Our Leadership Team
DANIEL COX
Founder | CEO | Chief Technical Officer, Water and STEM Projects
Daniel Cox is a student at The Scots College in Sydney and the founder and CEO of Green Kites International Association. In 2026, Daniel received a Fourth Prize Grand Award at the Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair and won the Australian Stockholm Junior Water Prize, making him Australia’s sole representative at the international competition in Stockholm.
Daniel’s engineering work is grounded in a simple question: how can practical, low-cost technology solve real problems in places or situations where conventional solutions are too expensive, hard to deploy, or don’t yet exist?
His flagship project, WASH+ (Water, Sanitation and Hygiene Plus), extends the World Health Organisation’s WASH framework into a four-part model: installing water systems, educating children on water science and safety, training local partners to maintain them, and amplifying impact through talks, media and teaching resources. Since 2023, together with a team of volunteers, this work has brought rainwater-harvesting and filtration systems to 1,700+ students across eight schools in Vietnam, alongside broader community programs reaching thousands more.
Beyond WASH+, Daniel has digitally transformed the management of a network of 2,000+ blood donors and 80+ breast-milk donors and recipients, and has been behind the construction of a computer lab, a community library, and a school playground in Đắk Lắk. He has also helped finance and sustain a drowning prevention training program that has reached 500+ children, personally teaching around 100+ of them, alongside local instructors, as well as leading STEM and water education workshops in Lào Cai, Đắk Lắk, Vũng Tàu and Thái Nguyên.
Daniel returns to Vietnam each summer to work on-site alongside local partners. He believes philanthropy should be hands-on, evidence-based and sustainable — solutions designed, tested and refined in the environments they’re meant to serve.
In Vietnam, Daniel’s leadership of Green Kites has been formally recognised with numerous awards and certificates, and featured in major Vietnamese media outlets, including VnExpress and DRT Television. In Australia, he was a Finalist in the 2025 Edstart Achievement Awards for Environmental and Social Impact.
Outside his academic and philanthropic work, Daniel is a state-level long-distance runner and cyclist, and a macro photographer.
William Pham
Co-Founder, GKIA | Founder, Smiles for Life Initiative | Developer of the LEPS Framework™
Leadership & Signature Contributions
Founder of Smiles for Life Initiative | Developer of the LEPS Framework™
- Developed GKIA’s flagship preventive oral health system integrating education, infrastructure, daily routines, and community ownership.
Educational Innovation
- Created Green Kites’ Dental Education Program.
- Co-authored Tin and the Tiny Tooth Heroes and Tin and the Smile Mission.
- Developed oral health curricula, teacher guides, and student learning resources.
- Authored Green Kites’ First Aid Handbook.
Community Health Leadership
- Co-founder of Health4NoVA.org.
- Builds partnerships to improve access to preventive health resources.
- Leads oral health education programs for underserved preschool communities.
William Pham is the Co-Founder of Green Kites International Association, founder of the Smiles for Life initiative, and co-founder of Health4NoVA.org, a community health resource initiative dedicated to reducing healthcare access barriers and promoting preventive health education.
William’s deep commitment to health equity was shaped through several years of volunteering in community clinics, dental missions, and healthcare outreach programs in the United States and Vietnam. Over the years, supporting healthcare teams serving 5,000+ patients, he witnessed that while treatment can address existing disease, sustainable health improvements require more than treating disease or distributing resources—they require systems that empower communities to prevent disease before it occurs
Inspired by this realization, William co-founded Green Kites to develop sustainable, education-based health initiatives that extend beyond short-term outreach. He founded Smiles for Life and created the LEPS Framework™ to address childhood oral health equity by integrating education, preventive infrastructure, daily routines, and community ownership.
Under William’s leadership, Smiles for Life has grown into a replicable, and comprehensive oral health system supporting more than 2,560+ children and educators across eight partner schools in four provinces of Vietnam. Through oral health education, hands-on workshops, age-appropriate learning resources, supportive infrastructures, and teacher-supported programs, Smiles for Life helps schools develop sustainable approaches to improving children’s oral health.
William has expanded Smiles for Life beyond traditional dental outreach by developing educational resources that make health knowledge accessible to children and educators. He co-authored Tin and the Tiny Tooth Heroes and Tin and the Smile Mission, created oral health learning materials, and authored Green Kites’ 78-page First Aid Handbook to strengthen health education and emergency preparedness in schools.
William’s commitment to reducing health disparities extends to his local community through Health4NoVA.org, where he works to connect Northern Virginia families with accessible healthcare resources and leads preventive oral health education programs in eight preschool programs serving nearly 300 children in underserved communities. Through both Green Kites and Health4NoVA, William applies the same prevention-focused philosophy: improving health outcomes by educating communities before disease occurs.
A Life Scout and youth leader with Scouting America, William is the founder of his school’s Dentistry Club, where he develops oral health education initiatives, organizes dental awareness programs, and helps students learn about dentistry, healthcare pathways, and the role of prevention in improving community health. Through outreach activities, he has also provided oral health education to preschool children in Northern Virginia, promoting healthy habits from an early age.
Alongside his community leadership, William conducts research in pediatric oral health and oral health disparities, presenting his work at local and international scientific, pediatric dental professional, public health conferences, and universities. He is committed to bridging clinical dentistry, research, and public health to create sustainable solutions that improve children’s health.
