Deepthi Welaratna is a writer, musician, and strategic designer.

In 2014, she founded Thicket, a data-driven design lab and technology startup that supported the delivery of innovation programs serving millions worldwide. Thicket has been featured in Fast Company, USA Today, and at SXSW Interactive two years running.

Her work has appeared in outlets like KQED Public Media, Stanford Social Innovation Review, and the International Documentary Association. She wrote the foreword to The Art of Voting (2020) and is a contributor to Communities Creating Health (2015).

As a musician, her project Dark Spring Thunder has been featured on Australia’s 4ZZZ and performed at The Bowery Electric in New York. Her creative direction and sound design have been showcased at venues including the Mark Miller Gallery and Dixon Place in New York.

Deepthi has spoken at institutions including the National Academy of Medicine, SXSW Interactive, the American Evaluation Association, and Parsons School of Design. She has provided training in communications, strategic planning, and social entrepreneurship for organizations including the British Museum, the California Endowment, the Knowledge House, and NYC.gov.

She holds an M.A. in Media Studies from The New School and a B.A. in English from San Jose State University. Currently, she is working on her first novel, Lions Among Us.