He holds three degrees from the University at Buffalo's School of Architecture and Planning, including a Master of Architecture and Master of Urban Planning (2003), and a Bachelor of Professional Studies in architecture (2000).

His career also includes four years as Deputy Commissioner of Buildings and Energy Management for the City of Buffalo. Post-graduation, Sonubi was an Architectural Designer with Buffalo-based Robert Traynham Coles, Architect P.C.

He is a 2011 Buffalo Business First Brick-by-Brick winner in historic preservation for his work on the restoration and adaptive reuse of 740 Seneca Street, the former Schaefer Building in Buffalo's Larkin District. 

Sonubi is current president of the Buffalo/WNY chapter of the American Institute of Architects. He is also a long-time member of the Erie Canal Harbor Development Corporation’s Design Review Committee, and previously served as a member of the Buffalo Municipal Housing Authority’s Board of Advisors. He is a 2020 graduate of Leadership Buffalo.