Dec. 14, 2021

This week’s Up-and-Comer is Vince Danh, founding partner and director of photography at 4Front Studios.

Name: Vince Danh

Age: 30

Hometown: San Diego

What brought you to Sioux Falls?

My parents moved us here in 1993 after reading in Money magazine that Sioux Falls was one of the best places to start a business in the country. After nearly three decades here, my family has worked hard to accomplish their version of the quintessential American dream. They came as refugees from Vietnam, a country where they could never truly own their own property or business, to the U.S., where they have been successful in starting their own restaurant, Pho Quynh, buying property and raising their family. We owe a lot of what we have to the enduring entrepreneurial and welcoming spirit of Sioux Falls. After I graduated from Loyola University Chicago, I chose to go back to Sioux Falls to not only be with my family but also work towards making my own place in the community.

What keeps you in Sioux Falls?

Sioux Falls is home. I’ve been privileged to have been able to live in other countries and cities both bigger and smaller, but I will always feel like Sioux Falls is where my heart is. For much of my life, I was worried about finding where I fit in, but recently, it’s been clear to me that instead of finding my own place, I should be making my own place. And I hope to do that through my business and community involvement. I have never felt limited by what I could achieve by being in Sioux Falls, “The Best Little City in America.”

What’s your favorite thing about your job?

I love the process! There’s no better feeling of camaraderie and excitement than seeing an idea through from concept to reality. I can’t talk nearly enough about the core processes that we have at 4Front Studios to help our clients succeed. I am 100 percent in my element when it comes to playing “idea pingpong” and dreaming up solutions for the clients we are privileged enough to work with.

How did you get connected to your industry?

When I was a junior in college, my dean recommended me to join a U.S. State Department-sponsored program to create documentaries in Southeast Asia. Prior to that, I was on a traditional pre-law track and wanted to be a lawyer. However, six months spent in Vietnam, Cambodia and Thailand really changed my perspective and helped me develop what has become a lifelong passion to have a camera in hand and document the stories of the world around me. Naturally, this transitioned with me when I moved back home, and I eventually launched my own photography and video business in 2015, Vincent Gene. Recently, I’m proud to announce that I’ve partnered with a good friend and mentor of mine, Jeff Pickett, to launch 4Front Studios. Our goal for 2022 is to help 100 local businesses level up their digital content and marketing presence!

Describe your workplace in three words.

Flip. Focus. Formulate. Fuel. These are our four core processes and values at 4Front Studios, and I honestly couldn’t just give you three of them.

What is something someone might be surprised to learn about you?

At one point in my life, I was a professionally certified Zumba instructor.

What’s your favorite way to give back to your community?

I believe that mentorship and direct community involvement is paramount in continuing to grow our city in a positive way. Throughout my personal and professional life, I have never hesitated to offer advice or help to those who have asked, even if they might even be considered a competitor. At the end of the day, I truly believe that we’re all in this together. As that saying goes, “A rising tide lifts all boats,” and I wholeheartedly agree.

What’s one business you’d like to see in Sioux Falls that isn’t here now?

I would love to see some sort of community maker space or commercial kitchen. This would be a space where anyone with any sort of big and ambitious vision for a project could rent out the space with their friends and have access to the equipment to do whatever it is they wanted. See a cool video on how to make an awesome resin table? Let’s book the space one weekend, and build it. Want to host a mini bake-off for your mom’s birthday celebration? Let’s go! I think community-driven and accessible spaces could become vital arteries of development in our city for years to come.

Where do you see yourself in five years?

I see myself with probably more gray hair but happy and still working hard to improve my business, support my friends and build up “The Best Little City in America.”