Photo Courtesy of: Chloe Tran
When a Vietnamese teenager steps off a plane at JFK Airport with nothing but ambition and a suitcase, the American Dream feels both infinitely possible and impossibly distant. The path from newcomer to Wall Street analyst to tech founder is rarely linear, but for those who navigate it successfully, the journey often becomes a blueprint for lifting others who follow.
At sixteen, Thao Tran embodied that archetypal courage, leaving Hanoi for New York with a determination that would eventually reshape how thousands of restaurant owners navigate bureaucratic red tape. “Moving to New York at sixteen taught me that the biggest barriers aren’t always the ones you expect. I thought culture differences would be my challenge, but it was actually learning to navigate systems—from school applications to eventually Wall Street—that required the most resilience,” she reflects. That early lesson in systems navigation would prove prophetic, as Tran now leads PermitPass, a company dedicated to helping independent restaurant owners break through bureaucratic hurdles and open their doors to the city.
What sets Tran apart is more than her skill in finance or her product expertise—it’s her consistent focus on listening to those left behind by technology trends. Each move in her career, she says, “has been about lifting others as you climb.” PermitPass isn’t just a tool for compliance, but a response to hundreds of stories about paperwork overshadowing dreams.
Deep Roots in Finance and Strategy
Tran’s professional life began at New York University, where rigorous training in economics, mathematics, and business formed her analytical backbone. She entered CIBC Capital Markets, working on high-stakes renewable energy and infrastructure deals where the details always mattered most. After CIBC , Tran joined Compass (NYSE: COMP), a recently public real estate tech firm, as the sole Senior Analyst in the CFO Office.
Tran was directly involved in investor communications and high-level financial analysis, but always returned to the human impact. “Working in the CFO office at Compass showed me how powerful clear communication and data can be in driving business decisions. But sitting in those meeting rooms, I kept thinking about all the small business owners who never get that level of strategic support. That’s when I knew I had to build something for them.” At Compass, she helped create the inaugural Investor Deck and helped execute a $400 million annual cost reduction program—a demonstration both of her technical rigor and her capacity to translate data into action.
The skills sharpened in these roles, a mix of technical, strategic, and narrative ability, eventually led Tran to seek more direct ways to help entrepreneurs make their mark.
Listening to Owners, Responding with Real Solutions
PermitPass began after Tran met dozens of New York City restaurant owners through an earlier startup effort. “When I interviewed over fifty restaurant owners, I heard the same story repeatedly: brilliant people with incredible culinary visions being crushed by paperwork anxiety. One owner told me he spent more time worrying about permit deadlines than perfecting his recipes. That’s when I realized we weren’t just solving a process problem—we were removing barriers to dreams.” With more than 26,000 permits filed in New York State last year, and many coming from restaurants lacking resources for legal teams, the process of opening a business often felt like an endless loop of forms and frustration.
Together with co-founder Phyllis Chou, Tran developed PermitPass as a practical answer. “We’re not trying to replace lawyers or reinvent government processes. We’re simply organizing chaos. Think of us as the GPS for navigating permit applications—we don’t change the roads, but we make sure you never get lost.” The tool offers directed guidance, deadline clarity, document management, and a way for owners to stay informed at every step.
Within months, PermitPass landed its first paid client and established a partnership with Toast, a leader in restaurant technology. Early adopter reported reduced stress and new confidence, and legal partners appreciate the streamlined casework the platform enables. More than forms and reminders, Tran notes, “AI should free them to focus on what they do best: serving their communities.”
Expanding Mentorship and Community Impact
Tran’s mission extends well beyond PermitPass. For her, true progress is communal. As a mentor at Parachute Project, she has advised dozens of international students and professionals navigating the U.S. job market. “Every international student I mentor reminds me of my sixteen-year-old self stepping off that plane from Hanoi. The difference is, I want them to have the roadmap I wish I’d had. Success isn’t just about climbing the ladder—it’s about building more ladders for others to climb.”
Tran also serves as co-president of the Vietnam Finance Society, fostering professional development, mentorship, and networks for Vietnamese Americans in finance and tech. This programming addresses practical needs, running workshops, hosting career panels, and offering guidance that spans from internship prep to executive leadership. Of her identity, she says, “Being Vietnamese in the American finance world taught me that representation matters, but impact matters more. Through Vietnam Finance Society, we’re not just creating networks—we’re creating opportunities for the next generation to succeed without having to choose between their heritage and their ambitions.”
This community work reflects her approach to leadership and business: “The best business decisions come from listening more than talking. Whether I was analyzing market scenarios at Compass or interviewing restaurant owners for PermitPass, the data only tells you half the story. The other half comes from understanding the real people behind the numbers.”
Building the Next Chapter for Small Business Owners
Tran sees the future of small business technology as one that must address deep, everyday pain points rather than chase trends. “Small business owners are some of the hardest working people I know, but they’re often underserved by technology. They don’t need another app—they need tools that actually solve their daily headaches.” PermitPass plans to support permitting for a wide range of industries, scaling from New York’s food scene into other communities that suffer from outdated systems and mounting compliance costs.
Thao Tran’s leadership remains rooted in practical empathy: lifting procedural burdens so owners can focus on their craft. She keeps broadening her community reach through mentorship at Parachute Project and through fostering networks via Vietnam Finance Society. Tran reflects, “Success isn’t only measured in revenue or headcount. For me, it’s about how many new doors I can help open—for founders, for students, for anyone who believes they belong in the room.”
Her journey from teenager to finance professional to tech founder paints a new model for American business creation—one where rigorous strategy and deep listening go hand in hand. PermitPass stands as proof that true progress comes from blending analytical skill with a sincere understanding of those who carry the heaviest burdens and that listening—real, sustained listening—can spark meaningful change for entire communities.
