Sonal Shah is the chief executive officer at The Texas Tribune. She has started and led social
impact efforts in academia, government, and the private and philanthropic sectors for over 25
years. Previously, she served as interim executive vice president at United Way Worldwide.
Sonal founded The Asian American Foundation (TAAF) in Houston and founded and led
Georgetown University’s Beeck Center for Social Impact and Innovation. Her background in
government and policy include leading the White House Office of Social Innovation and Civic
Participation in the Obama administration, serving as an international economist at the
Department of the Treasury, and as policy director for Pete Buttigieg’s presidential campaign. In
the private sector, Sonal led Goldman Sachs’ environmental strategy and Google’s global
technology and impact investment initiatives. Sonal grew up in Houston, earned a B.A. in
economics from the University of Chicago and an M.A. in economics from Duke University.
