# Khai Tran

> Khai Tran is the CEO and co-founder of Penji, a subscription creative service launched publicly in 2017 with Johnathan Grzybowski. Raised in Camden after moving from Vietnam as a child, the Rutgers-Camden graduate has combined entrepreneurship with efforts to create local employment and affordable design support for nonprofits. He also founded Waterfront Ventures and has written for Forbes and Owners’ Magazine.

- **Role:** CEO & Co-Founder at Penji
- **Organizations:** Penji, Waterfront Ventures, Owners’ Magazine, Forbes (former contributor)
- **Education:** General science major; psychology minor, Rutgers University-Camden
- **Known for:** Co-founded Penji, an Inc. 5000 honoree ranked No. 1,006 in 2019., Founded and led Waterfront Ventures, supporting Camden’s startup ecosystem., Developed a nonprofit design initiative offering selected organizations service for $1 a month in 2018.

## Career timeline

- **1994** — Moved from Vietnam to Camden with his family, aged four.
- **2010** — Graduated from Rutgers-Camden.
- **2015** — Launched Waterfront Ventures with Johnathan Grzybowski to support Camden business development.
- **2017** — Publicly launched Penji with Grzybowski on October 21.
- **2018** — Promoted the Penji Unlimited $1 monthly design initiative for selected nonprofits.
- **2019** — Penji ranked No. 1,006 on the Inc. 5000; its operations moved to Philadelphia in October.
- **2023** — Discussed his immigrant background and entrepreneurship on Entrepreneur’s Enigma.

## Achievements

- Co-founded Penji, an Inc. 5000 honoree ranked No. 1,006 in 2019.
- Founded and led Waterfront Ventures, supporting Camden’s startup ecosystem.
- Developed a nonprofit design initiative offering selected organizations service for $1 a month in 2018.
- Published interviews and commentary as a Forbes contributor.

## Latest updates

- **2023-10** — Appeared on Entrepreneur’s Enigma to discuss immigration, starting small, and Penji.

## Links

- Website: https://penji.co/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/khai-tran/

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/khai-tran
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-10-16