Sophie Bryan

Advisory Board

pronouns: she/her

Sophie Bryan is the Executive Director of Philadelphia VIP, the hub of pro bono legal volunteering in the greater Philadelphia region and the pro bono arm of the Philadelphia Bar Association. Leveraging the power of volunteerism, VIP volunteers and staff assist thousands of clients and families annually in important civil legal matters impacting shelter, employment, family composition, and financial stability. Prior to joining VIP in June 2017, she was the Program Director at Reinvestment Fund for the Invest Health initiative, an effort to improve health and well-being in low-income neighborhoods in 50 mid-sized U.S. cities through better integrating community development, local government, and health sectors; training teams of cross-sector leaders; and attracting new sources of capital. Prior to joining Reinvestment Fund, Sophie held a series of positions at the School District of Philadelphia, most recently the Chief External Relations Officer, where she was responsible for developing and implementing strategic advocacy, government relations, external engagement, and communications plans to support the School District’s strategic priorities. Sophie’s prior experience includes serving as Chief of Staff to Philadelphia City Councilman Bill Green, in which role she focused on budgetary issues, tax policy, ethics and campaign finance reform, and reforming the City’s real estate assessment and taxation system. Before joining local government, Sophie practiced law for eight years, primarily in the legal services field where she represented low-income clients, first in Boston and then in Philadelphia. Sophie served for five years as an adjunct professor at the Drexel University Earle Mack School of Law, teaching an upper-level writing course. A native Philadelphian, Sophie graduated with honors from Harvard College, with a BA in History and Science, and from Harvard Law School.