Yang Yi Lin ("Carrie") was born in Taiwan. Out of curiosity to broaden her horizons and the determination to become independent, Carrie gained family support to head abroad for further education. She Completed her Bachelor and MBA in Melbourne, Australia.

2011 was a turning point for Carrie. Her parents needed her to take over their family business in Vietnam, a high-mountain oolong tea manufacturing business founded by her dad decades ago. Suddenly she was faced with the challenge of managing vast tea mountains, hundreds of staff and management who only reported to her dad. 

Starting as a business outsider from the bottom was no easy task. Carrie encountered numerous challenges, including language barrier, culture shock, power gap, and insubordinate employees, which led to countless conflicts and adversities. 

Never backing down from the challenges, Carrie embraced and stepped up to them. She learned Vietnamese by herself and determined to get to know the business inside out. Being proactive yet humble, she learnt the whole process of tea making from tea harvesting, roasting, manufacturing, stir fixation, rolling, shaping, exports to trading. She grasped every step of the oolong tea business. Expertise, confidence and passion grew with each passing day. Over time, she gained her subordinates' respect and support. 

Win-win situation
With an openmind and a kind heart, she selflessly shared findings on weather, relative humidity, temperature and terroir with local farmers, enabling them to optimize the tea harvesting process. As a result, the quantity and quality of tea improved. Farmers are happy, workers are happy, customers are happy, and everyone wins. 

Business expansion
Carrie's parents started this oolong tea business, Haiyih Tea Company ("Haiyih",) in 1993 in Dalat, Vietnam. At that time, the region had extremely limited transport and public infrastructure, so her parents funded the constructions. Carrie's dad taught local farmers about Taiwanese tea farming skills and knowledge. With on-going contracts to source oolong tea from the local farmers at a set price, Haiyih gained popularity among the locals and became the top high-mountain oolong tea brand in Vietnam. 

In the past few years, under Carrie's leadership, Haiyih successfully expanded into the high-end oolong market in Vietnam and became the designated tea brand for Vietnamese government.

In 2016, Haiyih obtained the Gold Award in the Top 100 Business. 

In 2019, Haiyih signed contracts with Co.op Mart and their oolong is now available in Vietnam supermarket chains nationwide. 

Corporate social responsibility
During the world-wide coronavirus pandemic, though the tea trade was hard hit, Carrie decided to support local farmers by continuing the sourcing of tea. 

Amid the 2020 Central Vietnam Floods, Carrie visited the flooded areas together with members of the Council of Taiwanese Chambers of Commerce in Vietnam to provide water, food and supplies to locals. 


Giving back
Motivated by her care for the socially vulnerable and the poor, Carrie constantly devotes herself to giving back to the community. 

Moving forward
Looking back at her blood, sweat and tears, Carrie has taken them as a blessing in disguise. Moving forward, she wishes to pass on her family's love of tea and share it with people around the world.

Key experience
Apart from running Haiyih, Carrie actively cooperates with the Overseas Community Affairs Council.

In 2018 – 2020, she was appointed as the General Secretary of The Council of Taiwanese Chambers of Commerce in Vietnam Junior Chapter.

In 2018, she was interviewed by Vietnam Television (VTV1) during Franchise Exhibition in Vietnam. 

In 2019, she was interviewed and filmed by Vietnam Television for the history and culture of Taiwan Oolong Tea in Vietnam. 

In 2019, she was invited by the Asia Taiwanese Chambers of Commerce Junior Chapter to speak at the Young Entrepreneurs Convention. 

In 2019, she was interviewed and filmed by Global News Television of Taiwan for being a family business heir and deepening Asian trade.

In 2021, she was invited by Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Vietnam – Tourism Bureau to represent Taiwanese tea. 

In 2021, she was awarded "Global Young Entrepreneur Star of 2021" by Overseas Community Affairs Council. 

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