Sonia Rao began writing to find their way back to themself. Since then, their work has been featured in Forbes, TED, and others. They have spoken at Microsoft, Disney, and other organizations. The impact of Sonia's work has been honored by the Los Angeles City Council, the New York City Mayor's Office, and the Oakland Asian Cultural Center. They are 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. Their songs have been featured in over 40 television shows and films and they were 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. They are currently working on their 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 U.C. Berkeley and Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion at Stanford Graduate School of Business. They are queer and first generation Indian American.
