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Sonal Shah

Chief Executive Officer
Sonal Shah’s staff photo

Sonal Shah Sonal Shah is a transformative leader with more than 25 years of experience driving innovation and creating sustainable social impact across academia, government, and the private and philanthropic sectors. As the CEO of The Texas Tribune, she is steering one of the nation’s most prominent nonprofit news organizations into a new era of growth, cultural engagement, and public service. Previously, Sonal served as interim executive vice president at United Way Worldwide, where she guided one of the world’s largest nonprofits through a pivotal period of strategic realignment. Sonal founded The Asian American Foundation (TAAF) in Houston and founded and led Georgetown University’s Beeck Center for Social Impact and Innovation. Her background in government and policy include leading the White House Office of Social Innovation and Civic Participation in the Obama administration, serving as an international economist at the Department of the Treasury, and as policy director for Pete Buttigieg's presidential campaign. In the private sector, Sonal brought her vision for sustainability and impact to major corporations. Sonal led Goldman Sachs' environmental strategy and Google's global technology and impact investment initiatives. A proud Houston native, Sonal earned her B.A. in economics from the University of Chicago and an M.A. in economics from Duke University. She is widely recognized for her ability to align mission with strategy, foster innovation, and guide organizations through transformative change to meet the demands of an ever-evolving world.

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