Sonja Neiger’s life work is to substantially increase the proportion of women in leadership roles by removing internal and external obstacles that women face in the workplace. As Director of the Women’s Leadership Institute for the Impact Center, a non-profit based in Washington, D.C., Sonja leads an annual women’s leadership development program for accomplished women across sectors. Using her extensive knowledge of employee engagement, retention, and career development, she also consults with organizations, facilitates team development, and provides executive coaching. Sonja’s primary strengths are creating innovative talent programs, managing large-scale projects, and creating educational content. She is a skilled facilitator and polished presenter who builds strong relationships with leaders at all levels.

Sonja’s twenty-year career in talent development began with an undergraduate business degree in Human Resources. She later attained a Master’s degree in gendered learning and leading. She is certified in a variety of talent assessments and inventories, as well as a certified Business Coach. Sonja is passionate about closing the wage gap, and teaches a course called “$tart $mart” sponsored by The WAGE Project to teach college women salary negotiation techniques. In her spare time, Sonja enjoys reading non-fiction and watching the “nature/nurture” dynamic as it unfolds with her two children: a girl and a boy. Sonja and her spouse moved to North Carolina from Minnesota many years ago, and can’t image a better place to live!