How Mai Truong Turned Cultural Disconnect Into a Mission-Driven Brand

Growing up, Mai Truong often felt disconnected from her Asian identity. As the daughter of Vietnamese refugees, she rarely saw herself reflected in ways that made her feel proud of her heritage. Instead, like so many children navigating multiple worlds, she found herself distancing herself from parts of her culture rather than embracing them.

When Mai became a mother, she knew she wanted something different for her daughters. She dreamed of a childhood where Bo and Mei could see themselves reflected in the books they read, the games they played, and the traditions woven into everyday life at home. But after years of feeling disconnected from her own roots, she wasn’t entirely sure how to create that experience. Products that made cultural learning feel modern, approachable, and genuinely fun were surprisingly hard to find.

That realization became the spark for Bo & Mei, which was named for Mai’s daughters. Launched in 2023, the company creates thoughtfully designed games, puzzles, and creative activities that help children build pride and connection to their cultural identities while encouraging families of all backgrounds to explore and celebrate different cultures together. What began as Mai’s personal journey to reconnect with her heritage has since grown into a mission-driven business helping families experience culture, identity, and belonging through play.

What are some of the most meaningful impacts your business has had so far?

Hearing from families who tell us our products helped create moments of connection across generations has been incredibly meaningful. We’ve heard from parents introducing their children to traditions they grew up with, grandparents teaching grandchildren how to play mahjong for the first time, and mixed-culture families looking for approachable ways to explore heritage together.

Many customers have shared that they never had products like this growing up and that seeing their cultures reflected in such a joyful and modern way feels emotional and validating. At the same time, we’ve also seen families from many different backgrounds embrace our products as a way to raise culturally curious children. What means the most to me is knowing these moments become lasting memories and small but meaningful ways families build connection, pride, and understanding.

In what ways have your upbringing or past experiences contributed to how you operate as an entrepreneur?

Growing up as the child of immigrants gave me a strong sense of resilience, adaptability, and appreciation for hard work from an early age. At the same time, navigating feelings of cultural disconnection made me especially sensitive to the importance of representation and belonging.

Before starting Bo & Mei, I spent over a decade working in global human rights nonprofits and mission-driven organizations. That experience taught me how to lead with empathy, build thoughtfully with limited resources, and stay grounded in purpose even during uncertainty. Those experiences are a big part of why I’ve approached Bo & Mei not just as a business, but as something deeply connected to people, identity, and community.

What’s been the hardest and most rewarding part of your entrepreneurial journey?

The hardest part has been navigating the uncertainty that comes with building a product-based business from scratch while also balancing motherhood and limited resources. Behind the scenes, consumer products can be incredibly complex. There are constant challenges to manage, from manufacturing delays and inventory risk to cash flow, quality control, and the pressure of making difficult decisions without a large team or safety net.

Along the way, there have also been many moments of self-doubt. Entrepreneurship stretches you emotionally in ways I don’t think people fully understand unless they’ve experienced it themselves. You’re constantly balancing creativity with practicality, vision with financial reality, and ambition with the need to stay grounded and sustainable over the long term.

The most rewarding part has been seeing my daughters grow up with the very thing I felt was missing when I was young: the ability to see themselves reflected in the world around them in a joyful, affirming, and everyday way. Watching them light up over stories, games, and traditions connected to their Vietnamese and Chinese heritage has been incredibly emotional for me. It’s made me realize how powerful it can be for children to feel that their culture belongs not at the margins, but as part of everyday play, learning, and connection.

Has your definition of success evolved throughout your journey as a founder?

Earlier in my career, I probably viewed success more through the lens of achievement, recognition, or traditional professional milestones. I was very focused on productivity, external validation, and the idea that success always had to look bigger, faster, or more impressive over time.

Over the years, though, my definition of success has become much more grounded and personal. Becoming a mother and building Bo & Mei shifted my perspective significantly. I started thinking more deeply about how I wanted my work to feel, not just what it accomplished externally. I realized I didn’t want to build a business that consumed my life or pulled me away from the very values that inspired it in the first place.

Today, success means building something that aligns with my values and genuinely contributes something meaningful to people’s lives. It means creating products that help families connect, building a business that supports my family sustainably, and staying intentional about the kind of life I want to create along the way. It also means being present enough to actually experience the life I’m working so hard to build, whether that’s spending meaningful time with my children or being able to appreciate the small milestones instead of constantly chasing the next one.

I still care deeply about growth and building something impactful, but I no longer believe success has to come at the expense of well-being, relationships, or inner peace. To me, real success is building something meaningful without losing myself in the process.

What would you tell your younger self if you were to start your entrepreneurial journey all over again?

Spend far less time listening to the voice that says you’re behind, not qualified enough, or not ready yet. Looking back, I can see how much energy was lost to self-doubt, perfectionism, and feeling like I needed to prove myself before fully stepping into opportunities.

I would encourage her to approach growth with more curiosity and compassion instead of fear. So much of entrepreneurship and leadership is learned through experience, not before it. You don’t need to have everything figured out to begin. Most confidence is built through taking imperfect action, making mistakes, adapting, and continuing, anyway.

I’d also remind her that many of the things she once viewed as weaknesses—being deeply sensitive, navigating multiple cultures, questioning where she belonged—would eventually become some of her greatest strengths as a founder. Those experiences helped shape a perspective rooted in empathy, connection, and meaning.

Most importantly, I would tell her that success is not worth much if you lose yourself in the process of chasing it. Build with ambition, but also with mindfulness. Protect your inner life, your relationships, and your sense of peace along the way. The goal isn’t just to build something impressive, but to build something meaningful while becoming someone you’re proud of in the process.