Nina Nguyen, CEO and founder of Brisbane-based packaging company Pakko will join business and community leaders in participating at the 2022 Vinnies CEO Sleepout.

On 23 June, the longest night of the year, Nguyen will spend the night at Riverstage, in the Brisbane City Botanic Gardens, in a bid to raise awareness for Australians experiencing homelessness.

It’s expected to be an emotional experience for Nguyen, who explained that when her parents first came to Australia as refugees from Vietnam, they struggled to find work and relied on support from community groups like Vinnies to survive.

This is Nguyen’s first Vinnies CEO Sleepout.

“When my parents arrived in Australia as refugees from Vietnam, we had very little money and we relied on donations from our local charity and community groups for food and clothes. Eventually, my parents found work and we were able to move out of that cycle of poverty, but I am forever grateful for the help we received when we needed it most,” Nguyen said.

By sharing her story, Nguyen hopes to inspire other small business owners, especially those within the migrant and refugee communities to tell their own personal stories. She said everyone can find courage in a shared experience and in doing so, open their hearts to support Australians who are currently experiencing financial hardship and homelessness.

As the recent winner of the 2022 Telstra Best of Business Award, in the category for Progressing Australia, Nguyen is an advocate for diverse, multicultural workplaces and a mentor for young women seeking out career opportunities, regardless of their background.

Her commitment to the community and success of creating a multicultural workplace won her this prestigious national award and now, she is an example of what strong local leadership looks like for business owners across the country.

‘It is incumbent upon us, as leaders within the community to inspire and motivate the people around us, by creating a safe, diverse and multicultural workplace. We can empower the people who live in our communities and when we do that, we all contribute to the way Australia will Progress in the future,” Nguyen mentioned.

“I believe that we all have a responsibility to take care of each other – when the whole community is living well and healthy, we all thrive. I know we can’t eliminate all the issues overnight, but we can raise awareness to the fact that every night in Australia 116,000 people don’t have a safe and secure place to live and we can help Vinnies raise the funds they need to help people. I am proud to be supporting the Vinnies CEO Sleepout,” she added.

The Vinnies CEO Sleepout first started 17 years ago in Sydney and since then, has nationally raised almost $73 million. This year’s fundraising goal is $8.7 million nationally.

Nguyen aims to raise $8,000 this year – and at the time of writing, had already raised $7,728.

To donate towards Nguyen’s cause, click here.