Sophie: Leveraging the power of technology for children with intellectual disabilities around the world

Sophia's story illustrates the skill set necessary to thrive in today's world: empathy, teamwork, new leadership, and changemaking. Based in Pittsburgh, one of the United States' fastest growing technology hubs, Sophia and her team are acting on their compassion, sharing resources, and leveraging the power of technology and individuals, so everyone has the opportunity to thrive in a rapidly changing world.

"Sophie believes that everyone has the potential to be a changemaker. “Tikkun olam is a Jewish concept that means to give, or to repair the world. No one can do that all on their own, but if we all do a little piece, any problem can be solved,” she says. “And we have to start young."

This story was published in The Eagle, the official online newspaper of the Barack Obama Academy of International Studies in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Sophia's LeadYoung story was written by Sam Bisno and Isaac Degenhotlz in January 2019.