Sophia Nnenna Ononye-Onyia, PhD, MPH, MBA, NACD.DC
Sophia Nnenna Ononye-Onyia, PhD, MPH, MBA, NACD.DC
Founder & CEO
The Sophia Consulting Firm
Dr. Sophia Nnenna Ononye-Onyia is a Nigerian American scientist, entrepreneur, board director and strategic communications leader. She has over 15 years of cross-functional experience in the biopharmaceutical industry across public health, drug discovery, medical affairs, commercial development and corporate communications. Dr. Ononye-Onyia is the owner and principal of a certified diversity-owned (NMSDC, WBENC, WOSB) scientific marketing and communications consultancy, The Sophia Consulting Firm (SCF). She is also a Public Board Director at Daré Bioscience (NASDAQ: DARE), a leader in women’s health innovation where she serves on two of the Board Committees (Nominating & Corporate Governance, Compensation). She is a Yale Entrepreneur in Residence, Cell & Gene Editorial Advisory Board Member and Dell Women's Entrepreneur Network (DWEN) Advisory Council Member. Dr. Ononye-Onyia is an inventor and author of over 30 publications inclusive of her dissertation on novel epigenetic agents (HDAC inhibitors), peer-reviewed research articles and opinion editorials in leading media outlets such as WebMD, Medscape, Philadelphia Inquirer, MIT Technology Review, Life Science Leader, Entrepreneur and Inc.
Dr. Ononye-Onyia is a lifelong leader whose prestigious list of honors and awards include a Congressional Letter of Recognition for the Face2Face Africa 30 Black Stars award; participation in the 2020 inaugural class of the EY Entrepreneurs Access Network (EAN) for select Black and Latin entrepreneurs; a UConn Tradition of Excellence Award for Distinguished Achievement by a Young Alumna; and recognition as Commetrics’s Top Digital Health Influencer in the FemTech/Women’s Health space on Twitter. Following a rigorous Board certification process, she is now credentialed as National Association of Corporate Directors (NACD) Directorship Certified®. In August 2022. Dr. Ononye-Onyia participated in a Nasdaq closing bell ringing ceremony participation for her notable achievement as one of the first 1,000 NACD Certified Directors.
Dr. Ononye-Onyia is a scientific storyteller with four years of Adjunct Professor of Chemistry experience. Her multicultural and multidisciplinary background positions her as a frequent speaker on timely topics such as the significance of scientific innovation, health equity, STEM diversity and women’s health. Notable speaking engagements include: a panel discussion on “Social Determinants of Health (SDOH) & Mental Health” facilitated by the World Affairs Council of Philadelphia and held during the B. PHL Innovation Fest in Philadelphia in September 2022; Executive Leadership Facilitator for “Scientific Innovation” leadership sessions for Allergan Aesthetics in Irvine, California in September 2022 and January 2023, respectively; and, a panel discussion on “ Science of Aging: Leveraging Technology to Advance Diversity in Aesthetics Medicine” during the Octane OC Conference in Orange County, California.
In spring 2023, Dr. Ononye-Onyia will globally launch the Amplifying Scientific Innovation® book series on Amazon starting with “The 24 Leadership Perspectives on Scientific ” in which she integrates insights from the accompanying podcast with reputable secondary research from scientific literature and consumer business outlets. Dr. Sophia Ononye-Onyia will also draw from her own multicultural and multidisciplinary experiences to elevate the narratives and key takeaways. The goal is to enhance the methodology of thinking around scientific innovation and further amplify distinct perspectives showcased on the accompanying Amplifying Scientific Innovation Video Podcast series, which has received almost 2M views on YouTube channel since its launch at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic in June 2020.
Dr. Ononye-Onyia holds a PhD in Pharmaceutical Science with a concentration in Medicinal Chemistry, an MBA in Healthcare management and an Advanced Business Certificate in Health Care Finance & Insurance all from UConn. She obtained her MPH in Public Health Administration from the University of Toledo and her Honors BS in Chemistry with a specialization in Biochemistry from Bowling Green State University. She completed her postdoctoral training in breast medical oncology research with a focus on triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) therapy at the Yale School of Medicine.