Today’s Notable Young Entrepreneur is Trung Pham, who’s merging the DIY culture of generations past with Millennial lifestyles and technology through his company, AXIS. We caught up with him to find out what inspired the idea and what advice he would share with other young professionals…
[ad_bb1]
WORK
1. Describe what you do in less than 140 characters. Go.
Founder and CEO of AXIS. I lead a team whose mission is to design beautiful and functional home products for the Millennial generation.
2. What was the inspiration for your career route?
When you look at our generation, the Millennials, we value convenience and may not necessarily have access to the same set of do-it-yourself (DIY) tools that our parents have. We invest in the latest technologies – smartphones, smart thermostats or wearables. We don’t really invest in power tools or screwdrivers.
So I set out to create a company that focuses on redesigning the everyday products of the home to be more DIY-friendly without relying on any hammers or drills. We call this movement DIY 2.0.
3. What is the most memorable milestone in your career so far?
Launching the AXIS Gear and raising a seed round.
4. Where do you see yourself in 5 years, 10 years, 20 years?
5-10 years – CEO of AXIS; creating and launching more amazing products for the home.
20 years – Venture Capitalist; investing in breakthrough technologies and companies that will change the world.
5. Do you have any advice for other young professionals?
Focus. There are a lot of opportunities in life; learn which ones are a priority and learn how to say “no” to the others. The more you say “no,” the more focused you’ll become.
6. Do you support any charities? If so, which one(s) and why is it (or they) important to you?
SchoolBox – accessibility to education is a natural right. After graduating, I spent some time supporting SchoolBox in Central America.
7. What is one major challenge that you’ve had to overcome in your career? How did you overcome it?
The greatest challenge I faced so far is convincing investors to invest in a hardware company led by someone with a finance background. I overcame this by building a talented team of business minds, engineers and designers; we developed prototypes to prove our concepts.
8. What does the word notable mean to you?
Something or someone impactful or inspiring.
PLAY
1. Where is your favourite place to wine/ dine in your city and why?
King St. West – it’s definitely home to a great variety of restaurants and nightlife.
2. What’s the most visited website on your Internet browser? The most played song on your phone?
Website: TechCrunch
Song: Baby E – Finessin
3. Who’s one person you think everyone should be following on social media?
Elon Musk.
4. What’s your favourite country to visit and why? And what’s the next one you plan on travelling to?
I’ve been to a few countries in Europe and Asia, but I still prefer visiting the U.S. I’ll be visiting New York, Los Angeles, and San Francisco in the coming months for our financing activities. New York is definitely a favourite; I like the city life and New York is definitely a motivating city.
5. What gives you the greatest FOMO?
The latest acronyms that our generation keeps coming up with.
6. What’s your guiltiest pleasure?
French Fries.
7. What’s something you wish you didn’t spend so much money on? What’s something you wish you spent more on?
Didn’t spend much on: fashion.
Spend more on: traveling and experiences that will give me a fresh perspective on life.
8. And finally, what does success look like to you? Work, play, or otherwise…
Creating something that solves a problem.
[ad_bb2]