Sophia Sampath (BIS'13) is a hugger. The joy she brings into a room is intentional, something she has chosen as she built both her life and her career. Today, she is senior director of product at Reveal Security, a cybersecurity company focused on detecting identity-based threats after authentication.

The company’s platform analyzes behavioural patterns across human, non-human and AI-driven identities to identify risks such as insider activity, compromised credentials and misuse that can emerge beyond traditional access controls. Last April, she returned to UNB as a speaker at the faculty of computer science’s annual research expo, an event designed to showcase applied research and strengthen connections between academia and industry. She demonstrated Reveal Security’s platform, showing how post-authentication behaviour can be analyzed to detect real-world security risks.

But at the heart of her story is something much more human: belonging and the belief that happiness is a measure of success.

Two homes, one journey

Sophia left Trinidad and Tobago 16 years ago to continue her education at UNB — young, on her own and saying yes to the unknown. “I remember at 16 when I was about to graduate, my parents asked, ‘Sophia, what do you want to do next?’ And I was like, ‘That’s a good question. I don’t know.’ And mom said, ‘What about computers? You want to get into computers?’ And I was like, ‘Sure, why not?’”

She enrolled in the UNB-ROYTEC program in information systems, which took two years to complete. And when she turned 18, her dad asked her if she wanted to move to Canada. Again, the answer was the same. Sure, why not?

She applied to universities, and she heard back from UNB in two weeks. She said yes immediately. “When I first arrived on campus, I remember thinking, wow, this is huge,” she says with enthusiasm. “Then there were the routines and the ceremonies. It felt like UNB was welcoming you into a community.” Fredericton became home.

What UNB really taught her

When Sophia talks about her experience at UNB, she rarely begins with technology. “Nothing really prepares you for a career. What UNB gave me was routine, knowing that you’re coming in, knowing that you’re interacting with people and different personalities. It was the foundation of taking the time to learn, because the world moves really fast. Slowing down and really understanding concepts and then understanding how to apply that to real-world problems.”

That ability to move from theory to application defines her work in AI, where success depends on understanding how people behave and how systems are used. “You learn that people show up differently in different spaces.” Those lessons continue to shape how she approaches her work today.

Listening for the moment to pivot

Sophia’s career has taken her through several cybersecurity organizations, including Arctic Wolf, Huntress, Sonrai Security and IBM, before bringing her to Reveal Security. Along the way, she developed expertise in identity security and product leadership. The path looks intentional in hindsight, but she describes it differently. “I have a clock in my heart.”

That intuition has guided every pivot, not because something was wrong, but because something new was calling. Happiness for Sophia, is information. It tells her whether her values
still align with her work. When she evaluates a role or a team, one question always comes back.

“Does it make me happy?”

Bringing her whole self into her work

Outside work, Sophia’s creativity shows up in unexpected places. She builds Lego sets, practises aerial arts and loves heavy metal music. “With Lego, you build it piece by piece... Sometimes I miss a piece. That is product building.” That hands-on, incremental approach carries into her work in AI, where complex systems are developed block by block, allowing teams to test, adjust and scale with clarity and control.

Aerial arts taught her about flow and user experience. “When I perform, I’m performing an experience. When we think about where do you start in the product? What do you need to navigate to next?”

That thinking translates into products with clear, intuitive journeys, helping users move confidently from first interaction to the outcome.

And heavy metal gives her energy and clarity. “There is something electric about hearing guitars and just heavy metal in general. Let’s just be out there, be loud.” That influence shows up in how she approaches product identity, shaping how tools are built, presented and experienced.

Together, these influences shape Sophia’s ability to deliver products that are structured, intuitive and confident — turning creativity into measurable product outcomes.

Why humanity matters in AI

In a field increasingly shaped by artificial intelligence, Sophia believes the human side of the work matters most. “With AI tools, when we think about the information that’s readily available, yes, it provides responses, but the next step is knowing that in your heart, that wasn’t a right response.”

Sophia’s work in behavioural AI has shown her just how powerful these tools can be. At the same time, it has made her acutely aware of their limitations. AI systems are built on data, probabilities and patterns, but they do not understand context, nuance or lived experience in the way humans do. The results they produce are not perfect — and they never will be. “Having that intuition to say, I’m going to dive deeper. I’m going to do more research and understand it. To me, that’s the advice I would give to others.”

Coming full circle at UNB

When Sophia talks about returning to UNB as a speaker, her voice slows. “Now I can say, I was where you were.”

That feels meaningful.

Then she shares the moment that still catches her off guard. “I dreamt about this. I remember looking at that woman up there knowing that she’s so confident in what she’s talking about, and she’s so excited about it. For me, everyone is growing every single day, regardless of age; you’re learning every single day. And it’s being able to communicate and
share your experience. To me, it’s just about being human.”

“I always ask myself: would my younger self be proud of this person?” That question continues to guide her.

A message worth carrying forward

Sophia believes people deserve to be happy. That belief sits at the centre of everything she does. Her story is not about titles or technology alone. It is about paying attention and trusting intuition. It’s also about choosing environments where curiosity, joy and care are valued.

Her story also challenges the idea that AI must be impersonal. That technical leadership can be grounded in kindness. And that joy is not something to set aside when building the future. If you meet her, she will probably hug you. And you will understand exactly why.