Meet the Team: Sofia Balderson
Ever wonder who’s behind Hive? Meet the people shaping Hive from the inside out!
This week, we’re spotlighting our Executive Director, Sofia Balderson. Sofia is one of Hive’s original co-founders and has been working on Hive since 2022. Her work is all about making sure that Hive has the best chance to grow, thrive and create impact.
Sofia’s dream? To connect all farmed animal advocates in one space so that we can collaborate like we are on the same team: Team Animal! 🧡
What brought you to Hive?
I’m originally from Belarus and moved to the UK back in 2017. I remember it took me quite a long time to find my network of animal advocates… Opportunities to get involved were rare, and it often felt like I was navigating it alone. As I became more involved, I realized that there were some closed communities of animal advocates, where incredible opportunities were being shared, but not everyone could join or even knew they existed. It made me want to build something different… an online, free community that anyone can join, where every advocate could all share resources and collaborate. That’s how the idea for Hive was born, and the rest is history!
What’s something you’ve learned from the Hive community?
I’ve learned to appreciate each other’s comparative advantage. The movement is so large that no one can stay on top of everything or master all the skills it needs. Every day, our community members share resources and insights that I could never produce on my own, and I find a lot of joy in learning from them. I think our real strength lies in combining our skills and knowledge so we can go further together than we ever could individually.
What is one local organization you’re excited about that gives you hope for the farmed animal advocacy movement in your region?
I really admire the work of Open Cages UK. They’re a small but hard-working team and have managed to secure commitments, such as banning Frankenchickens from supermarket sales. What I specifically appreciate about their team is their collaborative spirit: partnering with other UK nonprofits and running joint campaigns to amplify their impact.
What’s one thing in your environment that inspires you or reminds you why you do this work?
I have a poster of a chicken in my office that I got after participating in the pitch contest at CARE in 2023. Hive’s work is a few steps removed from helping animals directly and aims to multiply the capacity of all animal advocates. Even though our goal is to affect the lives of billions of animals too, it can be easy to forget that individual suffering matters. The poster is a fun picture which reminds me that farmed animals can be happy and free of pain.
What’s one way you recharge outside of your advocacy work?
I love spending a day outdoors, walking in nature with my husband, Chris. Thankfully, the UK is full of varied nature, like woods, moorland, beaches and fields. There are also many old historic buildings wherever you go in the country and we love to visit them for a bit of history and serenity.
If Hive had an official song, what do you think it would be?
Don’t Stop Me Now by Queen. This music has such momentum and celebration. Hive is always growing, and at this point it’s not easy to stop us! Just when we think that most people in the movement have already joined Hive, we get a huge influx of new members, and our engagement data is increasing all the time. I also think that the sense of positivity in the song reflects our community culture so well. Everyone is very kind and helpful, and almost every day, something exciting is shared in the community about a new important milestone towards our joint goal.
What’s one risk or experiment you’ve taken at Hive that taught you something valuable?
The biggest experiment was starting Hive! It taught me that sometimes you have to take a leap of faith and trust that the data you gather along the way will guide you toward the right decision later. When we were deciding whether to commit to Hive full-time, we didn’t yet have the impact indicators we do today. Very few people believed Hive should be the next charity to launch. But we (the co-founders) saw what others hadn’t yet seen — some potential, a strong need for a focused online community, and a few initial impact indicators. Leaving my job and focusing on Hive full-time felt risky; it was definitely not easy and full of uncertainty, but I’m so glad I did it.
Sofia, thinking up the idea for Hive at her kitchen table!
What’s a small but powerful way to nurture a new connection into lasting collaboration?
When talking to the person for the first time, try to find out something about them that you can start a conversation about next time. Then, make sure to follow up after your meeting and mention something related to what they like or a resource they may appreciate. Follow them on social media and keep up to date with their latest work and developments. It takes only a minute to comment on their post or send them a quick message, and you can keep the relationship growing without necessarily having to meet with them in person or online. If you have an idea for how you can collaborate, don’t be afraid to send them an email and invite them to a call. Even if the collaboration doesn’t work out (yet), it still builds towards a strong foundation.
One last question: What is your most overused emoji on Slack?
I’d have to say it’s 🚀 ! There are just so many positive things happening and great ideas being shared, it feels like the perfect emoji for Hive’s energy.
That’s Sofia!
If you want to learn more about what Sofia does in her day-to-day, check out this blog.
What started as an idea at Sofia’s kitchen table has now become Hive: a thriving digital home for farmed animal advocates worldwide. Her story is a reminder that when we build spaces rooted in collaboration, we can create change that lasts.
Today, Sofia continues to guide Hive with the same spirit of curiosity and courage that first sparked its creation: helping advocates everywhere connect, learn, and multiply their impact for animals.
Thanks for reading Sofia’s story… and stay tuned for more from the Hive team!
Do you also dream of a world where every advocate is on the same team?
Join Hive Slack here, and become a part of Team Animal! You can also stay up to date on the latest via our bi-weekly newsletter, Hive Highlights.