William aspires to become a dentist and public health leader dedicated to advancing health equity through evidence-based care, preventive education, and community-centered innovation.
SEAN PHAM
Co-founder, Chief Financial Officer
Originally from Northern Virginia, Sean Pham has lived there for the past 19 years. He began his academic journey at Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology—one of the nation’s most prestigious magnet schools—where he earned the Governor’s Diploma for academic excellence. He is currently pursuing a Neuroscience degree on the pre-medicine track at the College of William and Mary. As a Monroe Scholar and Dean’s List student with a 3.9 GPA, he balances rigorous academics with a strong commitment to community service and scientific research.
Sean is a certified EMT who works in rural Virginia, providing emergency care and addressing healthcare disparities. His passion for medicine led him to the Saha Lab, where he contributes to biomedical research and was awarded a $4,000 grant.
Outside the lab, Sean dedicates much of his time to service aligned with his goal of becoming a community-focused physician. On weekends, he volunteers with Alzheimer’s Buddies, offering companionship to patients with dementia, and assists staff weekly at Sentara Williamsburg Regional Medical Center. He also serves at the Williamsburg Food Bank, helping combat local food insecurity.
As a member of William and Mary’s Global Medical Brigades, he helps fundraise, collect supplies, and travel to provide free care in underserved communities. Most recently, he joined a mission in El Arrozal, Honduras, assisting over 200 individuals with limited healthcare access. He also participated in many other medical missions, providing free health screenings, optometric, and dental care for thousands of families in underprivileged communities in the US and Vietnam.
Sean co-founded the Green Kites International Association with the same shared vision to help children in rural areas of Vietnam to receive equal access to healthcare and other much needed services.
Chu Bảo Hân (Hannah Chu)
Vietnam Country Leader | | Local Partnerships, Project Development & Volunteer Engagement, Northern Vietnam
Hannah Chu is a Business and Law graduate from the University of Wollongong, Australia, where she completed her degree with high distinction. She has recently started working in human resources for a multinational company in Vietnam, combining international experience with a strong understanding of people, organisational processes and cross-cultural collaboration.
During her time in Australia, Hannah was actively involved in the Vietnamese International Students Association, where she supported students as they began their study-abroad journeys. Through mentoring and community engagement, she developed strong communication skills and a people-centred approach to coordination, relationship-building and project planning.
Having lived, studied and worked in both Australia and Vietnam, Hannah is deeply motivated to contribute to a society where people can live safely, with dignity and with equal access to opportunity. She is particularly committed to reducing inequalities between communities and countries, so that a person’s opportunities are not determined by where they are born or the resources available around them. For her, creating sustainable impact means carefully bridging ideas with real-world contexts and ensuring that projects are not only well-intentioned but also well-planned, feasible and grounded in genuine community needs.
Based in Hanoi, Hannah is in charge of Green Kites’ community engagement and local partnership development in northern Vietnam. She plays a critical role in connecting Green Kites with local partners, including schools, community leaders and authorities. Before any project is approved, she leads on-the-ground investigation and consultation, helping to assess local conditions, identify real priorities and ensure that proposed solutions are appropriate, sustainable and welcomed by the community. This early-stage work is essential to reducing risk and ensuring that projects deliver meaningful, long-term impact.
In her current role, Hannah continues to focus on turning ideas into practical, well-organised and culturally sensitive projects that are responsive to the communities they serve.
Outside her professional and community work, Hannah enjoys watching films, listening to music and exploring new ideas. She values learning through curiosity, meeting new people and discovering perspectives that inspire both personal growth and meaningful collaboration.
Nguyễn Gia Hoàng Anh (Daniel Nguyen)
Vietnam Country Leader | Local Partnerships, Project Development & Volunteer Engagement, Southern Vietnam
Daniel Nguyen is a senior student at Đức Trí High School in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. Driven by a strong ethos of service, responsibility and community engagement, he is an active and enthusiastic young leader committed to creating positive change. Guided by the belief that “what we give remains,” Daniel is passionate about supporting disadvantaged communities, bringing people together and inspiring other young volunteers to contribute to meaningful projects.
As Vietnam Country Leader, Daniel is one of the key people behind Green Kites’ projects in Vietnam. His enthusiasm, energy and commitment help turn ideas into action. He motivates volunteers, coordinates activities and has established a strong and dependable volunteer base in southern Vietnam. While Hannah leads Green Kites’ connections and activities in northern Vietnam, Daniel is based in Ho Chi Minh City and plays a central role in projects across Đắk Lắk, Vũng Tàu and other southern locations. His personal and family connections have been particularly valuable in identifying local needs, building trust and connecting Green Kites with schools, community leaders, authorities and volunteers.
Before any project is confirmed, Daniel supports on-the-ground investigation and consultation to assess local conditions, identify genuine priorities and ensure that proposed solutions are appropriate, sustainable and welcomed by the community. His local knowledge and strong relationships help reduce risks and make it possible for Green Kites to deliver practical, well-organised and culturally sensitive projects with meaningful, long-term impact.
Daniel’s contribution extends across Green Kites’ water, education, health and community projects. His ability to inspire volunteers, mobilise local support and maintain strong community relationships has been essential to the organisation’s growth and success in Vietnam.
