Sylvia Yu Friedman will be our featured speaker at our meeting on 8 November 2026. The meeting will be on Zoom and is open to all Rotarian's, Rotaractor's, Rotary Peace Fellows, and invited guests. For your invitation to this very special ocassion, please contact president@rotaryclubchiangmaiwattana.org/Sylvia is a bestselling Penguin Random House Author, Inspirational Speaker and Advisor to Ultra High Net Worth families. She is ranked as the #1 Top Voice in Hong Kong and the top 1% globally by Favikon. 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.
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, a producing team was developing a TV series inspired by 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.
An accomplished author, Sylvia has written 5 books and edited a 6th book. Her books include "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.
"Fearless: A Guide to Freedom and Fulfilling Your Fullest Potential," was released in Dec 2024 by Penguin Random House. Her novel, “Butterflies,” was published in January 2026.
Sylvia also leads Epic Tales Media, a publishing and media company specializing in biography writing and dedicated to transforming ideas into captivating books, TV and films that change the world.
A former TV anchor, Sylvia was honored with the Global Top 50 Women In Sustainability Awards 2022 by The SustainabilityX® Magazine. In 2017, she was also listed among the Top 100 Human Trafficking & Slavery Influence Leaders and received the International Human Rights Press Award in 2013 for her documentary series on trafficking.
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