Deepa Purushothaman: The First, The Few, The Only

Deepa is the co-founder of nFormation, a company which provides a brave, safe, and new space for professionals who are women of color. She spent more than twenty years at Deloitte and was a first herself: an Indian American woman and one of the youngest people to make partner in the company’s history.

In her time there, she helped grow Deloitte’s Social Impact Practice, served as a National Managing Partner of Inclusion, and served as the Managing Partner of WIN—the firm’s renowned program to recruit, retain, and advance women.

Deepa speaks extensively on women and leadership. She has been featured at national conferences and in publications including Bloomberg BusinessWeek, The Huffington Post, and Harvard Business Review. She is the author of The First, The Few, The Only: How Women of Color can Redefine Power in Corporate America*.

Key Points

The corporate space has not fostered true equity. Often, many of us don’t see the systemic examples each day of friction.
“We can’t find you,” is an often believed delusion when companies intend to attract more women of color.
“I don’t see color,” is often a well-intended belief, but in practice often marginalizes the lives experiences of women of color.
“DEI will fix it all,” is an illusion. We all should be supporting peers in formal DEI roes to volunteer, show up, and be key partners in the work that benefits all of you.
“You got white-manned,” reflects the belief that the world has to be a zero-sum competition.

Resources Mentioned

The First, The Few, The Only: How Women of Color can Redefine Power in Corporate America* by Deepa Purushothaman

Interview Notes

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