Finding Meaningful Connections in Vietnam: Denise Sandquist (CEO & Co-founder of Fika)

Today’s guest is Denise Sandquist, the founder of Fika, a female-focused AI social & dating app in Asia. Born in Vietnam and adopted to Sweden, Denise is truly a global citizen, speaking 6 languages and having lived in multiple countries. 

Episode Themes

• Fresh of a $1.6m raise, we chat about why Denise came back to Vietnam to start Fika
• Advice for Vietnamese adoptees looking to find their biological parents
• Why Fika is more than just a dating app
• Female leadership in Vietnam
• Opportunities for overseas Vietnamese looking to come back to Vietnam.

Find out more about Fika here: https://keepfika.com/    

Timestamps & topics:

Introduction

• 0:00 – episode introduction
• 2:16 – Denise’s introduction, life journey, finding her biological mother, starting Fika
• 6:47 – experiences growing up in Sweden as a Vietnamese adoptee
• 11:25 – advice for Vietnamese adoptees looking to find their biological parents in Vietnam

On Fika

• 14:00 – what is Fika? Not just a dating app? On Gen Zs being connected and increasing loneliness.
• 18:20 – focus on user safety in Asia, manually verifying profiles, AI & data, future plans
• 27:30 – how did Fika get traction in a crowded dating app market?
• 29:45 – was Fika self-funded / bootstrapped? Did you have any doubts throughout?
• 33:45 – the COVID situation in Vietnam. Has it had impact on Fika / dating?
• 37:20 – Denise’s fund-raising journey

Fun Questions

• 42:20 – Denise’s career journey / did she always want to be an entrepreneur?
• 45:30 – Denise’s thoughts on female leaders in Vietnam and empowering women
• 54:00 – Dating in Sweden vs Vietnam
• 56:00 – How does Denise manage her stress? Thoughts on work-life balance
• 59:30 – has Denise found anyone on Fika yet?
• 1:01:16 – advice and opportunities for Việt Kiều looking to come back to Vietnam.  What is holding them back? What advantages do they have?
• 1:06:53 – advice for young people that are feeling lost in life. On taking risks in life.
• 1:11:00 – where to follow Denise & how to connect.