Meet the Team: Sonakshi Dhimal

A Q&A with our Communications Director

Sonakshi serves as our Communications Director. She came to the United States as an international student for graduate studies at MIT, earning an MS in Information Technology and Advanced Data Analytics. While at MIT, she worked at the Media Lab to build learning systems for children with autism and make technology accessible and inclusive. Sonakshi is passionate about creating inclusive communications strategies, decolonizing narratives, and humanizing data through visual and interaction design. Before joining Our Children Oregon, she worked as a Creative Director at the Red Cross, researching and analyzing data records in Africa and Asia to build culturally dynamic communication strategies. She also served as a Senior Researcher and Strategist at Google Inc., as a Communications Manager at Gates Foundation, and at Doctors without Borders. She loves learning about new technology, cross country drives and spending time with her family and two cats – Basmati and Momo.

What does your role at OCO include? 

I am looking forward to working as a Communications Director at OCO and bringing my lived experience and technical expertise to elevate the mission and vision of OCO and building strategies to share the amazing work the team is working towards.

What brings you to this work? What values drive you? 

I am passionate about creating inclusive communications strategies, decolonizing narratives, and humanizing data through visual and interaction design. Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Accessibility is something that I practice in my professional and personal work as an individual and part of a community.

What’s a passion of yours you’ve yet to act on?

Finishing my book, A Sense of Home. The book is an illustrated journey of 10 immigrants and refugees I spent time with and learned more about what home means to them. 

Standout books or podcasts that speak to you?

Atlas of the Heart by Bréne Brown, 

White Tears/ Brow Scars by Ruby Hamad, 

Caste by Isabel Wilkerson, and

Prayers of the Stolen by Ladydi Garcia Martínez 

What passion projects do you do outside of work?

I love hand lettering and I love working on creative projects and continue my practice as a visual storyteller.


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