Prior to joining politics, Tan founded Daughters of Tomorrow (DOT), an organisation which enables livelihoods and financial self-sufficiency for underprivileged women in Singapore.

[2] She raises awareness about urban poverty in Singapore, and forges collaboration among private, public and non-profit sectors to enable social and economic mobility for vulnerable communities as part of her work with DOT.

[3][4][5][6] Tan is a Young Southeast Asian Leaders Initiative fellow[7] and her work in women's empowerment and advocacy for collaboration was mentioned by United States President Barack Obama at a press conference during Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong's visit to the White House in August 2016.

[11][12] In 2014, Tan was featured in a CNA documentary, "A Singaporean Abroad", about her humanitarian work in India, training women from villages, who were rescued from sex-trafficking, in cottage industry skills.

[13] In November 2015, Tan was selected to introduce United States President Barack Obama at a Town Hall meeting in Kuala Lumpur as part of the Young Southeast Asian Leaders Initiative.