Sona Rai leads Data & Society’s communications and media engagement initiatives, working with her team to further the organization’s visibility and impact. Her background includes more than 15 years of interdisciplinary communications experience in government, academia, media, civil rights, immigration, and criminal justice reform. Prior to joining D&S, Sona served in directorial roles at Vera Institute of Justice, the City of New York’s NYC Census 2020 campaign, Quartz, and the New York City Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs. She earned a master’s degree from Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs and a bachelor’s degree from the University of Rochester.