Sophie Ferreira

Operations Manager

Growing up, Sophie Ferreira witnessed first hand the challenges faced by families caring for children with rare diseases. Her brother, Elliot, has a rare form of epilepsy called Dravet Syndrome which is typically accompanied by comorbidities requiring significant support. Sophie and her family found solace, support, and understanding in the rare disease community. That community, along with her personal experience, inspired Sophie to start a career in special education and then continue working in various capacities to support families who have a loved one with a disability even after she left the classroom.

Sophie’s volunteer work with PCDH19 Alliance, a nonprofit supporting rare epilepsy, led her to The Connected Parent Founder, Julie Walters. With a shared interest in improving and supporting the resources available to the disability/rare disease community, Sophie joined the team as Operations Manager in 2021. With a Master's Degree in Special Education (M.Ed.) from Vanderbilt University, an undergraduate degree in Cross-Categorical Special Education (K-12) from the University of Missouri, and both classroom and nonprofit experience, Sophie’s background enables her to support The Connected Parent team and member families in a variety of meaningful ways.

An adventurer with a knack for planning and a love of board games, Sophie spends her free time hiking the hills nearher Nashville, TN home and traveling with her husband and pup, Juniper.