Sonia Leo is a proud Lil̓wat7úl member of the Líl̓wat Nation. For over fifteen years, she has worked to serve the Indigenous community in various capacities and industries ranging from television to non-profit organizations. Throughout her heart-based approach to work and research, Sonia shares her skills, energy, and enthusiasm to help uplift Indigenous people and inspire them to shine. Most recently, her proposal writing has secured over $23 million in funding with a proposal success rate of 87%.

To date, one of Sonia’s proudest achievements is when she was granted the opportunity to research her community’s attitude towards tourism. The main result of this research highlighted the importance of cultural sustainability for Indigenous empowerment and self-determination. This experience gave her a deeper understanding of the importance of building trust and bridging silos with Indigenous people for community engagement.

Through this role, Sonia aspires to make a positive impact by working towards harmonious and prosperous outcomes as Indigenous communities strive for self-determination.