Sofya Polyakov is a serial entrepreneur with over a decade of experience building products and communities that empower creation. In 2011, Sofya co-founded Noun Project - a company on a mission to create, share, and celebrate the world’s visual language. Noun Project has become one of the most recognized and loved resources, used by over 8 million people around the world. The company’s strong following can be attributed to its vision of connecting people through visual communication and championing social good initiatives that prioritize diversity and inclusion. Sofya has also spearheaded significant endeavors to change outdated stereotypes in visual language and increase more equal and accurate representation of women and minorities. In 2016, Sofya and her team founded Lingo, a modern digital asset manager for teams used by some of today’s best-known brands including Target, LinkedIn, Headspace, and Lowe’s. In 2020, the Noun Project team successfully launched Noun Project Photos to provide a better option for art-quality, emotive, and inclusive stock photos for any budget.
Sofya has also prioritized investing in diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives, resulting in a team that’s 42% women (50% at the leadership level), 30% BIPOC and 33% parents. From inclusive hiring practices to transparency around compensation policies, implementing remote work, flexible schedules during the pandemic, and formal DEI training, Sofya has made it a priority to ensure employees have the support they need both in and outside of the offic
