Before joining Hispanic Access, Barboza held a pivotal role as the Ocean Leadership and Global Community Manager at the Sustainable Ocean Alliance, where she engaged in ocean conservation grantmaking, ocean policy initiatives, and overseeing the operations of the global youth ocean leader network. She was also a key organizer and implementer of international events such as the United Nations Ocean Conference Youth and Innovation Forum in Portugal and the Our Ocean Youth Leadership Summit in Panama.

“The Latino community faces many barriers to accessing coastal and marine ecosystems and nature in general,” said Barboza. “I am thrilled to be joining Hispanic Access Foundation to engage with and for the benefit of US Latinos. As one of the fastest-growing groups in this country, we must be heard and represented.”

Barboza holds a Master of Science degree in Climate and Society from Columbia University, where she studied climate dynamics, climate change and variability, and related societal impacts. She was a teaching assistant for the “Water Resources and Climate” course for the Sustainability Management Master of Science degree program and taught in Brazil at the Federal University of Pernambuco and the Federal University of Campina Grande. She holds a bachelor's in arts degree in Cultural Anthropology from the University of Pittsburgh with minors in Spanish and Portuguese and certificates in Global Studies and Latin American Studies.

“Sofia is a passionate and driven environmental conservation advocate,” said Maite Arce, President and CEO of Hispanic Access. “Latinos have a deep connection to the ocean and coast; with her joining our conservation team, we will be able to expand the scope of marine conservation, better serve Latinos, and help protect wildlife and natural resources.”

In the role of Ocean Manager, Barboza is responsible for developing and refining the organization’s ocean conservation strategy and long-term goals, ensuring the timely planning and execution of a portfolio of ocean conservation projects, cultivating relationships with government agencies, NGOs, academic institutions, and other stakeholders to foster collaborative efforts in ocean conservation, and engaging in advocacy efforts to promote policies and regulations that protect ocean and coastal communities, ecosystems, and biodiversity.