A sociology professor at the University of New Mexico, Dr. Julia Wai-Yin So is the Principal of So García Associates, LLC.  She has been teaching/writing on diversity & inclusiveness, leadership & change, and Asian & Latino cultures since 1995.  With decades of international experience working with people from culturally diverse backgrounds while living in Hong Kong, Japan and Ecuador, she is an expert on UNRAVELling the Three Cs to debunk certain cultural communication codes that one uses or presenting the Asian/Latino Parallels about the similarities of the two fastest growing racial/ethnic minority groups in the US.  She also provides services on culture coaching, board retreat facilitation with an emphasis on D&I, strategic planning, questionnaire design, and program evaluation.  Some of her clients include the Department of Defense, the Internal Revenue Service, the City of Dallas, the City of Tallahassee, the University of North Dakota, and the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board.

While living in Dallas Texas, Dr. So had successfully managed a $30-million scholarship program for the Dallas County Community College District.  A compassionate volunteer, she was board chair of the Greater Dallas Asian American Chamber of Commerce and president of North Texas Chapter of the Texas Diversity Council.  Some of her accolades include the 2006 National Institutional Excellence Award of the National Organization of Chinese Americans, the 2007 Distinguished Alumna Award of the Tarrant County College, the 2011 Power of One Award of the Dallas Human Resource Management Association, and the 2011 Diversity Leadership Award of the Texas Diversity Council.

A graduate of Leadership America and Leadership Dallas, Dr. So received her B.A. and M.A. in Sociology from the University of Texas at Arlington, and Ph.D. in Public Policy and Political Economy from the University of Texas at Dallas.   Dr. So is Past President of the New Mexico Chapter of the National Speakers Association.  She also serve as the Vice-President of the National Diversity Council.