Hosted by Saigon Young Professionals
📍 Madame Lam (Private Room)
📅 Friday, August 29, 2025
🕦 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: August 29, 2025
This kicks off our new monthly series. Each lunch features a different guest and a new focus.
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
👤 Stefano Pellegrino
PhD, Serial Founder, UC Berkeley Alum, New York Attorney, and Co-Founder & CEO at Aquila
Stefano is a lawyer by degree, but a founder by trade. He’s the Co-Founder and CEO of Aquila, and previously served as Vietnam Co-Founder at Aspire, one of Southeast Asia’s leading fintech platforms — now valued in the hundreds of millions.
At Aspire, he built and led the Vietnam business from scratch:
- Grew the local team to 75+ employees across 7 departments
- Achieved profitability within 9 months
- Delivered 300% revenue growth 3 years in a row
- Disbursed over $65M in SME and green finance loans
- Navigated Vietnam’s regulatory, compliance, and banking landscape from the ground up
A UC Berkeley alumnus and licensed New York attorney, Stefano has led teams, launched products, and scaled operations across Southeast Asia. Today, he splits his time between building Aquila and advising early-stage companies and investors across the region.
Who’s This For?
This session is perfect for:
- Founders & Aspiring Founders
- Startup Operators & Business Builders
- Technologists, Product Leads & Fintech Enthusiasts
- Anyone curious about building in Vietnam or Southeast Asia
- Professionals looking to learn from a seasoned, high-impact leader who’s done it before
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:
1. Bank Transfer
Early-Bird (before August 22): 250,000 VND
Regular Price: 300,000 VND
2. Credit Card (Stripe – USD)
Early-Bird (before August 22): $10 USD
Regular Price: $12 USD
Click the RSVP Now button on this event page and follow the steps to pay
Limited Seats. High Impact.
⚠️ Only 9 seats available per month
📍 Madame Lam – 10 Tran Ngoc Dien, An Khanh Ward, HCM City.
📅 Friday, August 29 – 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).
