Nancy Vue Tran

Nancy Vue Tran is the oldest child of seven and a first-generation Hmong-American feminist with over 15 years experience in fundraising and philanthropy/development work. She is a lawyer by training, graduating from the University of Wisconsin, Madison. During law school, she was instrumental in bringing to the forefront the need for Hmong Studies at the UW Madisonl, initiating protests in February 2007 against a UW Madison School of Law's professor who reinforced stereotypical and harmful images of Hmong people in his law class. This movement resulted in the hiring of the UW's first Hmong Studies instructor. She also ran a campaign to fight for mental health services for Southeast Asian elders in Dane County, Wisconsin that resulted in Hmong and Cambodian elders winning government funds to continue services for Hmong and Cambodian elders. Her activism work is grounded in the belief that we must center the experiences of those most impacted. As a development professional, she draws from her resource gathering and farming background as a way to nourish, steward and replenish the resources our communities need to thrive and succeed. Nancy can often be seen out with her two children, Quinn Suab-Nag and Maddie Suab-Paj, and partner Hong Tran eating all the delicious food in the Twin Cities.

“When we cast our bread upon the waters, we can presume that someone downstream whose face we will never know will benefit from our action, as we who are downstream from another will profit from that grantor’s gift.”

- Maya Angelou