Sofia Madden

I work on narrative and creative strategy for systems change, making sure the ideas that can shift on climate, AI, and democracy don't just hold up as strategy, but inspire people to act. These days I do that through Watershed.

Bio

Sofia Madden is co-founder and co-director of Watershed, a venture studio that works at the edge of what's emerging, on the issues that will define Australia's next decade. Watershed partners with ambitious philanthropies to design and deliver investments at the scale required for systems impact, across transport and energy, climate and earth systems, artificial intelligence, and democracy and media. Sofia leads on narrative power, creative strategy and cultural execution, turning complex policy and systems ideas into stories people actually engage with, and designing the interventions that cut through political and media noise.

She has worked at the intersection of campaigns, communications and culture for over 20 years. She founded and built Principle Co, one of Australia's leading social impact communications agencies, where she worked with unions, political parties, national broadcasters, civil society leaders and major institutions. Sofia also founded Impact Culture, working at the intersection of entertainment and social impact across Australia and the US with organisations including MTV and Spotify, and is an award-winning documentary producer with a background in television and digital media.