Born in 2008, Long showed a passion for economics, science, and social activities from a young age. Rather than focusing solely on academics, Long chose to launch community projects to create a positive impact on society.

In 2023, Long founded Eco-Stall project, a mobile stall using environmentally friendly materials, aligned with green transition and ESG trends. 

The project won first prize at the Innovation Competition held by the Vietnam-UK Institute for Research and Executive Education (VNUK, University of Da Nang) and has been used at several local restaurants. All profits and donations from Eco-Stall are to be used to support disadvantaged people in HCMC.

Next, Long launched ToyJoy, a project with the slogan "Sharing Toy, Sharing Joy", aiming to provide quality toys to children who lack access due to economic disparity. ToyJoy raised VND180 million to support the Children’s Heart Surgery Fund at Children’s Hospital 2.

“What makes me proud isn’t just the money we raised, but seeing how items that were once discarded could bring joy and hope to other kids,” Long said.

Today, ToyJoy has its own website and has garnered attention from both domestic and international donors.

Journey to the UN

From those initial steps, Long expanded his reach, participating in more international competitions with his unique ideas. After winning an award at VNUK, Long was invited to attend Global Goals Week 2023, then further refined his ideas during the 10-week UNITAR Asia-Pacific Youth Ambassador program. 

As a result, Long became one of two Vietnamese representatives at the Summit of the Future 2024 (SOTF 2024), a United Nations summit addressing global challenges.

At the “Intergenerational Solidarity” session, Long made an impression with a speech on the role of youth in creating sustainable impact, supported by examples from his Eco-Stall initiative and the Global Innovators Hub (GIH), which he founded. GIH now has over 150 members across six schools in five countries, operating as an incubator for high school students.

“After my speech, I connected with scholars, founders and representatives from international organizations like UNDP, UNESCO, and the Ban Ki-moon Foundation. I learned that for an initiative to go far, it needs to combine the creativity of youth with the experience of previous generations,” Long said.

At that very event, Long caught the attention of many international experts, including William T. Harris, CEO of Space Center Houston, laying the foundation for the next milestone: the Conrad Challenge 2024.

Victory at the Conrad Challenge

While SOTF 2024 was where Long represented the voice of Vietnamese youth, Conrad Challenge 2024 was where he and his teammates achieved something extraordinary.

Together with four other students from BIS and Le Hong Phong High School for the Gifted, Long formed Aquaneer Vietnam, a project to develop a sustainable water filtration system using chitosan extracted from shrimp shells. The idea stemmed from the fact that Vietnam’s seafood industry produces millions of tons of shrimp waste annually, contributing to environmental pollution. 

The team turned this waste into a filtration system capable of removing 97 percent turbidity, 99 percent impurities, and processing up to 500 liters of water per hour, enough for over 1,000 people daily.

On his team, Long had the role of developing the financial model, outlining revenue plans, cost structure, breakeven point, and a commercialization roadmap.

“I wanted this to go beyond just a scientific idea. I wanted it to run like a real business,” he said.

This year’s competition attracted more than 4,700 teams from 50 countries, with the final round held at NASA’s Space Center Houston. Before a panel of experts from Intel, Amazon, Equinox, and more, the Aquaneer team delivered an outstanding presentation and showcased their product.

The Vietnamese team won two prestigious awards, Power Pitch (for outstanding presentation), and Glinsky Tabletop Expo Award (for best exhibition booth).

“Standing on stage in Houston, in front of hundreds of engineers and scholars, we were both nervous and proud. It was a moment I’ll never forget,” Long said.

The success at the Conrad Challenge has opened many doors. Long said that during the competition, Aquaneer Vietnam attracted attention from domestic chitosan producers and international investors. 

William T. Harris even expressed interest in connecting the project with potential business partners in Vietnam.

Le Thanh