Introducing Sonya Tareke, finalist for the 2022 ATHENA Young Professional Leadership Award
Blog Categories
Maura Cotter
March 30, 2022
For more than 30 years, the Buffalo Niagara Partnership has been honored to produce the annual ATHENA Awards® to support, develop, and honor women leaders in Western New York.
This year, as we return to our in-person celebration on April 5, the BNP is pleased to introduce you to the finalists who have been selected for the 2022 ATHENA® honors. This includes the ATHENA Leadership Award® and the ATHENA Young Professional Leadership Award® as well as the ATHENA Organizational Award® to recognize one for-profit organization and one non-profit organization that inspire women in WNY.
We will bring you profiles of each finalist in the weeks ahead, leading up to the awards event.  Come back often to read the profiles and you’ll learn what it means to be an Athena.
Celebrate all of the finalists at the LIVE event on April 5, 2022 at the Buffalo Niagara Convention Center.
The Buffalo Niagara Partnership is pleased to introduce you to 1 of 10 finalists in the ATHENA Young Professional Leadership Award® category – Sonya Tareke, Program Manager, Entrepreneurship for All. Â
Meet ATHENA Young Professional Leadership Award® Finalist: Sonya TarekeÂ
Sonya Tareke is the Program Manager for Entrepreneurship for All Buffalo where she co-leads the organization’s development efforts in fostering an entrepreneurial ecosystem that engages the local community in a true grassroots fashion. She is also an entrepreneur herself as she is the co-founder of Real Talk, an e-Learning platform that promotes diversity, equity, and inclusion by empowering educators and students through guided social discussion.Â
Inspired by the Buffalo ecosystem, her goal is to one day head a University Innovation Center. Sonya is from Mount Vernon, NY and moved to Buffalo in 2013 to pursue her dual bachelor’s and Master’s in Business Administration at the University at Buffalo. Â
Sonya is passionate about health, wellness, and mentorship. She is a mentor for Say Yes Buffalo and is a Tapestry Charter School Club Leader. Outside of work, Sonya enjoys attending food festivals, stand-up comedy shows, and poetry slams here in Western New York.Â
We asked Sonya a series of questions to get to know her better.
First Job Â
Sonya’s first job was as a library aide.Â
Career HighlightsÂ
Sonya says she was the first on both sides of her family to earn a Master’s degree and she points to that accomplishment as one of her greatest career highlights so far.Â
Best Piece of Advice Given Regarding Her CareerÂ
The richest place on earth is the graveyard.Â
Advice to Give to a Woman Just Starting in the Workplace.Â
Self-advocacy is key as a woman in the workplace, so practice your negotiation skills daily.Â
About Being an ATHENA FinalistÂ
“Thank you to the ATHENA committee for naming me a 2022 award finalist! The true value of this award is the priceless access it provides to powerhouse Western New York women leaders who I look forward to forming mentor relationships with.”Â
On Buffalo NiagaraÂ
“What I enjoy most about being a Buffalo transplant is the entrepreneurial spirit of this city as we go through our Buffalo Billion renaissance.”Â
Favorite Spot in Buffalo Â
Frank Lloyd Wright’s Martin HouseÂ
Added InsightsÂ
- Guilty Pleasure:Â Taro Waffles w/Whip Cream
- Superpower:Â Telepathy
- My Friends Describe Me As:Â Superwoman
- Yearbook Superlative:Â Most Likely to Break Out in Song
- If I Could Swap Lives with Someone for a Day, I’d choose: Oprah Winfrey
Attend the ATHENA Awards® Luncheon
The ATHENA Awards® Luncheon is the region’s most prestigious event recognizing the professional accomplishments of exceptional individuals who are dedicated to the advancement of women. Be there when the recipients are announced.
Tuesday, April 5, 2022
11:00 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.
Register to Attend Here
Related Posts
Buffalo Niagara Partnership Announces 2023 ATHENA Award® Individual Finalists
The Buffalo Niagara Partnership is pleased to announce the individual finalists for the 2023 ATHENA Leadership and Young Professional Leadership Awards®.  The awards recognize contributions made by women leaders that show professional excellence and advance the status of women throughout the Buffalo Niagara region.
Understanding Cultural Humility
Anna-Lesa Calvert to present during D&I Virtual Learning Series
Cultural humility. The term may be unfamiliar, but it is a critical component to any organization’s diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts.
Speaker Series: Event Planning in Uncertain Times
Event organizers have been left questioning whether their events should go back to being in-person, remain virtual or become something in between. How do you make that decision, especially when there is still so much uncertainty? All events are unique, but the most important thing to do is to consider your audience and be prepared to pivot if you need to. Here are a few tips to help get you started.
7.28.22 Webisode: Creating Career Pathways
The Buffalo Niagara Partnership knows that hiring is the most common pain point amongst all employers right now, and will be for the foreseeable future. We created the Employ Buffalo Niagara Career Pathways Program to help regional companies attract and retain talent in this challenging job market.