Aaron Everhart
Country Representative at KILSA Global
Da Nang City
Overview
Work Experience
Country Lead Vietnam
2021 - Current
Get inspired, connected, and empowered at Draper Startup House.
Country Representative
2021 - 2024
Providing market entry services to innovative startups and SMEs that wish to enter the most important ASEAN hubs, including: Korea, Vietnam, Thailand, Singapore, Indonesia, and Malaysia.
Founder and CEO
2012 - 2024
A marketing, advertising, and PR communications company specialized in strategic behavior-change communications serving corporate, NGO, and government clients.
Founder, Board Member, Mentor
2013 - 2021
With a team of young innovators, I led the conceptualization and launched of one of Vietnam's first innovation-based enterprise (startup) ecosystem builders. HATCH! grew 100% year-on-year throughout most of its life. Some HATCH! firsts include Vietnam's first combined startup expo and entrepreneurship exposition (HATCH! FAIR), one of Vietnam's first co-working spaces (HATCH! NEST), and one of Vietnam's earliest business incubators. Key partners included Google; the US Department of State; Asia Foundation; HIVOS; MYSC; dozens of VC firms and educational institutions; and the governments of Vietnam, Finland, Israel, and Korea. In 2021, HATCH! was acquired by V. Hospitality (Singapore), was re-branded, and now continues to operate as "Draper Startup House Vietnam," and connects, inspires, and empowers local and international startup founders.
Business Director, Vietnam
2010 - 2015
Led Vietnam market entry for the world's most accomplished brand identity and design firm. Key local clients include Vietnam Business Forum and Hanoi Department of Transportation. In 2015, Landor consolidated regionally to based projects in either Singapore or Hong Kong.
Brand Strategist
2007 - 2012
I helped to establish the presence of Grey Global Group (now "GREY") in Hanoi, Vietnam in 2007. GREY, famously effective since 1918, has been helping brands win hearts for over a century. Client and creative strategic services to MNCs operating / entering Vietnam (P&G, Diageo, Chevrolet, BAT, and many other global brands) as well as privatizing SOEs (Bao Viet Holdings, EVN), local SMEs (Highlands Coffee, KOTO, Nino-Max, Format, Runam), and NGOs (World Bank, WHO, ADB, ILO, Save the Children, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation).
Director of Information Technology for the Americas Region
2000 - 2004
I led the IT department of the Americas Region for the world's most accomplished brand identity and design firm. Implemented ITIL framework, conceptualized a revenue-generating cost-capture system for client print services, implemented a business continuity disaster recovery plan, and set up a global IT service desk to ensure IT proactively enabled the maximization of staff productivity.
Verbal Branding and Naming Specialist
1995 - 1999
I developed brand names, brand voice, brand architecture (nomenclature solutions), and packaging copywriting solutions for Fortune 500 corporations and consumer brands. Notable client projects include verbal branding and naming services for FedEx, Royal Caribbean International, Frito-Lay, Microsoft, Eli Lily, and dozens of other global brands. 4 years as creative contractor and 1 year as staff, before being promoted to management at Landor in a different department.