In 2014, I left California for Vietnam on a one-way ticket.
No Plan B. Just a feeling that Vietnam was about to matter, and that I wanted to help build what came next.
Built to win
I co-founded Skylight in Nha Trang. Then in 2021, my brother Dru, Randy and I bought GAM Esports.
We built GAM to win. And we did. Eleven VCS titles, the most in Vietnamese esports history. A SEA Games gold. Upsets at Worlds that put Vietnam on the map.
Winning was the strategy. Honestly, winning was the identity.
Then came 2025
GAM missed Worlds.
We had put everything into that one result. When it didn't happen, the loss ran to six figures, and I carried it the way a lot of founders do: quietly, and alone.
I'm not going to pretend it was a lesson in the moment. It wasn't. I seriously thought about walking away.
What happened next changed how I think about building anything. I'll tell that part in person.
What I'll share at RISE 4
On Friday 13 November, EO Vietnam has asked me to give a 20-minute talk at RISE 4 in Ho Chi Minh City. It's called The Bigger GAMe.
In it, I'll share:
- The moment I realized what GAM actually stands for. It had nothing to do with a trophy.
- What changed when I stopped carrying it alone. And who helped me see that I was never in the worst place.
- The one question I now ask every founder. I'll ask it of the room too.
Here's a preview of that question:
What does your brand stand for, besides being the best?
If you can't answer it yet, you're in good company. A year ago, I couldn't either.
Questions about the talk
What is The Bigger GAMe about?
It's TK Nguyen's story of building GAM Entertainment, the year GAM missed Worlds, and what a founder learns when winning stops being enough. It's about standing for something bigger than the scoreboard, and not building it alone.
When and where is EO Vietnam RISE 4?
Friday, 13 November 2026, from 2:00 PM to 5:00 PM, with a happy hour after. It's at nanoHome Gallery Saigon, 675-677 Điện Biên Phủ, Thạnh Mỹ Tây Ward, Ho Chi Minh City. Võ Duy Phú of Every Half opens at 3:15 PM, and TK speaks at 4:00 PM, followed by 20 minutes of questions.
Who should come?
Founders, CEOs and leadership teams building companies in Vietnam. Especially the ones who feel like they've had to figure it all out alone. The room is capped at 50 seats.
How do I get a seat?
Register on EO Vietnam's RISE 4 page. If an EO Vietnam member invited you, ask them for their guest code.
You can read EO Vietnam's piece on Phú and me, and see where else I'm speaking on my speaking page.
See you in the room. 🤜🏼🤛🏼
