Deepthi Welaratna has spent two decades building and launching new campaigns, products and services at venture-backed startups, creative agencies, and market research firms, often in the early days of a new industry or issue. She worked on startup teams in the early days of podcasting and online food delivery, and her work to educate the public about the diamond industry made its way into the Wikipedia entry on conflict diamonds. 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.

Her work in print, interactive, and radio has been featured by San Francisco's KQED Public Media, Stanford Social Innovation Review, and Makeshift Magazine among others. Featured speaker and facilitation engagements include SXSW, Parsons School of Design, Magnum Foundation, and the National Academy of Medicine. She is a fellow of the Royal Society for the Encouragement of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce (RSA) and a member of AIGA-LA.

Deepthi releases music as a solo artist under the name Dark Spring Thunder and is also one half of Society of the Wing and Scale along with Disparition. Her sound and video design work for live performance has been shown at venues in the SF Bay Area and NYC.

Deepthi was born in England, raised in Silicon Valley, has lived in Paris and New York, and her family is from Sri Lanka. She speaks English fluently, French carefully, and Sinhalese colloquially. She currently makes her home with her husband in Los Angeles.

FELLOWSHIPS

Royal Society for the encouragement of Arts, Manufactures, and Commerce (2019 - present), Startup Leadership Program (2017), SOCAP Global (2017), Personal Democracy Forum (2016)

AWARDS

Wilmer Shields Rich Gold Medal for Public Policy Campaign (2005)

SELECTED PUBLIC SPEAKING AND FACILITATION

Panelist, “Making Change Equitable”, RSA, London, UK, 2021.

Panelist, “Design for Democracy - Defense Against Disinformation.” AIGA, Los Angeles, CA, 2020.

Panelist, “Sustainable Activism.” BRIC Summit, Los Angeles, CA, 2020.

Panelist, “Civics Disrupted: The Rise and Potential of Political Entrepreneurship”, Generation Citizen, New York, NY, 2017.

Panelist, “Tech and Disconnected Youth”, SXSW Interactive 2016, Austin, TX, 2016.

Panelist, Design Intelligence Conference, Parsons School of Design, New York, NY, 2016.

Presenter, “Complex Evaluations.” American Evaluation Association, Chicago, IL, 2015.

Facilitator, “Designing Evaluations for What Communities Value.” National Academy of Medicine, Washington, DC, 2014.

Facilitator, “The Story of Data.” #PhotoEx Symposium and Workshop, Magnum Foundation, New York, NY, 2014.

Presenter, “Designing New Pathways for Learning.” Digital Media and Learning Conference, Boston, MA, 2014.

Facilitator, G-Everyone Hackathon. The Design Gym, LRN, 92Y, the UN, and Mashable, New York, NY, 2013.