I’m an Experience Design Leader, Consultant & Educator based in Portland, Oregon.
Most recently, I was at Nike leading the Digital Product Design team responsible for designing products that helped internal teams build and manufacture their products. By leveraging inclusive, people-centric design practices alongside agile methodologies, I solve complex problems and create best-in-class software systems and products.
Now, I am the CEO & Founder of equitabl, a human experience agency focused on designing and shipping exceptional products and team cultures.
Having designed and operated UX departments at multiple companies, I have created inclusive, sustainable and scalable end-to-end processes, leading to the successful adoption of products in various industries.
Along with running equitabl, I spend my time as:
CXO + Partner at The Inturnship, a new creative agency giving historically under-represented junior talent paid experience, mentorship, and community. Our humblebrag is that over 70% of ‘Inturns’ who come through our agency find roles (not internships!) at some of the most competitive companies including Nike, Google, and Disney.
Pro-Tem Faculty at the University of Oregon School of Journalism and Communication. I created, and now teach, the User Experience Design Studio and the Introduction to UX to undergraduate and graduate students.
President Elect of TiE Oregon Foundation, a non-profit organization dedicated to fostering entrepreneurship in our community through the TiE Young Entrepreneurs program, TiE XL Bootcamp, TiE University, and TiE Women. I currently lead the student committee, conducting research for and collaborating on key curriculum decisions for our global program.
Although all these things take up a substantial amount of my day, I’m passionate about education and continuous learning. I am an active member of the Interaction Design Foundation, attending webinars and completing their certificates, and I have surpassed 1,725 consecutive days of learning French on Duolingo.
What People Say About Working With Me
“Sonali is an empathetic partner and UX designer. She listens to teammates and users and adjusts actions and designs based on feedback. She is able to adapt in an uncertain and complex environment and apply her UX experience in a strong and focused way for [this project]. She is always there for her teammates, and makes time to build relationships and trust among team members. She speaks and acts with courage by being a constant advocate for users and her teammates.”
– Cross-functional Product Partner
“Sonali's leadership sets a gold standard to which everyone that works with people should aspire. Her management style fosters an incredible culture of mutual support and psychological safety, cultivating a creative atmosphere unlike any I’ve seen. People who have the good fortune to work with her can expect to feel heard, seen, supported, and tirelessly advocated for. it’s impossible to overstate the strength, wisdom, compassion, and empathy Sonali brings to every interaction.”
– Direct Report
“Sonali is an incredible teammate to work alongside. She brings her whole-self to work and she cares deeply for everyone she interacts with (including our users).”
– Cross-functional Engineering Partner
“Sonali has been an excellent partner in fostering collaboration among the team and creating opportunities for connections. She has been very supportive, enthusiastic, and particularly helpful when handing challenge situations. Working with her has been great and I appreciate her partnership.”
– Teammate
“Giving someone another chance to be good at their job, and creating a genuinely nice team of people to be part of. Also for being an excellent manager, really one of the best I've ever had in a 30-year working life. Also for having a sense of humor in the corporate world, which seems be fading away rapidly. Also for being herself with her coworkers.”
– Direct Report
“Sonali has shown great openness, vulnerability and creativity in improving the workflow and communication between the xD and Product Management teams. Sonali listens to all aspects of the conversation and shows her willingness to craft solutions that will meet the needs of all parties involved. Sonali exemplifies how to engage in difficult conversations and work toward mutually beneficial solutions.”
– Manager
Brands I’ve Worked With
Awards
One Club Young Ones ADC: Design for Good, Experiential Design Merit Award 2018
Columbia Scholastic Press Association Gold Crown Award 2016
Society of Professional Journalists Best Digital-Only Student Publication Finalist 2016