Raised in suburban Illinois, SooJi Min-Maranda converted to Judaism as an adult. Her chosen Hebrew name, Seeprah, means “to tell a story.” A graduate of Barnard College, Min-Maranda also holds Masters degrees from Northwestern University and The University of Chicago. After graduating, she served as executive director of the Illinois Caucus for Adolescent Health, a nonprofit policy and advocacy organization that focuses on adolescent sexual health, and Korean American Community Services, a comprehensive social service agency in Chicago. She is a 2007 Illinois Women’s Institute for Leadership Delegate and a 2006 Leadership Greater Chicago Fellow. The Asian Health Coalition of Illinois presented her with its Outstanding Community Health Advocate Award in 2008 and she served on the IL Human Services Commission from 2010 to 2012. She is a member of Selah Leadership Program Cohort 9, a 2010 Chicago Community Trust Fellow, and a 2010 Chicago Foundation for Women Impact Awardee. She is currently the executive director of ALEPH: Alliance for Jewish Renewal; a core aspect of Min-Maranda's work is making Renewal Judaism more accessible to Jews of color. She has spoken about how she lacked the “traditional” Jewish experience since she converted later in life, as well as her dedication to making Jewish spaces more diverse and inclusive.