My Path to Philanthropy
By Hazel Seow | 18.06.2026
I started my career in a historic hotel in Hollywood, CA. Not in the back office. In sales. Face to face with guests, building relationships, making people feel like they mattered. I was good at it. And I loved it.
After nearly a decade in the USA, I moved back to Singapore. Only child. Family called.
But Singapore had other plans for me. Too experienced for some roles. Not local enough for others. The feedback stung: US experience doesn't translate here. So I pivoted.
Public sector first. Then nonprofit. And that's where everything changed.
I discovered that fundraising wasn't so different from hospitality sales. At its core, it's still about people. About listening. About making someone feel seen and valued.
But in nonprofit work, the stakes felt higher. The money raised wasn't filling hotel rooms. It was changing lives.
Donors began to trust me. Some became friends. Watching the causes they cared about come to life, knowing I played a small part in that, nothing has ever felt more rewarding.
15 years later I'm still here. Still in love with the work.
An edited version of this piece was originally published on LinkedIn.
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