ABOUT SONJA JONES (SHIN)

Agile communications and marketing leader with user-experience training and an Honor Award for Excellence from NASA, as well as 10+ years of experience on fast-paced teams at top organizations, including NBC, CBS, walmart.com, San Francisco Fleet Week Association, US Navy, NASA and Stanford University.

Sonja has voiced exhibits for NASA that were featured at The Smithsonian and The Tech Museum in San Jose, hosted and produced hundreds of social media live interviews and a daily radio show. She has more than ten years of experience as a blogger with more than a half million views on her YouTube channel. 

She has coached many top execs on public speaking, including a Stanford director for a Senate testimony. She taught graduate marketing classes at Academy of Art University in SF. She was coached by Brian Williams, Richard Hart, host of the longest running show on The Discovery Channel, and her former NYC agent, who also represented Al Roker and Connie Chung. 

She studied science journalism and ceramic engineering at Northwestern University, did master’s work in Science Communication at University of California, Santa Cruz, and received a grant for innovative science communication upon completing the Washington University Social Entrepreneurship and Innovation program. She holds certificates in executive coaching, self-mastery, meditation and mindfulness.

CAREER HIGHLIGHTS

• As part of the San Francisco Fleet Week Association Center for Humanitarian Assistance Communications and Sponsorship executive team, led partnership with CBS Bay Area News reached more than 154 million people over TV and radio and more than 34 million people on social media ( Navy HQ at the Pentagon reported that “future Fleet Weeks and Navy Weeks should use SFFW's high volume of social content and platform variety as a roadmap for success.”)

• Produced and reported health, science, tech and general news for NBC and CBS TV stations in San Francisco and Seattle.

• Researched and produced science, medical and general news for NBC Nightly News and The Today Show in NYC with mentoring from Brian Williams, Bryant Gumbel and Katie Couric.

• Reached more than 342 million people with more than $3 million worth of media coverage around the world in six months as the Communications and Marketing Director for a multi-million dollar non-profit serving Ferguson.

• Part of the Communications & Development teams at NASA that brought companies like Google into NASA Research Park.

• Reached 32,661 people (61% increase) with 1,955 post engagements (45% increase) on Facebook in 28 days after taking over creation of recruitment and engagement social media posts as Content Developer and Strategist for Alliance College-Ready Public Schools.

• Turned around social media engagement and digital advertising for a healthcare startup, taking it from one or two likes per Facebook post to reaching 18,000+ people per post and 20,000 - 60,000 views per month on Facebook Live videos.

• Featured faculty teaching graduate courses in modern marketing, social media and web apps at Academy of Art University.

• Tweeted a video about a Stanford event, which earned 30,000+ impressions, 5,000+ views and 187 engagements.

• Founding member and admin of Pandemic Pantry Facebook Group, which was featured in The Washington Post.

• Hosted and produced a video about the dangers of global populism for Stanford.

• Coached a Stanford bioengineer testifying before the Senate about biotech.

• Produced and executed messaging, marketing and branding for NASA Research Park and Stanford Research Compliance.

• Produced and designed six ADA-compliant websites for NASA and Stanford.

• Produced and executed the award-winning NASA Ames Development Plan for NASA Research Park.

• Gave virtual tours of Mars at NASA with a SGI supercomputer and negotiated with SGI to save NASA thousands of dollars. 

• Produced and hosted a daily wellness talk radio show for the country’s first women’s talk radio station.

• Produced and appeared in more than 100 live TV appearances presenting science-based health advice with products from local and major companies, including Bobbi Brown and Chanel.

• Regular health and beauty writer for msn.com, walmart.com, a blog with 100,000+ monthly visitors, and examiner.com, which had millions of monthly visitors.

• Lead producer for holiday marketing campaign at walmart.com.

• Recipient of many awards, including those from the American Heart Association, the Council for the Advancement of Science Writing and the Washington University Social Entrepreneurship and Innovation Competition.

• Awarded a social entrepreneurship grant and intern from the Washington University Social Entrepreneurship and Innovation Competition for innovative health communications.

Executive and Media Coaching

Would you like to reach more potential customers/clients and investors, spread the word about the cause you champion and/or get help refining your pitch to clients or investors? Shin can advise you on how to get covered by the media, strategize a communications and marketing plan for you and work with you on your messaging so that people care about what you have to share. Click here to learn more about coaching from Sonja Shin.

Website Production

Shin also more than 10+ years of experience producing, designing and building websites. While a Public Affairs Specialist at NASA, Shin was trained on how to build websites and create an excellent user experience. She has designed and built websites for NASA, Stanford University and many small businesses and non-profits with everything from Wordpress to Squarespace.