Sophia Tiajoloff is the Director of Special Events at Fountain House in New York City where she has built an organizational infrastructure to engage diverse audiences in support of funding innovative initiatives, pilot programs, and evidence-based strategies for people living with serious mental illness. Sophia graduated from Vassar College with a degree in Psychology, focusing in neuroscience and cultural health, and a minor in Russian Studies. During her years at Fountain House, Sophia played a critical leadership role and spearheaded an organizational funding strategy, tapping into new key audiences to support the expansion from a local to national organization when operations grew from a $6M to $16M budget. During a time when public demand and engagement grew at the peak of the COVID-19 Pandemic, Sophia led a COVID-19 emergency response fundraising campaign, built an engagement plan recognizing long-standing donors and developed new pathways for a more diverse donor base to engage in public events. Previously, Sophia has volunteered at organizations at the intersection of youth education and disability rights. Her experiences fostered a commitment towards disability rights, social justice work and mental health reform.