Sylvia Yu Friedman is an award-winning Author, TV Host, Keynote Speaker and Advisor to Ultra High Net Worth families.
She is a Director at a private equity firm that provides advisory services to prominent family offices in Asia Pacific and across the globe.
Since 2005, Sylvia has spearheaded philanthropic initiatives for some of the world’s wealthiest families, making a significant impact on countless lives while shining a light on the worst human rights abuses of our time.
Her pioneering investigations into the dark underworld of sex trafficking and modern-day slavery for two decades – often at risk to her own life – have shattered barriers and charted a course for a new generation of philanthropists and activists.
In Hollywood and Singapore, a producing team is developing a TV series based on Sylvia’s life and memoir, A Long Road to Justice. She also hosts the digital interview show Inspiring YOU with Sylvia Yu on LinkedIn, spotlighting remarkable individuals. Additionally, she is a Luminary Thinker for the RedBoxMe ideas platform, a collaboration with Cartier.
Recognized as one of the Top 10 LinkedIn Creators in Hong Kong by Favikon, Sylvia holds the #6 spot. Her influence and inspiration are showcased on the Favikon Top 200 Global LinkedIn Creators list, which features the most influential personalities from around the world.
An accomplished author, Sylvia has written four books, including A Long Road to Justice: Stories from the Frontlines in Asia and Silenced No More: Voices of Comfort Women, the only journalistic account of historical Japanese military sex slavery during WWII with a call to healing the wounds of history and racial reconciliation.
Her latest book is Fearless: A Guide to Freedom and Fulfilling Your Fullest Potential, and her debut novel, Butterflies, will be published in 2025.
A former TV anchor, Sylvia was honored with the Global Top 50 Women In Sustainability Awards 2022 by The SustainabilityX® Magazine. She was also listed in the Top 100 Human Trafficking & Slavery Influence Leaders in 2017 and received the International Human Rights Press Award in 2013 for her documentary series on human trafficking.
Sylvia is married to Matthew Friedman, a top-ranked keynote speaker, CEO of The Mekong Club, and former U.N. and U.S. diplomat.
