Lê Hoàng Diệp Thảo

"Queen of Coffee" — CEO of King Coffee, bringing Vietnamese coffee to 120+ countries

Notable Quotes

“Coffee has always brought me endless joy, creativity and passion.”
Source: Global Brands Magazine

“Go out to see the opportunities and take action. It is your achievements that create your reputation, not your speeches.”
Source: King Coffee US

“Why, while the price of a cup of coffee abroad is 5 dollars, in our country farmers can only sell coffee beans for 5 cents per kg?”
Source: King Coffee US

Advice

The "reverse" strategy

Enter international markets first to build world-class credibility, then return to dominate the domestic market with brand advantage.

Actions build reputation, not words

Don't just talk about your plans — execute and let results speak for you.

Build the value chain from the farmer

The true value of Vietnamese coffee lies with the growers. Supporting farmers is supporting yourself.

Key Highlights

✓Co-founded Trung Nguyên Group, directly managed operations 1998-2014
✓Founded King Coffee (2015) — exported to 120+ countries
✓"Most Admired CEO in Vietnam" (F&B) — Global Brands Magazine (2020)
✓Launched "Women Can Do" supporting 100,000 women entrepreneurs

Biography

Lê Hoàng Diệp Thảo was born in 1973 in Gia Lai. Together with ex-husband Đặng Lê Nguyên Vũ, she co-founded Trung Nguyên Group and directly managed operations from 1998-2014, playing a key role in bringing the G7 brand to international markets. In 2015, she founded TNI King Coffee with a "reverse" strategy — entering international markets first to build credibility, then returning to dominate domestically. Within just 1 year, the distribution network covered all 63 provinces. Today, King Coffee is present in over 120 countries. She received the "Most Admired CEO in Vietnam" award (Global Brands Magazine, 2020) and was the first Vietnamese speaker at the Allegra World Coffee Portal CEO Forum. She launched the "Women Can Do" project supporting 100,000 women entrepreneurs.