Sonal is IPO’s Intellectual Property Specialist responsible for processing nondisclosure agreements (NDAs). Prior to joining the IPO Team in 2023, Sonal worked at UC Merced’s Office of Technology Transfer as an Administrative Officer. She developed her interest in tech transfer while getting her MBA from the College of Saint Rose at Albany, New York. She has a Master’s in Communication Studies from the University of Pune, India.

As part of the IPO Team, Sonal enjoys interacting with all the stakeholders who cross her path – the LLNL researchers, IPO’s Business Development Executives, LLNL legal team as well as external company contacts. She feels it is very rewarding to be facilitating conversations that could lead to synergistic opportunities and future collaborations between the Lab and the private sector. Naturally curious, Sonal also loves learning about the technologies being developed at the Lab, which require both technical innovation and exceptional creativity.

Sonal is no stranger to creative endeavors, having a filmmaker background and worked in both movie and television projects. These days, when Sonal is not working, she travels and works on her many hobbies, including designing jewelry, writing and cooking.