Protecting women and children against gun violence.
The Thy Mai Foundation
In memory of Thy, Maya & Max
No family should endure what ours has endured. The Thy Mai Foundation was created to turn grief into action — to fund programs, advocate for legislation, and build the community resources that keep women and children safe.
This foundation carries Thy's spirit forward: fierce, protective, unwilling to look away. She built spaces where people felt welcome and safe. We intend to build a world where more women and children are safe.
Her Story
Thy Mai was born in Chicago and raised in Clear Lake Houston, the first daughter of Thuy Mai and Lan-Huong Tran, and oldest sister to Ly, Vy and Huy. Thy was a first-generation Vietnamese American who carried her family's work ethic into everything she touched. She earned degrees from the University of Houston and Penn State University, built a career in hospitality and retail management, and was pursuing her MBA at Rice University.
She had a passion for travel, fashion and design. These passions led her to opening Traveler's Table in 2019. Then came Foreign Fare, her travel-wear clothing line, and Traveler's Cart, a celebration of street food traditions from around the world. Although she loved Traveler’s Table and Traveler’s Cart, her dream was creating a space for herself in fashion. Foreign Fare was her passion project. Thy always carried herself with style and sophistication. She believed travel should be no different.
Foreign Fare embodied how Thy wanted to experience the world – ready for any adventure with elegance. Within 3 years, Foreign Fare had reached publications such as Travel + Leisure, Houstonia, Refinery29, Love Inc. Magazine, Texas Monthly and Modern Luxury.
Thy’s greatest creations were her two children, her daughter Maya and son Maxwell. Motherhood added another dimension of the love she practiced; it softened her. The fire of her spirit took the form of a home for her family, keeping everyone warm. Maya and Maxwell brought out a compassion in Thy, previously untapped. Her loved ones feel deeply grateful to have felt the different versions of love that Thy exuded over her life.
Maya & Max
Maya was eight years old. Max was four. They were the center of Thy's universe — the reason behind every long day and early morning, the travel companions she was raising to see the world the way she did.
Thy’s greatest joy and her favorite travel companions, whom she was raising to see the world through the same sense of wonder, adventure, and love that she carried with her everywhere she went.
Maya was a bright and lively 8-year-old girl who lived life entirely on her own terms — through Maya’s world on Maya’s time. She had a heart of gold and a spirit that drew people to her. Maya was fiercely protective of everyone and everything she loved. She adored teasing her brother and would always make others laugh at the funny things he would say. She also loved telling jokes, even the wonderfully cheesy ones.
Maya was incredibly imaginative and had a deep passion for art and creating. Whether she was drawing pictures or turning recyclable items into an underwater scene, her imagination knew no bounds. Her art brought joy to everyone around her. If she wasn’t creating something, she was likely reading. With her newfound love of books, Maya was never able to read just one story at a time.
More than anything, Maya loved traveling with her mom. She explored the world with the same sense of wonder and adventure her mom carried, always excitedly asking when the next trip would be. The joy she found in discovering new places was remarkable.
After all, this was Maya’s world — and we were all just lucky enough to live in it.
Max was a spunky and silly 4-year-old boy who found endless joy and laughter in life. From singing silly made-up songs with his sister to telling imaginative stories, Max could always find a reason to laugh and make others laugh right along with him. He had a bright spirit and a way of bringing warmth and happiness wherever he went. Max also possessed a skill for charming the ladies in his life with compliments and affection. It was impossible not to melt around him.
He loved all things monster trucks, cars, stuffed animals, and dinosaurs. He rarely left the house without his favorite truck or car in hand. Max was happiest outdoors, whether he was going on walks and pointing out the little wonders of nature or riding his bike in endless circles around an empty parking lot. Recently, he became an amateur lizard hunter and would spend hours at Bà ’s (bà ngoại, Thy’s mom - Vietnamese for grandmother) magical koi pond.
Above all else, Max’s greatest joy was his mom. He was proudly a mama’s boy and loved her dearly. Some of his happiest moments were spent outdoors on family vacations, exploring new places and sharing every adventure by her side.
Max made the world a better place with his bright smile and charismatic demeanor. His joy and laughter touched the lives of everyone who was lucky enough to know him.
What she built
Traveler's Table
Thy opened Traveler's Table in 2019 with a simple belief: food is the one language that needs no translation. The restaurant brought the world to Montrose — every dish a postcard from somewhere Thy has traveled. Guy Fieri walked through the doors for Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives. The Food Network came back for Beat Bobby Flay and Guy's Grocery Games. But what made the restaurant special had nothing to do with cameras. It was the way Thy made a Tuesday dinner feel like a celebration, and a family outing feel like the only thing happening in the city that night.
Traveler's Cart
Traveler's Cart opened in 2024 as a love letter to the street food cooks Thy had watched on sidewalks and in markets around the world. A sign out front said everything: "This is street food made by humble, hardworking cooks from around the world, like Thy's Vietnamese grandmother, who are keeping our food traditions alive." It started fast-casual and grew into something more — because that was how Thy built things. She started with what she had, and she kept showing up until it became what she imagined.
Foreign Fare
Foreign Fare was born the way most good ideas are — from a problem no one had solved yet. After one too many trips where her luggage did not arrive, Thy designed the wardrobe she wished had existed: wrinkle-resistant, versatile pieces a woman could wear from a red-eye to a client meeting to a museum without changing. The Jetsetter Jacket, the Flight Jumpsuit, the Wrap Me Up Dress. She launched the line in 2023 with a fashion show inside Traveler's Table — guests tried on styles in a pop-up dressing room while sipping cocktails called "Happy Wife Happy Life." That was Thy. Every project was an experience. Every detail was personal.
Her community in Houston was vast — restaurateurs, designers, mentors, friends. She hosted TRA board meetings at Traveler's Table and turned every gathering into a celebration. As one friend put it: she was never happier than when she was helping other people celebrate.
