Sonya Sankaran
Previously @ BeReal and NewsCorp. Most recently, co-founded Sociabl, an AI app to learn social skills. I'm obsessed with creating immersive experiences.
Past Work
Sociabl helps socially anxious users practice real-world conversations through short virtual scenarios with AI characters who respond in real-time (gpt voice). I led product design, onboarding flow, and go-to-market -taking it from ideation to 600+ downloads and 500K+ launch-week views.
Worked under the mentorship of BeReal’s U.S. Managing Director, Ben Moore, and Growth Manager, Julia Singson, to design and prototype a new social engagement feature aimed at deepening user interaction. Applied principles of product strategy, user-centered design, and rapid prototyping to bring the concept from initial idea to interactive mockup.
Explored how Gen Z engages with AI-powered news apps through user journey mapping, surveys, and competitor benchmarking. Developed data-backed recommendations for personalization and trust-building features, presenting directly to News Corp's digital innovation team.
Hobbies
When I'm not building products, I'm usually playing them. I'm an avid Clash Royale player, fascinated by how small design tweaks shape player behavior and community dynamics. Competing at that level from elementary school, taught me to balance creativity with precision and strategy. Fun Fact: I versed a previous world champ, and managed a clan that finished second in the world @chasmacgaming.
Created and produced story-driven gaming videos on @DandyMinecraft that reached nearly 1m views and 60k watch hours across five uploads in the kids' gaming niche. Focused on narrative design, character development, and audience retention. Managed a team of editors and thumbnail designers, completed all script writing, voiced numerous characters.
I love listening to music when I'm studying or building something. I also love discovering new songs and artists. My current favourites are SZA, Drake, and Sombr. I'm a fan of random soundtracks like Mamma Mia too.