Sonja Köpke, born in Berlin, joined Teach First Deutschland in 2012 after working together with a Teach First Deutschland fellow as a teacher. He inspired her, not to further pursue her career in the public school service and instead become a trainer for Teach First Deutschland in the southern region of the organization. She was appointed Regional Director in 2015. After several maternity replacements of the Head of Leadership Programme from 2018 to 2020 and her membership on the executive board since 2020, she was appointed CEO of Teach First Deutschland on July 1, 2022. Prior to joining Teach First Deutschland Sonja already realized, while working as a teacher, the hurdles that students from disadvantaged households face in the German school system. She also worked temporarily with incarcerated students in a prison school. Sonja enjoys traveling and diving, and lives in Berlin.