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Profile
Sonja joined Asana in 2015 as Head of Diversity & Inclusion. Asana helps teams orchestrate their work, from small projects to strategic initiatives.Previously, she was a Global Diversity Program Manager at Facebook and before that a Global Policy Counsel, Business & Human Rights at Yahoo. Earlier in her career she is a Legal Officer (Attorney) at Guardian Life of the Caribbean Limited.
She graduated from University of the West Indies, Cave Hill Campus with an undergraduate degree in Law and from Hugh Wooding Law School where she earned a L.E.C.,Law.
As Asana’s Head of Diversity and Inclusion, Sonja’s personal mission is to help every Asana employee thrive by inviting them to be their full selves at work, creating an environment that is inclusive, and helping every employee reach their full potential. Prior to her roles in diversity and inclusion at Asana and at Facebook, Sonja was global policy counsel for Yahoo’s Business & Human Rights Program and she was honored with the 2019 4ALL Leadership Award for Innovator of the Year by Great Place to Work. Sonja has always been interested in supporting those who are marginalized and her current role allows her to focus on marginalized groups within the company and industry—work that is more important now than ever. She loves being a part of a thoughtful, honest team and co-creating a culture that is wholly representative of who Asana is as a company. Sonja is an eternal optimist and knows everyone can make a difference. She emphatically believes that to overcome diversity challenges, everyone must develop a sense of empathy. Asana believes diversity impacts business and inclusion impacts company culture, and together they lead to business success. Sonja aims to display vulnerability, curiosity, and openness, while still valuing and respecting all employees. She has driven continuous process and policy improvements and pushed for more comprehensive diversity practices at Asana, making significant strides in everything from hiring, training, and facilitating open and inclusive dialogue between employees. She ensures a high level of intentionality is reflected in the final product, promoting accessibility features like Asana’s colorblind-friendly design. With Sonja’s leadership, the company initiated the Asana Real Talk series where employees engage in honest, candid discussions about overcoming challenges, communicating purpose and driving change, individually and in the greater world/workplace. She spearheads Asana’s employee resource groups, including minority inclusion group Gradient, female leadership organization AsanaWomen, and LGBTQ+ friendly Team Rainbow. Asana has been named one of Fortune’s Top 10 Best Small & Medium Workplaces three years in a row, as well as the Fortune’s #1 Best Workplace in the Bay Area, a Great Place to Work Best Workplace for Women, one of Comparably’s Best CEOs for Diversity, one of Ireland’s Best Workplaces, and three years in a row as one of Inc.’s Best Workplaces.