Sonia Rao began writing to find her way back to herself. Since then, her work has been featured in Forbes, TED, and others. She has spoken at Microsoft, Disney, Soho House, and other organizations. The impact of Sonia's work has been honored by the Los Angeles City Council and the Oakland Asian Cultural Center. She is a 2025 New York Foundation for the Arts Awardee for Music.
As a music artist, Sonia has written and released three albums, with national and international tours for each. Her songs have been featured in over 40 television shows and films and she was named Buzzfeed's "Asian American Artist to Watch". A finalist on NBC's The Voice and an accomplished classically trained musician, Sonia sings and plays violin, piano, flute, guitar, and ukulele. She is currently working on her next album, exploring intergenerational trauma, secrets, healing, and the body.
As a facilitator, Sonia leads race, gender, and culture-informed belonging workshops for organizations and creativity coaching for individuals, using identity work, mindfulness, creative processes, and narrative storytelling to guide people towards their authentic selves and each other.
Sonia studied psychology at UC Berkeley and Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion at Stanford Graduate School of Business. A longtime Vipassana practitioner, Sonia has sat multiple extended silent retreats to study and practice meditation in the Theravada Buddhist tradition. She is queer and first generation Indian American.
