Deepa Purushothaman [per-shot-a-man] is a fierce advocate for women looking to rise on their own terms, and a vital advisor to executives and leaders grappling with questions of advancement and retention. Her seasoned and visionary approach to leadership grants individuals and companies the courage and permission to challenge the status quo of ambition, success and power.
Deepa spent more than 20 years at Deloitte, helping clients transform and grow. She was the first Indian-American woman and one of the youngest people to make partner in the firm's history. As a Senior Partner, Deepa was the US Managing Partner of WIN, Deloitte's renowned Women's Initiative, where she focused on internal advancement programs and marketplace research.
Her debut book, The First, The Few, The Only, received international acclaim and won multiple awards. Deepa recently founded the re.write, an unconventional think tank advancing a new story of work. She is also an Executive Fellow at Harvard Business School. Deepa is a TED and SXSW speaker and has been featured in TIME, PBS, Forbes, Wall Street Journal, Financial Times, and Harvard Business Review. Her TED talks have over 3M views.
Deepa serves as a board member of Avasara, India's first leadership academy for girls, and the Rutgers Center for Women in Business (CWIB). Deepa has degrees from Wellesley College, Harvard Kennedy School, and the London School of Economics, and lives in Los Angeles with her husband and their four fur kids.