Episode 5: Visibility, Voice, and the Weight of the Unseen

BIPOC Mental Health Awareness and Disability Awareness Series: Part 2

In Part 2 of our BIPOC Mental Health Awareness and Disability Awareness Series, we’re joined by Sophia Mason—HR leader, systems thinker, and doctoral researcher—who opens up about the often-overlooked realities of Black women leaders living with chronic illness and invisible disability. We dive into the intersections of racism, ableism, and gender bias, and what it means to lead with strength, vulnerability, and clarity.

 Special Guest: Sophia Mason 

Sophia Mason is a seasoned HR leader, lifelong learner, and systems thinker on a mission to make workplaces more human. With nearly two decades of experience spanning the for-profit, nonprofit, and higher education sectors, she currently serves as the Director of HR Business Services at Montgomery College. Sophia is also pursuing her doctorate in Organizational Change and Leadership at USC, where her research centers the experiences of Black women leaders living with chronic illness and disabilities. 

Her work invites us to consider: What does it mean to lead while navigating invisible disabilities? How do racism, ableism, and gender bias collide in professional spaces? And what myths still need to be unlearned about who gets to be seen as strong, capable, and worthy? 

Grounded in transparency, equity, and well-being, Sophia believes that real transformation begins when people feel seen, valued, and supported. 

* Part 2 of 3