Breaking generational cycles for survivors of gender-based violence through training and employment opportunities. 

Huong Dang is the founder and chief executive officer of HopeBox, the first social enterprise in Vietnam to provide employment, training, and support to women affected by gender-based violence. Through a six-month program, HopeBox offers safe accommodation to survivors of gender-based violence and skill-building workshops on income generation, professional development, trauma healing, and compassionate communication. HopeBox also runs a production kitchen where women learn how to bake and hand-make curated gift boxes, which generates 70% of their annual revenue. HopeBox graduates are equipped with employability skills and matched with support services that allow them to enter the workforce and sustain long-term employment. HopeBox engages service providers and businesses at the community level to raise awareness about gender-based violence. Huong seeks to use the Scholars program to expand the services her organization provides, including opening additional shelters, introducing a remote entrepreneurship program, and creating an online learning platform to address and prevent gender-based violence. 

Huong holds a master’s degree in entrepreneurship and innovation from the Swinburne University of Technology and an associate’s degree in international business from Box Hill Institute in Australia. She was a Yale World Fellow at Jackson School of Global Affairs at Yale, a participant in the Young Southeast Asia Leadership Initiative with the American Council for International Education, and a member of the Australia-Vietnam Leadership Dialogue.  

Biography current as of 2023-2024 program year