When a student is ready, the teacher will appear,” states a Confucius proverb. Danny Nguyen, President and Co-Founder of the Vietnamese American Houston Chamber of Commerce and President of Danny Nguyen International, has been ready his whole life. This May 2008, Danny Nguyen will be awarded an Honorary Degree from Houston Community College in recognition of his continuous contribution to the community. “I feel very honored and inspired that the HCC Board of Trustees selected me for this award,” states Danny Nguyen. “I want to use this opportunity as a source of motivation for others, especially young people, who dream of getting a higher education but do not have the confidence in themselves, their talents, and God given unlimited potential,” he continues.

“I am very excited about this opportunity and am a strong advocate for education,” explains Nguyen. “Community college serves as a bridge for many and allows people from different socio-economic backgrounds and cultures to reach their goals of higher education. Had it not been for education, I could not imagine where I would be today,” he comments.

Passionate about his work, Nguyen has been in commercial real estate for more than twelve years. He quotes Confucius, who said, “Find a job that you love and you will never have to work a day in your life.” When asked why he is so enthusiastic towards his profession Danny says, “This career is a good match of my talents, skills, education, background, and my philosophy in life. I love what I do.”

His passion for the real estate profession led him to attain his CCIM designation. As a Certified Commercial Investment Member, Danny Nguyen is a recognized expert in the disciplines of commercial and investment real estate. Only 7,000 professionals across North America hold the CCIM designation, which is considered by many to be the “Ph.D. of commercial real estate.” Danny explains that, “Only 6% of the estimated 125,000 commercial real estate practitioners nationwide hold the CCIM designation, which reflects the caliber of the program and why it is one of the most prestigious designations in the industry.”

This Honorary Degree is the latest of many accomplishments Danny Nguyen has achieved in his twenty-four years in America. He notes, “They are all special since it took countless hours of work and determination to achieve each one, but very satisfying because of everything that I and my loved ones have sacrificed to attain them.” Danny and his family know a lot about sacrifice. Like many Vietnamese immigrants, Danny and his father risked their lives escaping from one of the poorest places on earth, forced to leave his mother and five siblings behind, not to be reunited until ten years later. Danny credits his strong determination to survive, succeed and ability to overcome adversity to his journey from Vietnam to America in search for freedom.

Danny takes every opportunity he can to inspire the people he encounters everyday to do more, to be more, and to have more. He says, “There are so many opportunities in America; right here in our city, it is up to us to figure out what we will do with them. We determine our own destiny!” Danny inspires people around him not only by his words, but by his actions. He takes every opportunity that he can to improve himself in different areas of his life. Self-improvement and education are constant goals for him and they give him much happiness and satisfaction. As he continues to learn and improve himself, he also provides this example for others.

Leading by example is an integral part of Danny Nguyen’s life. Even before he arrived in America he began studying English. When he came to America, he understood the importance of education and attended Clements High School in Sugar Land. Upon graduation he attended Texas A&M University, where he received his BBA in International Business and Marketing. And since he really values education, he is also presently working on an MBA degree

During his college years he founded the International Entrepreneur Society, and served as its first president. He continues his affiliation with Texas A&M as a current alumni member.

Danny Nguyen is a strong advocate of freedom of enterprise and especially appreciates this particular freedom among many other freedoms in the United States. Having realized his entrepreneurial dream, he wants to help as many people as he can to accomplish the same dream. This is why he formed the Vietnamese American Houston Chamber of Commerce, and serves as its President. As President he is instrumental in promoting business development not only between the Vietnamese mainstream community, but the international community as well.

A believer in specialization, Nguyen says it is better to have depth of knowledge rather than being a “jack of all trades.” He carries forward this philosophy in his company and works with all his clients to make certain that their particular situation is analyzed, researched, and that optimum business opportunities are presented. With his passion, knowledge, experience, contacts, and affiliation with a team of experienced professionals in the commercial real estate industry, he is committed to fulfilling his client’s needs and exceeding their expectations. Danny takes his work personally.

He spends many volunteer hours promoting diversity and giving back to his industry, community, and city. “You are a part of it and it’s a part of you; giving back gives me a tremendous sense of fulfillment,” Danny says. His volunteer involvement includes working with: the Houston Association of Realtors (HAR) Board of Directors (first Vietnamese American Director on the Board): HAR Political Affairs Advisory Group and International Affairs Advisory member; the Missouri City Comprehensive Plan Advisory Committee (CPAC); Texas Parkway Alliance, the Missouri City Business Alliance, the International Festival; the Asian Chamber of Commerce and its Asian Language Advisory Committee. He is a member of the Fort Bend Chamber of Commerce and participated in the Fort Bend Leadership Forum - Class of 2007.

Danny and his family currently live in Missouri City. He views the city as one with great people and great business potential. In furtherance of his belief in the city, he is investing his own money in developing a 22,000 square foot professional/retail center on Texas Parkway and Lexington Blvd, next to Unity National Bank, across from the city hall complex. He shares a vision with Missouri City Leaders of revitalizing Texas Parkway and Cartwright Road to enhance the city’s image and attract more businesses and developers.

As a Houston Mayoral International Affairs and Development Council Member, Danny has traveled to Asia, Australia, Russia, the Netherlands, and Mexico to promote business development between these countries. He says the effort of learning and understanding other cultures has helped him tremendously, especially in the diverse Fort Bend County business community. Recently, he was invited by the Greater Houston Partnership to speak on behalf of the Vietnamese American Chamber of Commerce in Houston to the Vietnam Ambassador and delegates who will be visiting the United States and the Houston area in the near future.

Having been a member of Toastmasters International for ten years he would recommend it to anybody who would like to improve his or her public speaking and leadership skills. He credits toastmasters with helping him achieve his numerous accomplishments and explains he would not be where he is today without the group’s help. He also has a radio talk show entitled The Houston Asia Voice which advocates, freedom, entrepreneurialism and inspirational stories. Danny’s favorite quote that inspires him is, “The purpose of life is to discover your gifts and the meaning of life is giving that gift away.”

When asked about people who have influenced his life, Danny says, “There are a lot of people who have influenced me in different ways in different aspects of life, and there are a few people that I am privileged to call mentors who have given me unconditional support and empowered me to achieve the most. These people are: Ms. DuyLoan from Texas Instruments; Ms. Dodie Osteen from Lakewood Church; my parents, my brothers and sisters; and of course my wife.”

He is married to Marie Nguyen and they have two sons, Jordan and Darrell. In his spare time, he enjoys being with his family, especially playing with his two sons and teaching them Vietnamese. Some of his hobbies are horseback riding, roping, ballroom dancing, playing guitar and singing. He loves singing the U.S. National Anthem. He also speaks Vietnamese, English, Spanish, Thai and French.