Sophia joined the Y&H Soda Foundation in 2024 to continue her personal mission to ensure communities of color and those most underserved have the resources and opportunities needed to live joyful, healthy, fulfilling lives with self-determination. Prior to joining the Foundation, Sophia worked in the nonprofit sector and ran her own consulting practice supporting a range of public and nonprofit clients addressing economic inclusion, environmental justice, health disparities, as well as gender and racial equity. As a community college transfer student, she obtained her BA in Geography from San Francisco State University. She later received her Master of Public Administration degree from the NYU Wagner School for Public Service, specializing in Social Impact, Innovation & Investment. She is an alum of the Solis Policy Institute State Fellowship hosted by Women’s Foundation California and sits on the Advisory Board of Mahala House Foundation. As a Chicana raised in the Visitacion Valley neighborhood of San Francisco, Sophia utilized numerous safety net supports and benefited from the programming of a range of local community-based organizations. Thus, she is committed to leveraging her personal experience and professional expertise in collective impact initiatives, program design, government affairs, policy advocacy and strategic communications to help undervalued communities flourish. Sophia is a proud mama and longtime Oakland resident who enjoys art, live music, exploring nature, and eating sweets while laughing with family.
