Sonja Okun, Managing Director

Sonja is a creative, entrepreneurial leader in the nonprofit and philanthropic sectors with a track record of developing innovative ideas into effective social impact models. She has over two decades of experience working in youth justice, including founding exalt, a NYC nonprofit designed to disrupt the school-to-prison pipeline. exalt’s model has helped shift the field of juvenile justice by demonstrating that transformative learning experiences are a viable alternative to incarceration. Sonja has extensive experience consulting in strategic planning, designing collective impact initiatives, and program and organizational development. She is skilled at building and managing diverse teams, tailoring initiatives to meet the needs of a broad range of constituents, and designing and facilitating convenings with diverse stakeholders.

Sonja is rooted in her local community through serving as a board member of Kite’s Nest, a local youth empowerment organization, serving on the Steering Committee for the development of Hudson’s new Comprehensive Plan, and being recently appointed by the Mayor as Hudson’s Commissioner for Youth. She was elected to serve as Hudson’s 3rd Ward Supervisor on the Columbia County Board of Supervisors beginning in January 2026. Sonja holds a BA in African American Studies from Harvard University and an MBA from Harvard Business School.