Deepthi Welaratna is a writer, musician, multimedia artist, and creative strategist working at the intersection of media, culture, and design — with social impact and entrepreneurship thrown in for good measure. With over 25 years of experience, she specializes in translating complex ideas into successful businesses, clear strategies, and resonant public-facing work.

She has been building and launching new campaigns, products and services at venture-backed startups, creative agencies, and market research firms. She worked on startup teams in the early days of podcasting and online food delivery, and her writing on the conflict diamond industry was cited on Wikipedia. Other memorable experiences include helping launch California’s first statewide down-ballot progressive voter guide in 2020, documenting the first hackathon held in Haiti, and live tweeting a former president to an audience of millions. Previously, she was the Founder and CEO of civic tech startup Thicket Labs, which served communities around the world through collaborative learning, decision making, and innovation programs in areas including healthcare, education, and governance.

Deepthi also releases music as a solo artist under the name Dark Spring Thunder and is one half of Society of the Wing and Scale along with Disparition. She has performed and installed sound and video design work for live performance at venues in San Francisco, Oakland, and New York. She recently completed her first novel called Lions Among Us and is currently seeking literary representation.

Her civic tech startup Thicket Labs was written about in USA Today, Fast Company, and The Chronicle of Philanthropy. She has written for numerous publications and media outlets including San Francisco's KQED Public Media, Stanford Social Innovation Review, Makeshift Magazine (now defunct), the Higher Education Recruitment Forum, and the International Documentary Association. Featured speaking and facilitation engagements include AIGA; SXSW Interactive; the Media Studies School and Parsons School of Design at the New School; the Design Gym, LRN, and the UN; Magnum Foundation; and the National Academy of Medicine. Fellowships include Personal Democracy Forum, Social Capital Markets, and the Royal Society of Arts. Incubators and accelerators include Openbox, Startup Leadership Program in New York, and Transparent Collective’s 2020 Startup Showcase.

Deepthi holds an M.A. degree in Media Studies from The New School, a B.A. degree in English with a minor in computer science from San Jose State University, and certificates in finance and accounting, data analysis and management, and teaching English as a foreign language. She is a member of the International Association of Facilitators (IAF). She was a board member of The Womens Building in San Francisco from 2004-2006.