Sophia Chang

Sophia Chang is a Korean-American life coach, author, public speaker, screenwriter, and activist. Recognized as the first Asian woman in hip hop, Chang managed Wu-Tang Clan members such RZA, GZA, and Ol' Dirty Bastard, as well as Q-Tip, A Tribe Called Quest, D’Angelo, and Raphael Saadiq. In 2020, she founded Unlock Her Potential, a program which provides free mentorship for women of color in the United States. In 2023, Chang was one of CNN's "Champions of Change." In 2025, Assemblymember Grace Lee welcomed Sophia Chang to the Assembly Chamber of New York

Early life and education

Sophia Chang was born in Vancouver, Canada to Korean parents in 1965. Her father Bomshik Chang was a mathematician and her mother Tongsook Chang, a librarian She has one older brother, Heesok Chang. Chang received her Bachelor of Arts at the University of British Columbia in French literature.

Career

Music

After graduating from the University of British Columbia, Sophia Chang moved to New York City to start her career in the music industry in the late 1980s. She worked with Paul Simon in the early days of her career. She then did A&R at Jive Records where she first met RZA. While at Jive, Chang signed Fu-Schnickens, members of Hieroglyphics, Souls of Mischief, and worked with artists A Tribe Called Quest, UGK, Too Short, and E-40. She later became the General Manager of RZA's label Razor Sharp Records. At Razor Sharp, Chang worked with Ghostface Killah for his debut album, Ironman.

Fashion

Chang produced several New York Fashion Week runway shows for designer Vivienne Tam. She also produced a runway show for Project Runway All Stars.

USA Shaolin Temple

From 1995 to 2007, Chang stepped away from the music industry to become the manager of the USA Shaolin Temple in New York City and her then-partner Shi Yan Ming. Chang oversaw day-to-day operations of the temple, finances, marketing, publicity, event production, and programming. The temple offered classes in Shaolin Kung Fu and Chan Buddhism.

Author

In September 2019, Chang published her memoir, The Baddest Bitch in the Room, which was released by Audible in partnership with Reese Witherspoon’s media brand, Hello Sunshine. The memoir detailed Chang's experiences in the music industry, pivoting to managing the Shaolin Temple in New York, and her personal life. In 2020, it was listed as "Best Music Book of the Year" by both Kirkus Reviews and Rolling Stone. The hardcopy version of the book was released in 2020. The book won the Wavy 2021 Best Book Award.

Screenwriter and production

Chang sold the rights to her memoir to FX Networks in 2020. She has also been attached as an executive producer to several TV projects.

Mentorship program

In September 2020, Chang launched the Unlock Her Potential mentorship program for women of color. The program aims to provide mentorship and networking opportunities for women in the entertainment industry. Since its inception, Chang has recruited mentors such as Mona Scott-Young, Andre Royo, RZA, GZA, Jim Jarmusch, Bao Nguyen, 9th Wonder, Joey Bada$$, Ebro Darden, Michael Mann, W. Kamau Bell, Michael Ostin, and Pamela Adlon.

Personal life

Chang has two children with her ex-partner, Shi Yan Ming.