Hosted by Saigon Young Professionals
Location: Madame Lam (Private Room)
Event Date: 2025-10-31
Event Time: 11:30 AM – 1:00 PM
Real Conversations. Real Leaders. Real Growth.
This isn’t your average networking lunch. Lunch with a Leader is a new monthly series by Saigon Young Professionals, designed to create rare, intimate opportunities for ambitious professionals to connect with those who’ve walked the path before them.
Each month, we’ll gather a small group of just 9 participants for a private lunch with one exceptional guest — a founder, investor, executive, or expert — someone who has built, led, or innovated at the highest levels in their field.
No stage. No panel. No mic. Just an honest, relaxed conversation over great food — where you can ask questions, share your own journey, and learn directly from a leader you admire.
What’s Included
🍽️ 3-Course Lunch at Madame Lam
Enjoy a thoughtfully prepared lunch at one of Saigon’s most celebrated restaurants. Madame Lam is generously sponsoring the space, hosting us in their private dining room — a quiet setting ideal for real conversation.
👥 1 Mentor. 9 Guests. 90 Minutes of Open Dialogue
Expect honest stories, practical advice, and room to ask what’s actually on your mind. Each guest mentor brings their own lens — from startups and marketing to leadership and investment.
🗓️ Next Event: October 31, 2025
Our monthly series continues. Each lunch features a different guest and a new focus.
Agenda
🕦 11:30 AM – Arrival & Welcome
Get settled in the private dining room at Madame Lam, meet fellow guests, and enjoy a warm welcome from the Saigon Young Professionals team.
🥗 11:45 AM – Lunch & Guided Conversation
A delicious 3-course lunch begins. We’ll open up a relaxed, mentor-led discussion where participants can ask questions, share experiences, and dive into real, meaningful dialogue.
💬 12:45 PM – Final Q&A + Wrap-Up
Close out the session with final takeaways, deeper questions, and reflections from the group. Expect a casual, open atmosphere the entire time.
🛎️ 1:00 PM – Event Ends
Stick around if you’d like to connect further or continue conversations informally.
Why Join?
You might be…
- Building a business and feeling stuck
- Exploring a career shift and unsure where to start
- Trying to level up but lacking the right sounding board
- Craving advice from someone who’s been through the grind
This is your chance to ask the questions that matter — in a setting that encourages real talk, not surface-level small talk. You’ll leave with fresh insight, some clarity, and maybe even a new connection that lasts.
This Month’s Guest Mentor
Giovanni Zangani is the Founder and Managing Partner of Maestro Equity Partners, an investment firm focused on growth equity across food & beverage, retail, and e-commerce in Vietnam and SEA, with investment tickets ranging from USD 5 to 20 million.
Before establishing Maestro Equity Partners, Giovanni served as Investment Director at a family office, following his role at Mekong Capital, where he specialized in consumer-focused investments. He began his career as a management consultant at Accenture, advising global clients across Europe and the United States.
Over the years, Giovanni has been involved in several notable investments, including Mobile World (Vietnam’s leading electronics retailer), Golden Gate (the country’s leading F&B operator), Con Cung (Vietnam’s largest mother and baby retailer), Milano Coffee (the largest coffee chain by number of outlets in Vietnam), and Sasin (Vietnam’s leading spicy noodle brand).
Giovanni holds an MBA from the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST). Originally from Italy, he is fluent in English, Italian, and Chinese, with conversational proficiency in Vietnamese.
Passionate about entrepreneurship and its ability to drive meaningful change, Giovanni also embraces physical challenges to balance the mental demands of his work. An avid open-water swimmer, he has completed a 14 km solo swim across Lake Orta in Italy and the 10 km Oceanman race in Krabi, Thailand (2023).
Who’s This For?
This session is perfect for:
- Young founders & entrepreneurs in F&B, retail, or e-commerce
- Rising managers in consumer-facing companies (marketing, ops, BD, brand management)
- Aspiring entrepreneurs in corporate roles, curious about launching ventures
- Early-career consultants (Accenture, BCG, Bain, boutique firms) interested in startups/PE
- Startup ecosystem connectors (accelerators, incubators, community builders)
Whether you’re scaling something now or planning your next move, you’ll walk away with clarity, perspective, and lessons you won’t find in a playbook.
How to Buy a Ticket?
Payment Options:
Bank Transfer
Early-Bird (before Sept 19): 250,000 VND
Regular Price: 300,000 VND
Pay securely using bank transfer:
Bank Name: TECHCOMBANK
Account Number: 535859
Account Name: Saigon Young Professionals
–>Include Memo: Your Name, LWL
Limited Seats. High Impact.
⚠️ Only 9 seats available per month
📍 Madame Lam – 10 Tran Ngoc Dien, An Khanh Ward, HCM City
📅 Friday, October 31 – 11:30 AM to 1:00 PM
Reserve your seat early — this will fill up fast.
Come with questions. Leave with insight (and a great meal).
