Spotlight on Diversity
June 2025
Advised by Strong Female Advocates, Jenny Pham Exits the Expected Path to Find Herself and Lighting
Jenny Pham
Specification Representative, SLS
Jenny Pham took a leap from epidemiology into lighting sales, surprising a lot of people – including herself. “I never imagined myself being in sales at all,” she says. “Growing up, I’ve always been the type with my nose in a book… being a bit shy and hesitant to be vocal in a group.” Still, Pham describes her younger self as “tenacious in achieving what I had decided was success: the stereotypical "American Dream," which gave me a kind of tunnel vision.”
Born in Vietnam and raised in Georgia, Pham immigrated to the US at the age of three. Her parents, a civil engineer and an accountant in Vietnam, took on labor-intensive jobs when they arrived – night shifts and minimum wage, all to create opportunities for their daughter. “They did what they had to do to put food on the table,” she explained. “There was a lot of sacrifice and then pressure on me (actually self-imposed pressure) to excel.”
As a child, Pham took that pressure to heart. “I was a first-generation, low-income student. I think growing up, I always had that pressure to conform… to live up to the sacrifices my parents made.” The path she followed was a dream familiar to many Asian American families: top grades, an elite university, and, ideally, a career in medicine. Pham delivered – earning her undergraduate degree at Brown and completing a master’s in epidemiology at Johns Hopkins.
But while achieving those milestones, something felt… off. “I had to redefine what I thought success was; identify what was important to me, not just what I thought would make others happy.”
Discovering lighting
Lighting was never part of the plan. She found it when she earned a DEI internship at Signify during grad school, working in product marketing. “I didn’t know anything about lighting, but they wanted to take a chance on me,” she said. “I told myself, I want a challenge. I want to take a chance on myself.”
She then joined the spec sales team at Signify after graduation, stepping far outside her comfort zone. But she had her eye on New York City, which had always fascinated. “I think for me, New York was like this untouchable place… the world capital of lighting,” she said. Pham mentioned particularly the mentorship of Meghan Hennigan and Danielle Volpe when they were at Signify. Volpe had worked at SLS for many years, and SLS was the Signify rep.
“Danielle was the one who campaigned for me to get the job at SLS, because she believed in my potential. It’s something that I find very touching. I guess my whole life I've felt like I've been fighting on my own. And so having someone advocate for me like that… I didn't expect to find that in my work environment.”
Soon, Pham took the plunge to become a spec rep at SLS. “I love the team. I was so drawn to them because of how knowledgeable and smart they are. “Working in lighting changed the way I view the world and experience spaces. Now, every time I enter a room or a restaurant, I immediately look at the lighting and find a lot of joy, just reveling in this small thing.”
Colleagues and friends
Starting with her mother, several women have guided and inspired Pham along the way; and they continue to do so. “Working with senior reps in my firm who make those high-level decisions that help designers realize a vision… I’m excited to contribute,” she said.
Community also plays a critical role in Pham’s young career. “I moved to The City and into an industry I knew very little about. I was seeking community, and found people who came from similar backgrounds to me.” She joined the Asian Lighting Community (ALC) last year as a Board Member “They’ve been really honest with me… giving me feedback and guidance as I forge my career. They’re friends.”
Pham’s artistic side, once put aside for academic pursuits, is re-emerging. “I draw a lot, and paint. And I’ve recently gotten into ceramics. Creativity seems to soothe that inner child.” She joined the IESNYC Student Lighting Competition Committee and enjoys connecting with creative young designers. “I think it's something that I felt I couldn't do growing up. I have so much admiration (and some envy) in seeing people who know what they love and are impassioned to pursue it. I feel like I live vicariously through their creativity,” she said, laughing.
“I’ve always been cautious,” she added. “I can’t just think about me. I’m sending money home, so I need a stable job.” But she knows she’s made the right move. “Six months ago, being a rep maybe didn’t look as stable as the corporate job. But Lisa [Kingery] and Patrick [Kisling] are betting on a long-term payoff. And so am I.”
