How Our Stories Shape Our Giving
with Vinh and Leisle Chung
In the sixth episode of season 3 of the Giving Done Right podcast, philanthropists Vinh and Leisle Chung share their remarkable stories of coming to the U.S. as a refugee and an immigrant, respectively, and how early experiences being on the receiving end of generosity have deeply shaped their own giving. They also discuss the way that generosity is passed down through generations by example, the intangible and invaluable benefits that philanthropy brings the giver, and their journey to orienting the mission of their medical practice around giving both locally and internationally.
Guest Info:
Dr. Vinh Chung was born in Vietnam, not long after the fall of Saigon. His family left Vietnam as refugees who fled Communist oppression. He grew up in Fort Smith, Arkansas, as one of eleven children. The story of his family’s survival and his early years is chronicled in his memoir, “Where the Wind Leads.”
Vinh went on to Harvard University, where he graduated magna cum laude, then to the University of Edinburgh in Scotland to study theology alongside his wife, Leisle Chung. He also completed a master of pharmaceutical science at the University of Sydney as a Fulbright Scholar, earned his medical degree from Harvard Medical School, and completed a Mohs surgery fellowship, the highest level of training for specialization in the treatment of skin cancer, at Emory.
Leisle Chung grew up on a farm in Arkansas (she and Vinh were high school sweethearts). She graduated magna cum laude from Yale College and then earned an MBA from Harvard Business School. She spent a decade working for Bain & Company as a strategy consultant specializing in growth strategy and private equity due diligence.
Having long wanted to live in Colorado, Vinh and Leisle Chung moved to Colorado Springs to lay down roots and raise a family and, in 2009, they opened Vanguard Skin Specialists. They wanted to create a medical center of excellence guided by a vision to make a positive impact on their patients, their community, and the world at large. Their medical practice now has nine locations across southern Colorado and 95 team members and is actively involved in training future medical providers, volunteering in the community, and supporting humanitarian missions worldwide.
Credits:
Executive Producer: Sarah Martin
Audio engineer: Kevin O’Connell
Additional editing: Isabel Hibbard
Music: “FasterFasterBrighter” and “Kid Kodi” by Blue Dot Sessions
Artwork: Jay Kustka
Resources:
“Where the Wind Leads” by Vinh Chung & Tim Downs
“Minari” – A24 Films
Vanguard Skin Specialists
Becoming Americans – Dr. Vinh and Leisle Chung