A lifelong Philadelphia native, Mr. Soffa believes in the city’s potential for greater success through youth engagement in STEM and entrepreneurship. He is an electrical engineer with over 45 years of experience designing machinery for the computer chip industry. His hobbies include whitewater kayaking, skiing, and reading history and biographies.

Mr. Soffa joined the ECCDC board to support his role as the STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) Coordinator for Camp Adonai and to advocate for STEM learning opportunities for older students and adults.

He is inspired by the ECCDC’s mission to make STEM subjects accessible and fun for children through hands-on projects. Having observed campers building and coding their own toys, he has seen students pursue STEM fields in college and careers after being introduced to them at camp. He believes in the power of early exposure to generate positive feedback and interest in these critical subjects.