Conversation with Sylvia Yu Friedman

Sylvia Yu Friedman is a trailblazing author, TV host, keynote speaker, and trusted advisor to ultra-high-net-worth families worldwide. A Director at a private equity firm, she specializes in professional sports industry deals and collaborates with prominent family offices across the Middle East, Asia, and beyond.

Since 2005, Sylvia has led philanthropic initiatives for some of the world's wealthiest families, addressing critical global issues and advocating for human rights. Her fearless investigative journalism has exposed the dark underworld of sex trafficking and modern-day slavery, often risking her safety to shed light on these atrocities.

Sylvia has authored five impactful books, including her latest release, Fearless: A Guide to Freedom and Fulfilling Your Fullest Potential, and her upcoming novel, Butterflies (Penguin, 2025). Her previous works include A Long Road to Justice: Stories from the Frontlines in Asia and Silenced No More: Voices of Comfort Women, a groundbreaking exploration of WWII-era Japanese military sex slavery.

A digital pioneer, Sylvia hosts Inspiring YOU with Sylvia Yu on LinkedIn, where she interviews remarkable individuals shaping our world. Her influence as a Top 10 LinkedIn Creator in Hong Kong has earned her a place on the Favikon Top 200 Global LinkedIn Creators list.

Sylvia’s inspiring life and memoir, A Long Road to Justice, are being developed into a TV series by a Hollywood-Singapore production team. She is also a Luminary Thinker for the RedBoxMe platform, in partnership with Cartier.

A former TV anchor and award-winning journalist, Sylvia has been recognized with prestigious honors, including the Global Top 50 Women In Sustainability Award (2022), the Top 100 Human Trafficking & Slavery Influence Leaders (2017), and the International Human Rights Press Award (2013) for her groundbreaking documentary series on human trafficking.

Sylvia Yu Friedman continues to inspire and empower through her work, demonstrating unwavering courage and a commitment to creating a brighter, more just world.

1. Your memoir, Fearless, is described as a guide to embracing one's journey and overcoming adversity. What inspired you to write this book, and what impact do you hope it will have on readers?

Sylvia Yu Friedman : During a transition when I was between roles, I received this “aha” moment that I wanted to write a book that I wished I had read when I was younger and struggling with toxic colleagues, a broken heart, looking for my life purpose and feeling bewildered by my first few transition seasons. I wished I had a mentor to guide me through these life stages and real world issues – they don’t teach this in university. I’ve also come to a point in my life where I want to give back and help others through my writing and motivate them to become changemakers. I think everyone at some point in their lives feels an urge to document their life experiences and lessons to pass them on.

2. Throughout your career, you've risked your life investigating human trafficking and modern-day slavery. Can you share one of the most challenging moments you faced and how it shaped your approach to advocacy? 

Sylvia Yu Friedman : I’ve been in harrowing and dangerous situations and once faced a near-death circumstance. We escaped by a miracle and I was able to identify with the exploited women and the danger they faced felt daily – it’s unimaginable terror and suffering. I had PTSD after some experiences but I was able to get counselling and emerge strengthened by it. But those languishing in trafficking and modern slavery situations can’t escape and that’s what motivates me to keep raising awareness. William Wilberforce summed it up for me: “You may choose to look the other way but you can never say again that you did not know.” I can’t look away.

Another pivotal experience while campaigning that has shaped me is there can be fierce competition between some non-profit organizations in the anti-trafficking space. Our 852 Freedom Campaign was taking off in incredible ways in the city of Hong Kong and we faced some opposition that I didn’t expect. I was too idealistic and naïve and assumed that competition only existed in the business world. Now I have my eyes opened and this will continue to guide my philanthropy work.

3. In Fearless, you reflect on your struggles with racial discrimination as a Korean-Canadian immigrant. How did these experiences influence your personal and professional growth?

