Son of Golden Gate founder earns spot at Ivy League, dreams of taking Vietnamese food global

Dao Nhat Nam, 19, a student at The Taft School in Connecticut, received admission offers from several prestigious U.S. universities, including the University of California, Berkeley; Rice University; and the University of Southern California. He plans to pursue a career in the food industry, inspired by both personal passion and family legacy.

Cornell, ranked 11th in the U.S. by U.S. News & World Report, had an acceptance rate of just 7.5% this year. Nam said he chose the school for its excellence in hospitality management, which aligns with his ambition to bring Vietnamese cuisine to the global stage.

From resisting his roots to embracing the kitchen

Nam is the son of Dao The Vinh, founder of Golden Gate which has more than 600 restaurants.

Despite his family background, Nam initially resisted the idea of following in his father's footsteps.

"I didn't want to become just another version of my father," he said. "Looking back, I think I was being childish."

That perspective began to shift during the Covid-19 pandemic, when remote learning gave him time to experiment in the kitchen. He started with pizzas, even attempting to sell them in his apartment complex. Though the venture failed, it sparked his curiosity.

Later, while studying in the U.S., Nam launched a cooking competition project that also failed to take off. These early setbacks became turning points.

"I realized I was doing it all just to satisfy myself. I wasn’t thinking about whether people actually cared," he said.

Nam then pivoted to a more community-driven approach. At Taft, he and a group of friends began preparing dishes, like pho, pork belly rice, ramen, and kimbap, for dormmates from more than 50 countries. Their multicultural menu eventually evolved into a student-authored cookbook.

"My journey with food changed the way I think," Nam said. "Instead of just thinking about myself, I began to think more about the community."

Academic rigor and personal drive

Nam moved to the U.S. in 2022 after completing 10th grade in Hanoi. He credits his early preparation, studying English and planning to study abroad since sixth grade, for his ability to adapt quickly.

At Taft, he maintained an average score of 97.5/100, earned a 1540 on the SAT, and took nine Advanced Placement (AP) courses, scoring perfectly in five.

Still, Nam said academic achievements were not enough to stand out. "To really shine, your application needs to tell a story," he said. For him, that story was food: how it connected his identity, ambitions and desire to contribute.

Nam also joined an online research project on food waste under the guidance of a professor. Over the summer, he and his peers conducted surveys, analyzed data and explored practical solutions to reduce waste. Back in Vietnam, he interned with service development teams to apply those ideas in real-world settings.

Nam's mentor, Myo Min, academic director at Summit Education, described him as "smart and ambitious," with a clear narrative and strong commitment to community.

"He used to get distracted, especially in early secondary school," Myo said. "But once he set his sights on the U.S., he became much more focused."

Nam now hopes to build a career that combines entrepreneurship and social impact, much like his father—but on his own terms.

"I want to bring Vietnamese food to the world," he said.