Sonya Watson

 Director of advising services • she/her

Sonya Watson (she/her/hers) is Tides Advocacy’s Director of Advising Services. She is a c3 & c4 fiscal sponsor and non-profit management wizard with over 25 years’ experience. Sonya’s specialization is empowering BIPOC-led as well as leadership & community-based development programs by providing operationalized c3 and c4 organizations with support through compliance, fundraising and grantmaking. She brings forth winning strategies with an issue area focus and passion towards economic and racial justice. With her deep commitment and experience working with youth development, women’s and girls’ empowerment, workforce development, reproductive advocacy, and more recently progressive political strengths as a connector - you’ve found your partner in values-aligned social justice.

Sonya is her accreditation as a Certified Professional Coach & Associate Certified Coach (ACC) supporting Change Makers through Healing Center Coaching as a tool to assist leaders’ growth and healing as they design a future that propels collective liberation. Healing Center Coaching is a new innovative model that supports pausing, grounding, aligning, and actualizing in a healing environment to encourage diverse communities to heal, increase impact, sharpen vision, and deepen their connection to their passion.

Most notably, she has earned a fellowship with the LeaderSpring Center 2023 African American Women LeadStrong cohort. As a social justice change-agent who has the courage to speak truth to oppressive powers, examine & explore liberatory framework in transformative leadership advancing both her and our collective power.