Sonja Okun believes in the power of creative learning experiences to catalyze transformational change. Her passion is most activated at the intersection of education, justice, art and design. Two decades of work in youth justice consistently reinforced Sonja’s conviction that artists, or “creatives” are often the best teachers for helping students experience educational epiphanies - learning or seeing something from a new perspective, that opens a mental portal of possibilities, exploration and further curiosity. This experience has driven Sonja’s interest in applying the power of creative, transformative learning experiences towards designing new modalities for tackling our most entrenched societal problems. In Charette Space Sonja is harnessing many of the principles and practices essential for this work, from creative energy as the source of change, to transdisciplinary collaboration, and the role space plays in stimulating radical imagination and creativity. 

Beginning in 1997 Sonja applied her belief in the power of transformative learning experiences to the development, implementation and growth of an educational model designed to disrupt the school-to-prison pipeline. In 2006 she founded exalt, a NYC based nonprofit centered on this model that helps justice system-involved young people extricate themselves from and avoid further justice system involvement. exalt engages young people through a unique curriculum and pedagogy that activates their inspiration and catalyzes changes in their sense of possibility, which in turn leads to behavior changes that support their ongoing personal, educational and professional development. exalt’s model has helped shift the field of juvenile justice by demonstrating that transformative learning experiences are a viable alternative to incarceration.

While honing the vision for Charette Space Sonja has consulted for foundations and other nonprofit organizations on youth justice and an array of other social issues - from developing a strategic plan for a diversity, equity and inclusion social enterprise in the early childhood development sector, to designing and coordinating a STEM education equity collective action initiative in Massachusetts. Sonja is known for her passion, tenacity and entrepreneurial spirit. She is skilled in program and organizational development, cultivating strong organizational culture, building and managing diverse teams, bridging diverse perspectives and functional areas of expertise/experience, and tailoring initiatives to meet the needs of a broad range of constituents. Sonja holds a BA in African American Studies from Harvard University and an MBA from Harvard Business School.