Born to illiterate farming parents in Laos, Nengher fled his homeland with my family at the age of four in the aftermath of the Vietnam War. After spending eight years in refugee camps in Thailand, they were resettled in the United States with little more than hope for a better future. Determined to seize the opportunities before me, Nengher pursued a lifelong commitment to learning, earning a bachelor's degree in Sociology from Davidson College, master's degrees in Theology from the Iliff School of Theology and Peace Studies from the University of Notre Dame, and a Ph.D. in History from the University of Minnesota.
For nearly fifteen years, he has served in higher education as a professor, researcher, writer, and public speaker. Over the past eleven years, he has been a faculty member at the University of Wisconsin–Whitewater, but he has also taught at the University of Minnesota, the University of Wisconsin–Madison, and Gustavus Adolphus College. His teaching and scholarship focus on Hmong American history, immigration, war, and peace. His work has been published in Social Movements, Amerasia Journal, and the Hmong Studies Journal, and he is currently completing a book on the Hmong as a people without a country.
Drawing on his diverse experience as a professor, entrepreneur and owner of The Mekong Restaurant, Bar & Event Venue, real estate investor, nonprofit board member, and founder of Ideas for Life Academy, Dr. Nengher N. Vang brings a distinctive perspective that integrates Hmong history and culture, entrepreneurship, real estate investing, and the timeless principles of leadership, personal growth, and success.
Through his teaching, writing, speaking, coaching, and workshops, he does more than help people know more. He helps them gain clarity, achieve breakthrough results, and, above all, become more—confident leaders, lifelong learners, faithful stewards, loving family members, engaged citizens, and positive influences in their families, workplaces, and communities.