• broken image

    FELICITY TAN

    collaboration. strategy. impact.

    I am a collaboration strategist and global non-profit leader with 15 years' experience in philanthropy, coalitions and corporate sustainability.

  • Driving Collaboration for Impact

    I'm on a mission to make impactful partnering a disciplined, recognized and core organizational competency.

     

    With 15 years of international experience architecting multi-sector partnerships in philanthropy, advising multinationals on stakeholder relations, and supporting blue chip organizations on their advocacy and influence strategies (learn more about my journey), I am passionate about activating the power of structured connection and assembling powerful combinations of partners for positive impact.

     

    I now design collaborations where sustainability and society meet, providing expertise on partnership paradigms, collaborative philanthropy and stacking catalytic capital:

    • develop or optimize partnership strategies
    • advise on structures that facilitate partnering for established organizations or nascent networks
    • build out the processes, policies, systems and tools to enable effective partnering 

    A relationship-builder and people leader, I’m interested in how we build strategies, structures and teams to facilitate collaborative advantage. I am absolutely obsessed with deeply understanding people, perspectives and capabilities for bricolage (recombining what is available to create something new).

     

    Felicity has an Executive MBA from the University of Oxford's Saïd Business School (director's scholar), an MA in Politics & Communication from the London School of Economics (distinction), and completed her bachelors in Journalism at Boston University (summa cum laude). She also has an executive certificate in Adaptive Leadership from the Geneva Graduate Institute and Impact Measurement from Oxford. She was born in United States, raised in the Philippines, and has since lived in New York, Boston, Beijing, Shanghai, Bangkok and The Hague. She now lives in London.

    broken image

  • Connecting People for Impact: My Journey

    15 years in the US, UK, Europe and Asia discovering, growing and refining the craft of impactful collaborations

    Advise philanthropies and impact networks on their partnership strategies

    2024-present 

    I provide counsel to foundations, impact businesses and collectives - both established and emerging - to optimize how to organize themselves for partnering effectiveness. From organizational design, partnering strategies and processes, to advising on the build-out of partnership-based business units, I help organizations make partnering more impactful.

    broken image
    broken image

    Architected a global alliance's partnership infrastructure

    2021-present 

    I was on the launch team and am currently director of global partnerships at the Global Energy Alliance for People and Planet, a collective of philanthropies, governments, investors, NGOs and innovators driving the renewable energy revolution in emerging markets worldwide.

    Co-founded a coalition incubator

    2020-2021

    I crafted the strategic framework and growth plan for WeSolve, a youth-led collaborative in the Philippines working across policy, grassroots movements and the private sector to create transformational change in urban mobility, food systems, digital identity and post-conflict resilience.

    broken image
    broken image

    Designed a collaboration-first grant portfolio for a major philanthropy

    2017-2020

    I spearheaded the re-assembly of The Rockefeller Foundation's grantmaking portfolio in Asia to leverage the power of multi-sector collaborations to turbocharge impact in the areas of health, energy, impact investment and data science for good.

    Elevated corporate and philanthropic advocacy campaigns on the world stage

    2013-2016

    I led multi-market teams to craft the right narratives for the social and environmental agendas of impact organizations (e.g. Rockefeller, Tent, GAIN, Clinton Global Initiative) and corporates (e.g. IKEA, PepsiCo, Mead Johnson), delivering them to top-tier media, governments, influential forums and the stakeholders that matter most to them.

    broken image
    broken image

    Told compelling stories to engage new audiences and shape new realities

    2009-2012

    I started my career telling the stories that needed to be told. First as a digital campaign strategist for the anti-corruption platform of a former Philippine president, and later as a press officer for the UN's Yugoslavia Tribunal. I simultaneously freelanced as a journalist (eg. AP, Bloomberg), and spent a year in China as a news presenter.

