Sophia Kerby is a government affairs and philanthropy leader guided by a commitment to economic equity, gender justice, and racial justice. Her career has spanned government, philanthropy, and advocacy, with a consistent focus on building coalitions that advance policy on behalf of communities historically excluded from power. 

Sophia currently serves as Vice President of Government Affairs at the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies, where she leads legislative engagement and the organization’s research portfolio on government diversity. She previously served as Senior Advisor to the Women’s Bureau at the U.S. Department of Labor under the Biden-Harris Administration, leading communications strategy on workforce development, paid leave, and child care. Before that, she spent several years in philanthropy as Principal of Policy & Advocacy at Omidyar Network, advising grantmaking strategy on worker rights, artificial intelligence, and data privacy across the organization’s investment portfolios. 

Earlier in her career, Sophia led state-based advocacy programs at the State Innovation Exchange and Advocates for Youth, working with state legislators and grassroots organizers to advance reproductive health and racial justice policy. She has trained hundreds of elected officials and advocates on storytelling, coalition building, and policy strategy. 

Sophia currently serves on the board of Black Mamas Matter Alliance. 

Sophia holds a Master of Business Administration from Georgetown University’s McDonough School of Business and a Bachelor of Arts in Government and Politics from the University of Maryland, College Park. She is based in Washington, DC.