Kimmi Võ
Founder, Mekong Brief & Mangrove Strategies
Former USAID Diplomat · USDA/FAS Specialist · Ho Chi Minh City
Kimmi Võ | Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
I grew up in a Vietnamese-American family — the daughter of refugees who built a new life far from the rice paddies of Northern Vietnam. That history is part of why working here, in Ho Chi Minh City, on the trade that connects Vietnam to the world, carries more than professional meaning for me. My path here ran through the US Peace Corps, USDA's Foreign Agricultural Service, and USAID, where I served as an Agricultural Development Diplomat — a decade working at the intersection of agriculture, food systems, and trade.
Mekong Brief is built from that experience and direct fluency in Vietnamese — the language in which Vietnam's trade reality is actually written, from government circulars and MARD bulletins to VASEP advisories and provincial trade press. It's a biweekly intelligence newsletter on Vietnam's food, agriculture, and commercial sectors, for international buyers navigating Vietnamese supply chains and Vietnamese exporters managing US and EU regulatory complexity.
Need more than a newsletter? Through Mangrove Strategies, I provide on-the-ground advisory services in market entry, supplier due diligence, and regulatory navigation for companies operating in Vietnam.
Learn more →
Experience & Background
US GOVERNMENT
USAID Diplomat & USDA/FAS Specialist
Agricultural Development Diplomat, USAID Bureau for Resilience, Environment and Food Security. M&E Specialist, USDA Foreign Agricultural Service Global Programs — overseeing a portfolio of ~$500M in sustainable agriculture and food security programs. M.A. International Economics & Development, Johns Hopkins SAIS (Bologna + Washington). B.S. Management, Boston College.
LANGUAGES
Vietnamese & English
Advanced fluency in Vietnamese and English. Intermediate Mandarin, French, and Spanish.
What I am Building
Mekong Brief
Vietnam Trade and Market Intelligence
A biweekly trade intelligence newsletter covering Vietnam food, agriculture, and commercial sectors. Free and paid tiers. Published in English, with Vietnamese translation available on request.
Mangrove Strategies
Trade Advisory and Market Access
Boutique advisory firm specializing in US-Vietnam market entry, sourcing strategy, and regulatory navigation. On-the-ground presence in Ho Chi Minh City.
Get in Touch
For newsletter inquiries: [email protected]
For consulting and advisory services: [email protected]