Tiffanie Chia
Tell us about yourself!
Hi there! I’m Tiffanie. Before joining Friendzone, I worked on driving transformation efforts in the public sector—making sure services are designed in a way that makes sense for the public, while also collaborating with different agencies to implement change.
I am also a practising counsellor! I find that the work at Friendzone keeps me grounded in the needs of the community, which helps me better understand the struggles and challenges that come up in counselling. Outside of work, I enjoy being at home doing chores— it’s actually how I rest, haha
What do you do at Friendzone?
At Friendzone, I lead new initiatives and manage partnerships — from aligning goals, to following up, drafting proposals, designing programmes, analysing insights, and turning them into clear reports for our partners. I also oversee community-related work — managing sensitive ground situations at our events and also equipping and managing our facilitators so that our spaces remain safe and supportive for everyone.
One highlight of my time at Friendzone has been in kickstarting our workshop arm, where I combined my counselling background with Friendzone’s approach to design sessions that speak directly to the everyday struggles of young adults. Seeing how the sessions connected with people and realising that the mix of both worlds could create something meaningful and practical was rewarding!
What’s the most underrated thing about programmes at Friendzone most people don’t realise?
The amount of effort and thoughtfulness that goes into every single event. What makes Friendzone events unique is the heart behind making them accessible, relatable, and personal. It’s easy to run events on autopilot, but it’s much harder to create experiences that ensure introverts feel okay, people feel comfortable, and everyone feels included.
What’s your secret talent!
I love organising stuff! It feels really good when I buy a container that fits my stuff perfectly. (I think) I can also put content into diagrams/ tables pretty well haha.
Share about some Friendzone moments that inspire you to keep going
There have been a few occasions where people have written to thank us for organising events. Some have shared that it encouraged them to step outside their comfort zone, meet new people, and overcome social anxiety or awkwardness. Those moments remind me that the work we do might not be loud, but it makes a deeply personal difference to people.
A final friendship advice that everyone should know?
Loving people well is hard work :-)