About Us and our work

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Civil Engineering

"Sonja was very helpful to me and WSB as we were developing our Opportunity + training program.  This program was developed to educate people from communities that are underrepresented in our industry.  We had ideas, but needed help to find partners who could connect us with students.  Sonja provided encouragement, relationships and insight into how to best structure and promote our program.  When many were telling us what we couldn’t do, Sonja told us that we could and should!  She is passionate, connected and thoughtful about finding a way which is refreshing and supportive."   

 Bret Weiss, President/CEO WSB

Bret Weiss, PE 
President/CEO
WSB | wsbeng.com

Construction

“I worked with Sonja Simpson to co-develop an apprenticeship preparatory program designed to increase awareness and access for women and the BIPOC Community into the construction trades. Sonja’s expertise and genuine approach proved invaluable to the program development and serving the participants. I have learned a great deal from Sonja and believe she has the skills to assist anyone seeking to develop a diverse workforce. She is engaging and will help navigate your toughest challenges.”

Jenny Winkelaar

Director of Workforce & Community Development

IUOE local 49

Retail

"I had the pleasure of working with Sonja as we looked to identify partnerships for diverse hiring and placement strategies. She brings a passion for her work, strong connections within the community, and an understanding of how to navigate in the workforce space for BIPOC talent."

Lynda Whittemore

Director of Talent Acquisition

We collaborate with partners that have been doing the 'good work' for many years.  iONIS Solution utilizes it's own 'inside-out energy' philosophy that we hope for our clients.

Our partners coming soon

Sonja Simpson, is the founder and CEO of iONIS Solution. She moved from Texas to Minnesota for marriage and has been happily married for over 28 years.  They have three-adult children, two boys and a girl.  She endearingly considers herself a Texsotan and feels beholden to both states. Sonja enjoys home, fun with family,  reading and , animals, gardening and learning about holistic health remedies.  The reason why she is so engaged in the effort to help companies overcome systemic bias in hiring and building a healthy collaborative environment is due to her many challenges in settings where the mere conversation of race or diversity was taboo or overlooked.  This led to her not being asked to many conversations around change or strategy as well as preventing her from advancing with her white peers that shared the same qualifications.  It went deeper as a woman that no only the color of her skin, but her height, 'articulation' and presence that many people of color know all too well, yet for her, comes with a story all of her own.

Experience

Sonja has a multi-faceted and vast history of experience in both public and private sectors.  Upon landing in Minnesota, she worked in banking, telecommunications, and IT.  She took a chance on a career in non-profit and education and this is where insights into disadvantaged populations and access, better called "the good fight" began for her.  She co-developed a congress recognized best-practices training model to assist in the states mandated minority and women placement goals within the construction industry.  The program was adopted by Metropolitan Council and rebranded as LRTBuild and currently a non-profit agency called Building Strong Communities. https://vimeo.com/507257725  She's also a strong advocate for post-secondary education having been a dean for one of the top earning continuing education/customized training divisions of a state college, and serves on the foundation board at Inver Hills Technical College.  Sonja also dedicates her time currently as an adjunct professor.  

Sonja is an alumni of Saint Catherine University and holds an MA in Organizational Leadership and Strategic Management, with a certificate in ethics and leadership, and is excited to work with companies that dare to be the difference.