Deepthi Welaratna is a writer, musician, and strategist who helps people turn vision into momentum.

Her work combines story and structure: naming what matters, clarifying next steps, and designing thoughtful paths forward. She’s facilitated planning sessions, strategy sprints, and creative breakthroughs for artists, nonprofit leaders, city agencies, and cultural institutions. Her programs have served millions across the U.S. and internationally. She runs Tiny Little Cosmos, a creative studio for artists and uncommon ideas, and brings the same mix of clarity, curiosity, and care into every project.

Her writing has appeared in KQED Public Media, Stanford Social Innovation Review, and the International Documentary Association. She is currently working on her first novel and releases music under the names Dark Spring Thunder and Society of the Wing and Scale.

From 2014 to 2021 and again from 2023-2024, she was Founder and CEO of Thicket Labs, a data-driven design lab and technology startup hired by governments and companies to spread innovation to millions of people around the world. The company’s work was featured in Fast Company, Stanford Social Innovation Review, USA Today, Yahoo Finance, and many industry journals including Environmental and Energy Leader and Ed Wire. Team members from Thicket were invited to present at conferences including SXSW in 2016 and 2017 and the American Evaluation Association’s annual conference. Alumni of Thicket went on to work at leading tech companies and startups including Amazon, LinkedIn, Dapper Labs, and Gro Intelligence. To learn more about Thicket, watch the explainer video and read the acquisition prospectus.

Deepthi holds an M.A. in Media Studies from The New School and a B.A. in English from San Jose State University. She is based in Los Angeles.