Meet Vince

Community builder. Connector. Hype man.

I'm Vince Danh. I've been cheering for Sioux Falls since long before my name was on a ballot. I'll be cheering long after. Rising Together is how I keep showing up.

Ăn cơm chưa? Have you eaten? It's how my family says hello.

Vince Danh smiling in a red plaid blazer with a Sioux Falls flag pin

Where I come from

The swinging door

In 1993, my parents arrived in Sioux Falls as refugees. They went on to open Phở Quỳnh, the first Vietnamese restaurant in the city.

They spent their lives in the back of house so I could build in the front of house. That swinging door between the kitchen and the dining room taught me almost everything I know about community.

Somebody does the hard, quiet work in the back. Somebody makes sure every guest out front feels welcome. A city needs both.

My parents built the kitchen. I am here to make sure the dining room is open for everyone.

Vince on stage at TEDx Sioux Falls in front of a full, applauding theater, with a photo of his family's restaurant on the big screen

TEDx Sioux Falls 2026The Swinging Door: From Survival to SignificanceWatch the talk on YouTube →

Unofficial Sioux Falls hype man

I was cheering before I ran

Parades in the snow. Lion dances. St. Patrick's Day downtown. Local stages, local shops, local kids chasing bubbles. If something good is happening in Sioux Falls, I want you to know about it. That was true before the campaign. It's still true now.

Vince celebrating at the St. Patrick's Day parade downtown

Vince and friends with lion dancers at a snowy holiday parade

Vince in a red and gold ao dai at a Lunar New Year celebration

Vince laughing in front of the Greetings from Sioux Falls mural

Showing up

Where you'll find me

Boards, stages, classrooms, and kitchens. Years of saying yes when Sioux Falls asks.

Boards and service

Board of Directors, Downtown Sioux Falls, Inc.
Board of Directors, Sioux Falls Stage & Gallery
Board of Directors, Greater than Zero Percent
Director, Vietnamese American Community
Mentor and Founder Funder, Startup Sioux Falls
Former host, 1 Million Cups Sioux Falls
Volunteer, Headlights Theatre
Volunteer, Multicultural Center

Distinctions

Featured speaker, TEDx Sioux Falls 2026
“Siouxlebrity” dancer, Dancing with the Sioux Falls Stars

Leadership programs

Leadership Sioux Falls, Class 36
Leadership South Dakota, 2024
Leaders of Tomorrow

Around town

Performer, LiRa Dance Theatre Company
Cooking instructor, Plum’s Cooking Co.
Contributor, KELOLAND Living

Education and memberships

B.S. Political Science and International Studies, Loyola University Chicago
O’Gorman High School
El-Riad Shrine
Unity Masonic Lodge
Sigma Chi Fraternity

Advocate and connector

I connect people for a living

I was the first kid in my family to grow up fully bilingual. By nine, I was translating commercial leases at the kitchen table. By fourteen, I was sitting across from attorneys and doctors for my parents.

Since 2015, I've done that work as a Vietnamese-English interpreter in courtrooms, clinics, and business meetings. My job is to make sure nobody leaves a room without being understood.

I co-founded 4Front Studios, a creative agency for brand strategy and visual storytelling. Through Mission 100, we help 100 local small businesses and nonprofits every year. I also founded Vincent Gene LLC to help campaigns, nonprofits, and advocates tell their story in plain words.

Vince laughing with neighbors around a picnic table on a patio

Vince with friends at a community gathering in a Sioux Falls restaurant

2026 Sioux Falls City Council

Why I ran

In 2026, I ran for City Council, At-Large A, on three ideas: Responsible Growth, Vibrant Community, and Equal Opportunity.

Vince with a crew of supporters and restaurant staff in campaign shirts outside a downtown restaurant

175+individual contributors

5organizational endorsements

~12,000votes from Sioux Falls neighbors

Endorsed by

Run for Something
Home Builders Association of the Sioux Empire
Change Agents of South Dakota
Let Sioux Falls Vote
Transformation Project Advocacy Network

We made the June 23 runoff. We didn't win it. But I learned something I can't shake.

People in this city care. What they don't always have is a clear picture of what's happening, or an easy way to plug in. The campaign was one chapter. The work didn't end with it.

See the full campaign recap at vinceforsiouxfalls.com →