GAG MAN: Stephen performing stand-up comedy at the Sài Gòn Tếu show. — Photo courtesy of Stephen Turban

By Quỳnh Anh

In 2019, Stephen Turban, a Harvard graduate, stepped away from a promising career at McKinsey to begin a new chapter in Việt Nam. Drawn to the country, seen as Asia's rising star, he put his PhD studies at his alma mater on hold, to discover vibrant culture, warm hospitality and a sense of purpose, creating opportunities for future generations.

Born in New York in 1993, Stephen, holds an outstanding Bachelor's degree in Statistics from Harvard University and is a member of the Phi Beta Kappa Honor Society, an organisation that honours the most exceptional students in the United States.

Despite a promising career ahead at McKinsey & Company, a prestigious strategy consulting firm, and being on the path to earning a PhD at Harvard Business School, he decided to leave it all behind and move to Việt Nam.

Born into an academic family in the US, with a father who is a professor and a childhood spent across several Asian countries, Stephen first visited Việt Nam as a boy, a brief encounter that quietly stayed with him.

In 2017, after graduating from university, Stephen decided to spend three months in HCM City learning Vietnamese, simply for the experience.

But even after returning to the United States and working at McKinsey’s office in China, the memory of Việt Nam lingered. What began as a short visit had awakened something deeper, a quiet sense of belonging he could not ignore.

He moved back in 2019, worked at Fulbright University. Then in 2020, he started a PhD at Harvard Business School and soon after, he paused his studies and decided to stay in Việt Nam.

Stephen’s journey of making Việt Nam his home began with continuing his Vietnamese studies and immersing himself in the country’s rich, distinctive culture.

Yet, the first steps along that path were met with no shortage of challenges.

“When I first came to Việt Nam, almost immediately I felt that, even though I wasn't yet fluent in Vietnamese, I very much felt a part of HCM City, a part of Việt Nam,” he told Việt Nam News.

Stephen checking in at the iconic milestone on the Tà Năng – Phan Dũng trekking route in Việt Nam.

“The most common time I feel like there is a cultural difference is when I make a joke that I think is funny. But people tell me, oh, dude, that is not funny. So sometimes that's difficult.

“I spend a lot of time studying the Vietnamese language. I take class every single day, Monday through Friday. And it helps me, you know, interact with people. Also means that I have friends who I speak to in Vietnamese, which I really love and make me feel a part of this place. Every year I've gotten better.

“I always was interested in research but when I moved to Việt Nam before I started I just got so excited by all the entrepreneurship.

“I really loved being in Việt Nam and so I decided that I'd rather be here and not be a professor, than do a PhD at Harvard,” he added.

With his impressive achievements in both academia and work, Stephen decided to focus on developing the education sector in Việt Nam.

In 2020, he established Lumiere, an educational company designed to bridge the gap between local students and academic advisors from top international universities. It employs about 80 people full-time all over the world and works with about 3000 students.

After five years, his company has connected thousands of students from Việt Nam, China, India, Europe and the US with professors and researchers, helping them pursue research, build their portfolios and secure prestigious scholarships.

He stated that there is significant potential for impact in education, particularly for the Vietnamese.

He observed that Vietnamese people are generally open to the world and enthusiastic about learning. When they go abroad, they often develop strong English skills, sometimes even surpassing Chinese or Koreans, as they are more inclined to engage and connect.

He also noted that, in addition to language, their eagerness to learn and explore new opportunities stands out.

“It forces them to see new opportunities as well. So I think a lot of entrepreneurs in Việt Nam now study abroad in some way, came back and create great things. So I think it's a big opportunity and a lot of space to grow,” Stephen said.

“Right now, my big project is to keep doing what I'm doing. I'm trying to do more, not trying to do new things. So for me, more is getting my company to 100 people full-time.”

Using the stage name Stephen Vũ, he also ventured into stand-up comedy, performing for Sài Gòn Tếu (Funny Sài Gòn), a Vietnamese-language comedy show that blends humour and cultural insight.

In his debut performance since 2024, he captivated the audience with his insightful storytelling, clever wordplay and puns, keeping them constantly laughing.

Stephen's stand-up comedy debut was well-received, quickly gaining popularity and drawing high views on social media.

“I remember watching Sài Gòn Tếu show and thinking like if I could stand on that stage and perform in Vietnamese that would mean my Vietnamese had hit a certain level and also at that time I was thinking about how my company is very global, it's not a Vietnamese-only company and so I wanted to have something that connected me more closely to Việt Nam.

“I thought a stand-up comedy is something that I could only do in Việt Nam, if I do it in Vietnamese and so I thought man it's a really interesting opportunity for me to create something that's specific to Việt Nam and I was just so excited.”

Not only blessed with a great sense of humour, Stephen also possesses a deep passion for literature and the arts.

As a student, he co-authored the book ‘Your Relationship GPA: Lessons from Harvard Students on How to Make Time for What Matters Most’. This book, which focused on friendship, became a bestseller on Amazon.

Immersing himself in Việt Nam, he fell in love with its literature, from the beauty of its poetry to the depth of its prose and films.

“I do really like the stories and books of Nguyễn Nhật Ánh,” he said.

“I'm probably still not yet at the level to read a lot of books, but I love to watch movies and, you know, movies like Mắt Biếc (Blue Eyes) is my favorite or Nhà Gia Tiên (The Ancestral Home) is another movie I watch, which I love.”

After spending in total more than a decade in Việt Nam, Stephen has come to regard it as his second home, a place where he has rooted his heart.

As HCM City pulses with energy in anticipation of the 50th anniversary of Việt Nam’s reunification and independence, he too feels the weight and joy of this historic moment as part of the city’s rhythm.

“I'm really excited for the 50th anniversary. It's a really special time right now to be in Việt Nam and feel honoured to be here,” Stephen said.

“I'm American and 50 years later, I feel so welcomed here and appreciated.

“Even though we've had a long history as two countries. 50 years ago, it was a totally different time. So it's crazy how much the world can change in 50 years. The country I'm from, being a part of this big war. So it's really, really, really special. I feel really lucky to be so welcomed here and for people to treat me so kindly, you know, despite my country.” — VNS