Bio

Ellen Van grew up in Sydney, Australia. Being an only child and brought up by a single father, Ellen had great aspirations. She wanted to create a positive impact through her work, but she did not know how. She navigated through different studies. She was feeling lost. Then she thought studying something very broad would give her a lot of career options. So she settled on Master of Commerce and Master of Professional Accounting at the University of Sydney. During her time at university, with a school friend, Ellen founded and operated a coaching school for students in primary and secondary schools. This is where she first experienced a meaningful and long-lasting impact through her work. She found her mission was to unlock her student’s potential, whether that is academically, creatively, or emotionally. Ellen returned to Vietnam in 2019 where she believed her experience and Vietnamese heritage would allow her to create the greatest impact. However, at this point, she was still unclear on her vision or a career path that she was truly enrolled in. For the first 9 months, she worked for an investment firm, setting up their AP and LP services for Vietnam ETFs. In February 2020, Ellen joined Mekong Capital. She was passionate about personal and organizational transformation while honoring the authentic human experience and our connection to the natural world. Going through her own personal transformation at Mekong Capital, Ellen genuinely felt for the first time she is clear on her vision and the pathway to achieving it. Through partnering with Mekong Capital investees, Ellen takes a stand for the company’s vision and her own personal purpose to enrich the wellbeing of people and nature, all the while, creating space for the appreciation of beauty and meaningful relationships.