ABOUT US

Born in Vietnam and raised in New Orleans, Tom Bui brings a unique perspective to his role as a Program Manager at a community-based organization in City Heights. His diverse background has ignited a deep passion for the neighborhood’s vibrant culture, particularly its dynamic food scene.
Tom champions community growth by leading a program that provides technical assistance, funding, and marketing support to city heights local businesses. He understands that a thriving business community is essential for the well-being of residents and makes it a priority to actively listen to their needs.
Drawing on his past career as an actor, Tom has honed powerful communication skills that are now a vital asset in his community work. These skills were on full display in "More than Pho," a web series he spearheaded to explore City Heights’ rich Vietnamese food culture. Tom's dedication to connecting with and empowering his community makes him a key driver of its continued prosperity.

Mimi Tran (she/her/hers) is a retirement and life insurance specialist with Appreciation Financial. Born and raised in Garden Grove, CA, surrounded by many Vietnamese people in the large diaspora of Little Saigon, Orange County, Mimi was thrilled to find a delicious bowl of Bun Bo Hue to remind her of home and Vietnamese community to connect with when she moved to San Diego to attend UC San Diego.

Mimi is passionate about City Heights because it reminds her of the diverse neighborhood she grew up in that was rich in diversity, language, culture, and food. “I am incredibly excited to be working with Viet Voices on More Than Pho, to promote the amazing Vietnamese restaurants in City Heights that have provided me a sense of home and comfort. There is so much depth to Vietnamese culture and any single dish can tell a story about struggle, survival, growth, determination, and love. These stories deserve to be shared and celebrated.”

Hola, my name is Carlos Solorio from Tijuana, BC, Mexico and raised in San Diego, CA. I’m the Creative Director behind the camera for Solorio Film Productions, a binational media company that focuses on capturing migrant and refugee stories on both sides of our border region. 

My life changed when I moved to the nearby Oak Park neighborhood and was exposed to Asian culture, specifically Vietnamese food while a student at the Horace Mann Middle School. My experience with the diverse cultures in City Heights opened my global lens and allowed me to make connections with friends who shared similar migrant upbringings coming to this country looking for better opportunities. 

I am a graduate from CSU Los Angeles with a Bachelor of Arts degree in TV, Film, and New Media Studies and SDSU with a M.A. in Liberal Studies, focusing in Media Studies, Fine Arts, and Transformative Arts. 

I have documented great stories for many years on El Cajon Boulevard, specifically the Little Saigon District and am extremely blessed and grateful to participate in this More Than Pho endeavor, capturing great stories of family roots, resilience, and of course tasting great recipes of many flavorful dishes. 

Huy joined Viet Voices after a team of volunteers came together to form the group with the intention of increasing civic engagement in the Vietnamese community.

Professionally, he used to work in the accounting field but left in 2020 to join the non-profit sector to do community organizing work full-time. When Viet Voices became a 501c3 non-profit in 2019, Huy served as President for 3 years and has now settled into the role of Executive Director.

Huy and his parents were the last people in his clan to migrate to the U.S. in 1990. After graduating from high school, he attended UCLA, earning a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology. He has lived in San Diego for almost 20 years and considered it his home.

Huy enjoys gardening, plants, arts, books, cooking vegan food at home, and playing with his two cats.

Tessie  is a Social Media Marketer and the Executive Director of Heritage Westminster, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit. She is deeply passionate about celebrating Vietnamese culture—its voices, beauty, cuisine, and civic engagement—and channels this commitment into uplifting and empowering the Vietnamese community across Southern California. Outside of her professional work, Tessie enjoys reading, discovering local restaurants, and traveling.