In Episode 75, Deepa Purushothaman, author of THE FIRST, THE FEW, THE ONLY: How Women of Color Can Redefine Power in Corporate America, joins Melinda to discuss the structural and cultural dynamics of what women of color are experiencing in the workplace, how women can get comfortable sitting in positions of power, and why it’s important to shift away from a scarcity mindset to allow more women of color a seat at the table.

Bio: About Deepa Purushothaman (she/her)

Deepa Purushothaman is the co-founder of nFormation which provides a brave, safe, new space for professional women of color. Deepa is also a Women and Public Policy Program Leader in Practice at the Harvard Kennedy School.

Prior to this, Deepa spent more than twenty years at Deloitte and was the first Indian American woman to make partners in the company’s history. Deepa was also Deloitte’s national WIN (Women’s Initiative) leader, the firm’s renowned program to recruit, retain, and advance women.

Deepa has degrees from Wellesley College, Harvard Kennedy School, and the London School of Economics. Deepa is an Aspen Fellow and speaks extensively on women and leadership. She has been featured at national conferences and in publications including Bloomberg BusinessWeek, and Harvard Business Review.

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Connect With Deepa Purushothaman On Social

LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/deepapuru

Facebook https://www.facebook.com/deepa.purushothaman.75

Twitter https://twitter.com/deepapuru

Instagram https://www.instagram.com/deepa.puru

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Production Team

Creator & Host: Melinda Briana Epler

Finance & Operations: Renzo Santos

Marketing Communications Coordinator: Christina Swindlehurst Chan

Creative Director @ Podcast Rocket: Rob Scheerbarth

[Image description: Leading With Empathy & Allyship promo with the Empovia logo and photos of Deepa Purushothaman, an Indian woman with black hair who is wearing a white long-sleeve shirt, resting her chin on her hand, and smiling at the camera; her orange, red, and pink book cover for ‘THE FIRST, THE FEW, THE ONLY’; and host Melinda Briana Epler, a White woman with red hair, glasses, and an orange shirt holding a white mug behind a laptop.]

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