Sofia Gandara
Sofia Gandara is a Cuban-born business student, Hult Scholar Grant recipient, and emerging global development professional passionate about expanding educational access and opportunity for underserved communities. Currently pursuing her Bachelor of Business Administration at Hult International Business School, she focuses on business strategy, sustainable development, and social entrepreneurship, with a strong emphasis on aligning financial growth with meaningful social impact. Through her academic and professional experiences, she has developed expertise in market analysis, startup strategy, and consumer behavior, particularly as it relates to building mission-driven organizations.
Sofia currently works with the Aspire Institute, where she supports communications, outreach, and partnerships aimed at connecting first-generation and low-income students with leadership opportunities. Her work includes developing marketing strategies, managing data and impact analysis, and building relationships with global partners to expand access to educational programs. She has also contributed to innovation and entrepreneurship initiatives through roles with organizations focused on the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, gaining experience in startup ecosystems, venture evaluation, and strategic growth consulting.
Born in Cuba and having lived in the Dominican Republic before moving to the United States, Sofia’s personal journey has deeply shaped her commitment to education equity and global opportunity. These lived experiences fuel her mission to help students from underserved backgrounds access the tools, funding, and mentorship needed to thrive. Fluent in both English and Spanish, she brings a global perspective to her work, combining analytical thinking with creativity and adaptability. Across all of her roles, she is driven by a belief that education and opportunity should be accessible to all, regardless of background or circumstance.
• Marketing Strategist
• Start-up Consultant
• Hult International Business School- B.B.A.
• Dean's List Spring 2025
• Hult Scholar Grant
• Cortico (MIT lab nonprofit) fellowship
• LISC (nonprofit)
• GO Ministries, Inc.
• Hostelling International USA
• Hire Heroes USA
What do you attribute your success to?
I attribute my success to my parents. I feel like they have done so much for me, and they have gone above and beyond to give me what they couldn't have when they were kids, because they really did live in a communist society that really didn't allow them to have anything. But they have put so much effort into making me and my sister grow, so everything that I have right now and where I am is because of them.
What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
The best career advice I've ever received is that you're never gonna know where the top is. It's completely normal to see something and think, oh, this is my dream, and then a few months later realize, oh, but I got to know this, and now this is my dream. So always being curious, always keeping an open mind of, you never know what else is out there, and you might like it even more. That really impacted my life.
What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
I would say everything you do, or any project that you do, or the way that you enter, do it from your experience. Don't be so worried about creating something new, or making the biggest thing. No. Everybody has an experience, so build upon it. If you feel like in your experience, you were not able to have something, or there's a problem in the way that you were raised, the way that you did something that didn't work, maybe you struggled with the boss because there was inequality, because there was sexism, all of that, start from your experience, and then change stuff from there. I feel like that's gonna drive you, that's gonna fuel that passion that you need to make something to change the world in some way, small way, but it's always your experience to start there.
What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
I would say a really big challenge is security with AI. I feel like AI is really taking over the world, and it's really pushing a lot of people away from their jobs, the ability of having autonomy and feeling safe. I'm doing a thesis right now on marketing, ethical marketing and consumer protection. A lot of students don't want to be in school, they don't want to engage, they really don't want to use their minds, they prefer AI to do their work for them. AI is also taking over social media, making people addicted to social media, and people are not actually going out, enjoying their community, enjoying their parents, trying some new stuff. I would say it's a combination of AI and the addiction to our phones. These targeted ads that they're giving to us are really getting us and making us spend money and just making us rush to buy stuff, and that all affects your life, because if you don't have money, you don't have the chance to do as many things as you would like to.
What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
I would say community is most important to me. I think it's very important to feel like you belong somewhere, and that you're attached at least to a mission, and that you care about something. Something else is effort. I feel like if you just do something superficially, or you're not really putting all of your in, it's not gonna be good, and you're not gonna feel fulfilled, not really. And then the other thing I would say is just kindness. Be nice to people.