Hong Hoang

Hong Hoang is the Founder and Executive Director of CHANGE, a dynamic Vietnamese NGO with the mission to address the country’s most critical environmental issues, including climate change, wildlife trade, and pollution, through strategic communications, community empowerment, and cross-sector partnership.

Under Hong’s leadership, CHANGE has been coordinating over 200 campaigns since its establishment in 2013 to raise awareness, build capacity, engage the community and different sectors in action campaigns to protect wildlife, reduce human impacts on the environment, and provide support to the affected communities.

Hong Hoang was recognized by climateheroes.org as a Climate Hero for her contributions to building the community-led climate movement in Southeast Asia and Vietnam.

Hong was one of the 12 rising civic leaders from 12 nations joining the first cohort of the Obama Scholars Program at Columbia University in New York City during 2018-2019.

Hong was listed by Forbes Vietnam among the 50 most influential Vietnamese women in 2019. She was also awarded among the Top 5 Ambassadors of Inspiration at WeChoice Awards 2019. Also in 2019, she won the Green Warrior of the Year title at Elle Style Awards.

Beyond her work at CHANGE, Hong has been a renowned environmentalist for over 20 years, after being the first Vietnamese person ever to set foot on Antarctica in 1997, in an expedition to raise attention on the global climate issue. She became a Special Junior Envoy of the UNESCO and received a Certificate of Merit from the Vietnamese Prime Minister for her achievements.

Hong's past career includes 3 years as Southeast Asia Co-Coordinator at 350.org and 7 years as Regional Communications Manager for WWF Greater Mekong.