Sylvia Yu Friedman : Because of my early experiences with racial discrimination, I became a fierce advocate against racism and discrimination of all kinds. One of my core values is to treat everyone with respect and dignity from my cleaner to the billionaire I meet for work. If I see someone treating another with disrespect, that makes my blood boil.

4. You’ve spearheaded philanthropic initiatives for ultra-high-net-worth families. What advice would you give to individuals or organizations looking to make meaningful contributions to social justice and human rights causes? 

Sylvia Yu Friedman : Get to know the leader(s) of an organization and commit to funding them for longer than a year. Unless you want to give a one-time gift then make that clear. But donors who are in it for the long run can make a significant impact. Also don’t be so controlling of the donation. Sometimes, non-profits need flexibility with the gift in areas like staff salaries. People working in non-profits deserve to be compensated well for making a strategic difference and meeting gap needs in society.

5. Your book highlights themes of identity, heartbreak, and self-doubt. How do you think these struggles connect to the broader challenges many people face today, particularly women? 

Sylvia Yu Friedman : I do see a women’s movement rising out of Asia and it’ll surpass anything we’ve seen in history. We have more influential women in positions of power than at any other time. We can take a collective stand against the issues women face such as gender inequality, sex trafficking and the issues vulnerable girls and women face in developing countries like unequal pay, child marriage etc. Yes I’ve faced identity crises, heartache and doubt but when I focused on helping others in greater need than myself, it helped give me a deep sense of purpose and fulfilment like nothing else.

6. Given your unique career trajectory, from journalism to philanthropy and private equity, what key lessons have you learned about adapting to different fields while staying true to your mission?

Sylvia Yu Friedman : Know your core purpose and why you’re on planet earth. This gives me a strong sense of motivation in all I do, no matter the sector. I was able to switch between different careers because of the commonality in communications, relationship building and core skills like due diligence, networking and staying organized. We all have transferrable skills. Get to know yours and experiment a little.

7. A TV series is being developed based on your life and memoir. How do you envision this adaptation, and what aspects of your story do you hope will resonate most with viewers? 

Sylvia Yu Friedman : For my TV and film projects, I hope they can inspire multitudes to give back to the trafficked and poor and help make a better world for them. I hope the media work I do helps end sex trafficking and care for more orphans. I hope all my work moves the earth for good and makes a lasting difference for generations to come.

8. You’ve been a vocal advocate for healing historical wounds, as seen in your book Silenced No More. How do you think storytelling can contribute to reconciliation and justice on a global scale?

Sylvia Yu Friedman : Storytelling raises important awareness but it must go hand-in-hand with an organization that is coordinating with other organizations that do solid work on the ground, on the frontlines. When I first began writing about the need for racial reconciliation between the Chinese, Koreans and Japanese and other ethnic groups affected by Japanese war crimes before and during WWII, I didn’t know anyone who was thinking about this and I felt alone. I’m so glad that I went ahead and wrote about it because since then, I have met more people who see the need and support reconciliation. It’s not a popular topic because there is generational pain related to unhealed war wounds but we must persist for as long as we can. We can each do our part on a grassroots level.

9. As someone listed among the Top 100 Human Trafficking & Slavery Influence Leaders, what do you see as the biggest challenge in combating modern-day slavery today, and how can individuals contribute to the fight? 

Sylvia Yu Friedman : Apathy among those who have the power to make a difference is the biggest threat. This and the growing trafficking of people into compounds that force victims to scam others online in Cambodia, Thailand, Myanmar. The United Nations says that more than 100,000 victims are in Cambodia and roughly the same number in Myanmar. Professionals, backpackers, and college students are being targeted for their computer skills. Recently an actor in mainland China was deceptively lured to Thailand. Pay attention to this.

10. Your latest book is described as a letter to your younger self. If you could share one piece of advice from Fearless with your younger self, what would it be, and why? 

Sylvia Yu Friedman : Be fearless. In every aspect of life, be courageous. Know yourself and out of that deep rootedness in your identity, live life joyfully, peacefully and have lots of fun!