Alison and I started Sova with a deep commitment to equity in mind. What we lacked was a clear vision for how equity is operationalized in organizations. We now have the talent and know-how to move our work to the next level. Sova Equity Impact is laser-focused on meeting our clients where they are and helping them meet their equity goals in a deep and sustainable way.
– Paul Markham, Founding Partner
Sova has long been a champion for racial, economic, and social justice, fostering upward mobility for more people through higher education. With decades of experience, our team is composed of former faculty members, higher education administrators, operations specialists, community organizers, researchers, and on the ground technical assistance providers. We are tested professionals who understand how change happens, supporting partners and institutions that are committed to achieving significantly better and more equitable outcomes for today’s students.
As we examine our work in the larger societal and global context, we are encouraged by the collaborative spirit to re-imagine equitable practices, policies, and structures that facilitate justice for those communities who have been historically marginalized in our country and furthest away from multiple forms of justice. With this in mind, Sova has launched Sova Equity Impact. This line of services will focus on operationalizing and activating equity—from ideation to strategy, from strategy to casemaking and implementation, and ultimately evaluation and assessment through monitoring. This critical body of work will be led by Drs. Stephanie Gardner and Verónica (Vero) Guajardo. Collectively, they have more than 40 years of combined service in the justice, equity, diversity and inclusion/belonging ecosystem. Their professional roles as practitioners, administrators, policy associates, and researchers provides a set of diverse lenses to critically examine systems for transformative change.
Core values for this work are anchored in the belief that personal stories and experiences are a critical part of meaning making and this work provides an opportunity for continual growth and learning. This includes understanding situational context, and an appreciation and recognition for diverse voices and intersecting identities to serve as key and powerful voices in the co-creation of solutions. We recognize that a piecemeal approach will not create the systemic and lasting change that is needed to meet the equity goals our clients strive for or the outcomes our nation’s students deserve. With this conviction in mind, Sova Equity Impact supports organizational leaders to both deepen their commitment to equity while building the capacities to operationalize equity across their organization in clear and practical ways.
For more information on Sova Equity Impact services please email: equityimpact@sova.org.
