Thu Do is the co-founder of VNHELP and has been part of the organization since its inception in 1991. She is currently President and Executive Director of the organization. In VNHELP’s first 14 years, Ms. Do played core leadership roles for the organization in various capacities as Fundraising Director, Communication and Public Relations Director, Program Development Director, and Treasurer. In 2006, pursuing her passion, Ms. Do left her 22-year engineering career in Silicon Valley’s tech industry to serve as VNHELP’s full-time volunteer Executive Director, later becoming the organization’s first full-time staff member in 2010.

Ms. Do’s technical skills followed her into the nonprofit sector: she helped create and automate many processes and tools to improve the organization’s structure, transparency, cost-efficiency, and public image. Under her leadership, VNHelp has expanded from a small organization working with a $5,000 budget into a reputable charity generating over 1.4 million dollars annually. Ms. Do often travels to Vietnam to develop new programs and strengthen existing programs. VNHelp continues to increase the number and size of its programs, which profoundly impact the lives of disadvantaged individuals and communities.

Ms. Do is passionate about volunteering and community engagement. Her non-stop community activism began as a teenager. She was co-director and anchorwoman for Vietnam Liberty Television in San Jose, CA, between 1984 and 1987, and served as president of the Vietnamese Student Association at UC Berkeley and Contra Costa College during her college years between 1979 and 1984. Ms. Do was featured on ABC7 Television’s Profiles of Excellence in 2003 for her community service. She graduated from University of California, Berkeley with a degree in Computer Science in 1984.