BUV with a clearer vision: to build a financial education startup for young people. This time, she relied on her own experiences, strengths, and the lessons learned from previous setbacks.
“In our first venture, we created courses because the market demanded them… However, after studying about sustainability, I realized that financial education is more than just teaching investment. It is about giving young people a foundation for adulthood,” Yen said.
She started the BUV Investing Club after interviewing 1,000 BUV students to better understand their financial thinking and received university backing. The workshops featured presenters from prominent financial firms, including FiinGroup, VIS Rating, JP Morgan Chase, and SRO Partners. The club quickly became one of BUV’s most prominent academic groups.
Having experienced both highs and lows, Yen now advocates balancing career, education, health, and relationships. She credited BUV as the place where she could “redefine” herself. She observed that at BUV, despite students having different strengths, destructive rivalry was absent.
“In that environment, I learned to let go of the pressure to constantly prove myself. BUV taught me that maturity is defined not by how many tournaments you win, but by your willingness to learn, serve others, and become a better version of yourself, a quietly Lionhearted mindset,” she explained.
Yen is currently the founder and CEO of Genstock, a financial investment education firm that provides students with practical information and real-world investing experiences. Armed with the skills built at BUV and the resilience forged through past challenges, she now feels ready to build a sustainable, long-term business.
Read more Lionhearted stories here.
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