Sophia van Delden Saunders

Sophia van Delden Saunders has a diverse work experience spanning various roles and industries. Sophia worked at Together Software as the Director of Product Design starting in 2023. Prior to that, they held multiple roles at Wave HQ, including Director of Product Design, Senior Manager of Product Design, Design Manager & UX Lead, Design Manager, and Senior Product Designer. Sophia also worked at Juno College of Technology as a Lead Instructor, where they taught design-related skills and led interactive training for students. In addition, Sophia was a Guest Speaker at BrainStation in 2019. Before that, they worked as a Product Designer at Nascent, where they led the Digital Life Campaign for Telus. Sophia also had experience at Deloitte Canada as a Lead Product Designer and Product Designer, where they helped create the Auvenir venture. Sophia also worked as a User Testing Facilitator & Prototyper at George Brown College and as a UI/UX Designer at Bay Street Labs. Prior to their design-focused roles, they worked as an Illustrator, Printmaker & Graphic Designer as a freelancer and as a Customer Care Manager at Profile Wine Group.

Sophia van Delden Saunders has pursued a diverse education history, spanning various fields and institutions. In 2005, they obtained an Arts Honors Degree in Liberal Arts and Sciences/Liberal Studies from the University of Toronto. Following this, they enrolled in the University of Guadalajara in Mexico, focusing on Contemporary Arts and Politics. In 2010, Sophia attended the Toronto School of Art, concentrating on Painting & Life Drawing.

Sophia continued to expand their knowledge with specific certifications. In 2012, they obtained an AODA Certificate from Accessibility Ontario, demonstrating their understanding of Ontario's Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act. In 2015, they completed a course on Psychology for Digital Behaviour Change from AlterSpark, taught by Dr. Brian Cugelman. This was followed by their acquisition of the Visual Storytelling in Organizations certification from Duarte, Inc. in 2019. Sophia later engaged in professional development, receiving the Skills Coach certification from LifeLabs Learning and the Level-Up: Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion training from Feminuity in 2021. Most recently, in 2022, they obtained Mental Health First Aid Canada certification from the Mental Health Commission of Canada.

Furthermore, Sophia pursued specialized programs in digital arts. From 2015 to 2016, they studied User Experience Design at George Brown College. Concurrently, in 2015, they began pursuing a Phycology of Digital Behavior Change degree under the tutelage of Dr. Brian Cugelman as part of the Afterspark program at the University of Toronto. In 2016, they joined HackerYou College of Technology for the Advanced Digital Design program, specializing in Digital Arts.

Throughout their educational journey, Sophia has paved a path of continuous growth and development, blending their passion for art, technology, and behavioral change.