About Nam Nguyen
Exploring how parenting shapes civilization
I’ve spent my life at the intersection of science, strategy, and family — three worlds that, when brought together, reveal something profound:
The way we raise our children determines the future of our societies.
As a business strategist and neuroscience graduate, I’ve studied how people think, lead, and make decisions.
As a father of two, I’ve learned how those same forces shape empathy, curiosity, and resilience.
Parenting, I realized, is not just personal. It’s civilizational.
From boardrooms to bedtime stories
My work moves between two worlds: the analytical rigor of business strategy and the emotional truth of family life.
Each book I’ve written explores a different layer of that intersection.
The series so far:
Raising Future Leaders — how the principles of leadership start at home.
Perfect Parents Don’t Exist — embracing imperfection as a path to growth.
Raising Genius — what the childhoods of Mozart, Einstein, and Jobs reveal about brilliance and its cost.
Kin (upcoming) — a sweeping history of parenting as the hidden engine of civilization.
Together, they form a single story — how the way we raise children shapes the destiny of humankind.
A mission that bridges worlds
Through Octomind Publishing, I explore the space where parenting meets psychology, leadership, and the architecture of civilization.
My work combines:
Neuroscience — understanding how the brain learns, adapts, and connects.
Business strategy — using frameworks that help families think long-term.
History and philosophy — tracing how civilizations evolve through parenting norms.
My belief is simple:
Parenting is the most strategic act of leadership there is.
Today, I write, speak, and collaborate with parents, professionals, and organizations who see child development as a matter of human progress — not just family life.
Beyond the books
Before becoming an author, I spent more than a decade at the crossroads of neuroscience, business strategy, and leadership — helping organizations and people think more deeply about how we grow, decide, and lead.
Today, I serve as a Board Member of the CISSS de la Montérégie-Ouest, where I contribute to governance in risk management, finance, and healthcare transformation. I’m also a Senior Strategic Advisor at Desjardins, where I guide large-scale initiatives in wealth management, digital transformation, and organizational performance.
Earlier in my career, I led research and innovation as Scientific Director at Amelio, Consultant at Octomind Strategies, and Research Manager at the Université de Montréal’s School of Optometry — roles that allowed me to speak at international scientific conferences and collaborate with researchers across disciplines.
These experiences taught me that systems — whether biological, organizational, or familial — evolve through shared learning.
Parenting, governance, and leadership are all reflections of the same question — how we shape what comes after us.
Connect
I love hearing from readers, parents, and thinkers who care about how we raise the next generation.