Sophie Beya

Research & Innovation Consultant

Sophie

Empathic Noticer. Underlying Truth Excavator. 

What do you do?

I cultivate a felt sense of permission to say the more honest thing.

What's your background?

For many years I traveled solo through conflict zones in Africa and crisis zones globally, sitting with humans to hear their often unimaginable experiences. My nature, whether in a Syrian refugee camp or in State-side market research, is to make it feel undeniably safe and appropriate to express ‘what’s really going on beneath the surface’. To relay those seemingly distant stories in a relatable way. And to make evident what actions can be taken to serve what is revealed as the deeper, truer, perhaps less obvious, but exponentially more motivating need. 

Favorite book, quote or song?

‘September’ by Earth Wind & Fire.…I will never not compulsively dance to that song

Something you’ve found inspiring?

“Every significant emotional event we’ve had has implanted a belief about what that event means about us, or about how life works.  In order for us to uproot a belief, we also need to process the feeling. We cannot uproot the belief without facing the feeling; and we cannot release the feeling without addressing the belief.” - Kathrin Zenkina

I am endlessly grounded by the reality that our perspectives drive our experiences and our experiences direct our perspectives. Whether used as a cheat code or as a vehicle for engaging empathy toward someone else’s stance in life, the phenomenon fascinates, challenges and inspires me.