  • WRITING

    A selection of some of my writings about the topics that matter to me

    #systemschange #collaboration #partnershipparadigms #innovation #changemaking #womenleading

  • PANEL AND SPEAKING engagements

    I've traveled the world sharing my expertise, provoking new perspectives and (hopefully) sparking inspiration in the areas of

    #systemschange #collaboration #partnershipparadigms #innovation #changemaking #womenleading

    Expert speaker on the fossil fuel transition in emerging markets
    Co-facilitated a workshop on systems change for ESCP Business School
    Shared perspectives on building resilience into innovative finance through systems change approaches
    Shared perspectives on the role of youth in transforming the energy system
    Moderated a panel on cross-fertilizing innovation across country contexts through partnership
    Coached IKEA ambassadors on their power to ideate and facilitate change in their spheres of influence
    Spoke on the power of values-based investment to shift the system toward the future women want
    Shared perspectives on the complexity of addressing the twin challenges of climate change and energy poverty
    Coached young innovators on thinking systemically so their work can spark positive change
    Shared experiences in the art of forging multi-sector coalitions in the era of COVID
    Shared best practices on partnering across silos in diverse sectoral and cultural settings
    Shared perspectives on developments in collaborative philanthropy and the role of catalytic capital in shifting systems

  • A Disciplined Approach to collaboration

    We talk about "changing the system." Often we forget that we - people - are the system. So how do we configure the power of us to create the reality we seek? Here's how expert collaboration can change the game.

    Blueprint the Play.

    Successful partnerships don't just happen: they're masterfully designed.

     

    I have developed a methodology to clarify partnering purpose, seek and attract the right players, uncover aligned motivations and assemble what I call a capability stack - a bricolage of complementary strengths partners bring to the table that are needed to deliver the desired reality.

     

    I craft fit-for-purpose partnering strategies, assemble networked collaborations and design partnerships that facilitate truly generative collaborations for those who are in it to win it.

    Build teaming muscle.

    The magic happens in the space where partners come together to co-create.

     

    Most partnerships jump straight from negotiating objectives and respective contributions to expecting results. The real work happens in the liminal space - a zone where you and your partners become one team.

     

    Adaptiveness and resilience are the muscles partners need to build while out on the pitch. I develop bespoke tools and apply proven processes that encourage emergence to rigorously and relentlessly drive toward results. 

    Score - together.

    Measure the power of your partnership to create a snowball effect.

     

    Partnering is without a doubt essential to impact - there's an entire Global Goal dedicated to it. Yet the discipline of partnering is under-resourced because its impact is hard to measure. And what doesn't get measured doesn't get valued. There is another way.

     

    I've begun to develop tools for growing momentum by measuring collaborative advantages gained from partnering well. We can quantify the value of collaboration.

  • testimonials

     

    I've had the privilege of collaborating with some of the most brilliant minds changing the world. Here's what they have to say about working with me. 

    "Felicity brings incredible energy and enthusiasm to everything she does. She approaches complex problems with purpose, intelligence and wit. A truly global citizen, she has an innate understanding of how partnerships, networks and organizations work in very different settings, and has an uncanny ability to bring people and orgs together to collaborate in excellent, meaningful and sometimes surprising ways."

    - Global development executive

    "Felicity is a highly intelligent multitasker to the max! She is always able, even when the pressure is full on, to zoom out, take a helicopter view, reflect and adjust in order to meet ambitions. She has the unique capability to bring the voice of all partners involved to the table in a constructive way."

    - Social impact advocacy leader

    "Felicity is a great deal maker and forges strong partnerships. I also appreciate her cross organisational approach - supporting all teams and her willingness to dive into opportunities."

    - Chief communications officer at global NGO

    "She knows how to get things done efficiently and effectively in a way that is collaborative and engaging. Felicity is a highly skilled communicator and can adapt well to new situations, innovate in the face of sudden challenges and still have high spirits and an unwavering optimism towards the end goal."

    - International non-profit CEO

    "She built a collaborative environment where everyone feels comfortable contributing - creating a safe space where we can disagree in a productive way. This allowed us to build on each other's strengths and creativity to significantly advance the work while creating clarity in the process."

    - Team member

    "I found the way she tailored her approach to each of our partnerships highly entrepreneurial. She does a great job at taking teams along the journey. Her working model is incredibly effective and believe she could be highly valuable at guiding/ coaching others."

    - Technical lead at global NGO

    "She focuses on people's innate strengths and has encouraged me to lean in to that. She has been very generous in sharing her knowledge and experience, and has a way of bring abstract concepts down to a practical level that makes it a lot easier to digest. I love working with her and I learn so much from her."

    - Team member

    "Felicity takes the time to get to know colleagues and partners well, and in turn, builds a stronger culture for the team (which is very important to our success). She is our go-getter in the global arena in many ways!"

    - Team member

    "Felicity is truly the exemplification of leading from the front, inspiring confidence among colleagues and partners alike."

    Funding raised

    Cookie Use
    We use cookies to ensure a smooth browsing experience. By continuing we assume you accept the use of cookies.
    Learn More