Cover Elisha Tan performing at The Function SF. Photo: Tyler Peterson
Elisha Tan performing at The Function SF. Photo: Tyler Peterson
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A developer programmes manager at Meta by day and a stand‑up comedian by night, Singaporean Elisha Tan is the founder of Average Foundation, a community funder focusing on small acts of kindness
Elisha Tan is no stranger to standing out. She’s a Singapore-born, San Francisco-based stand-up comedian who made history as the first Singaporean to headline Punch Line San Francisco, one of the city’s most iconic comedy clubs. “I didn’t wait for anyone to approve of me or give me a chance,” she says. “I made it happen. And I did it while working with some of the very comedians I used to look up to as inspiration.”
That self-starting spirit isn’t limited to the stage. By day, Tan leads developer programmes for AR and MR at Meta. By night—and often, weekends—she performs comedy sets across the US, Europe and Asia, drawing on her lived experience as an introverted Asian woman in a space that rarely makes room for either. “When that happens, I remind myself that feeling out of place is actually my superpower,” she says. “No one else can tell the stories I can, because no one else in the room is a foreign Asian woman in the US.”
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Above Elisha Tan: stand-up comedian, tech leader and nonprofit founder
Elisha Tan: stand-up comedian, tech leader and nonprofit founder
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Tan also brings that sense of purpose to her impact work. She’s the founder of the Average Foundation, which funds grassroots social projects; TechLadies, which supports women in tech; and Good Giggles, a platform that raises funds for nonprofits through comedy. “On the surface, these three might not seem connected,” she says, “but look closer and you’ll see a common thread: empowering people to give back and empower others.”
For Tan, laughter and purpose go hand in hand. “Life’s hard, bills keep coming so let’s support each other and laugh a little,” she says. “Purpose compels.”
Despite her whirlwind schedule, Tan always makes space for where she came from. “I tell people I’m from Singapore at every performance,” she says. “You can take the woman out of Singapore, but you can’t take the Singapore out of her.”
Here, Elisha Tan, multihyphenate comic, technologist and community builder, shares some of her favourite spots in the San Francisco Bay Area—from post-show comfort food and hilltop views to the places where she feels most at home.
Above Cherry blossoms at Golden Gate Park, where Elisha Tan goes to to feel grounded
Cherry blossoms at Golden Gate Park, where Elisha Tan goes to to feel grounded
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When I need to feel grounded, I go to …
Golden Gate Park. I can’t believe it’s located in the city.
A local creative you need to know is …
Watsky, a poet, rapper and writer born in San Francisco. I’ve been listening to him for over a decade, and seeing him live in his home town is amazing. His poem Go Big, Young Friends is my favourite.
If you want to feel like a local while you're here, you should...
Try our fentanyl. Just kidding—don’t do that. SF’s drug problem is serious and we don’t need more. Instead, try a picnic at Mission Dolores Park or a hike at Land’s End.
The view of the San Francisco‑Oakland Bay Bridge from Elisha Tan’s office at Meta
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A dish everyone visiting San Francisco should try is...
Okay, technically not a dish and not unique to SF—but cotton candy grapes! I hate sour stuff and avoided grapes for years until I tried these. Life-changing.
If you’re in San Francisco for just 24 hours, don’t miss...
Bringing a jacket. Sunlight is a lie but microclimates are real.
A dish everyone visiting San Francisco should try is...
Okay, technically not a dish and not unique to SF—but cotton candy grapes! I hate sour stuff and avoided grapes for years until I tried these. Life-changing.
The one neighbourhood you absolutely need to visit is...
Haight-Ashbury, I choose to live here for a reason!
Above The Haight‑Ashbury neighbourhood, where Elisha Tan resides
The Haight‑Ashbury neighbourhood, where Elisha Tan resides
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The most breathtaking view in the Bay Area can be found at...
My office. The view of the Bay Bridge from the 40th floor reminds me of home, where my old office overlooked the Singapore Strait.
My go-to food truck or late-night bite in the Bay is...
Pinecrest Diner. It ain’t much, but San Francisco sleeps early and this place stays open. It’s my go-to after a long night of shows to write jokes.
An open mic night that’s full of heart (and a little chaos) is...
The Function SF. There’s an open mic every night, and it can get pretty rowdy, whether from the audience or just us comics when the room’s empty.
The best way to experience San Francisco’s creative scene is...
While people might suggest going to established comedy clubs like Punch Line or Cobb’s, I say check out a comedy show at a bar. Every comic starts in a dingy bar where the spotlight sometimes fails, the floor is sticky, and there’s a strange smell —that’s where you’ll earn bragging rights to say, “I saw them back in the day... and they were terrible.”
Above Elisha Tan performing at Punch Line
Elisha Tan performing at Punch Line
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The one museum, gallery, or comedy show I always take visitors to is...
The Function SF. Because I’m a regular there and there’s nothing like home (comedy club).
A weekend ritual I always recommend to visitors is...
As a 36-year-old woman who still occasionally runs out of clean underwear, I’m probably the worst person to ask about rituals. (Laundry should become one.) But check out sf.funcheap.com for fun and/or free activities!
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Nafeesa Saini is the Features Editor at Tatler Singapore, where she shapes long-form stories on culture, business, philanthropy, wellness, and the people driving change in Asia. With a deep interest in storytelling that intersects meaningfully with identity and impact, she has profiled a diverse range of visionaries, from scientific pioneers in AI and health to creative trailblazers and literary minds.
Nafeesa’s writing includes cover stories and profiles that spotlight influential voices, alongside commentary on the trends reshaping our world.
Off the clock, Nafeesa unwinds with fiction, a good thrift hunt, and ‘brainrot’ TikTok scroll—while always keeping one eye on her next cultural getaway, usually to Indonesia.
