# Sandra Richter

> Sandra Richter, now publicly known as Sandra Ferguson, is a German-born designer and entrepreneur based in Cambridge, Massachusetts. She co-founded Soofa in 2014 and served as CEO, helping bring solar-powered benches and digital community signs into public spaces. She now runs Riffhaus, a music-inspired fashion project, after exhibiting technology-inflected couture through Karlaah Atelier.

- **Role:** Founder at Riffhaus
- **Organizations:** Riffhaus, Soofa, Karlaah Atelier, MIT Media Lab
- **Education:** Master of Arts, Communication in Social and Economic Contexts, University of the Arts Berlin, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Media Lab, Fashion Design program; listed as class of 2025 by MassArt x SoWa, Massachusetts College of Art and Design
- **Known for:** Co-founded Soofa, a women-founded MIT-origin urban technology company., Participated in the first White House Maker Faire in June 2014., Fast Company creativity recognition in 2013, documented by MIT News.

## Career timeline

- **2012** — Came to MIT and Boston after studying at the University of the Arts Berlin.
- **2013** — Recognized by Fast Company for creativity in business; began the bench project at MIT with Nan Zhao.
- **2014** — Co-founded Soofa with Nan Zhao and Jutta Friedrichs; participated in the White House Maker Faire.
- **2016** — Presented a digital community bulletin board proposal to the Cambridge Redevelopment Authority.
- **2021** — As Soofa CEO, announced Soofa AdBuy for online purchase of neighborhood outdoor advertising.
- **2023** — Karlaah Atelier work featured in the MassArt x SoWa Design Biennial under Sandra Ferguson.
- **2025** — Riffhaus company profile lists its founding year as 2025; published a December music-inspired Advent project.

## Achievements

- Co-founded Soofa, a women-founded MIT-origin urban technology company.
- Participated in the first White House Maker Faire in June 2014.
- Fast Company creativity recognition in 2013, documented by MIT News.
- Karlaah Atelier featured in the 2023 MassArt x SoWa Design Biennial.

## Latest updates

- **2025-06** — Published a LinkedIn article about expressing political opinions through clothing and referred to Soofa as her last company.
- **2025-12** — Published the Riffhaus Advent Calendar, connecting daily song selections with garments.

## Links

- Website: https://riffhaus.com
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sandra-y-richter
- Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/cosmonautin

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/sandra-richter
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-10-11