Dr. Thelá R. Thatch is the Founder and Chief Equity Officer of Thelá Thatch Consulting, a human resources and benefits firm dedicated to building inclusive, high-performing workplaces. With over 25 years of leadership experience spanning human resources, talent management, organizational development, and diversity, equity, and inclusion, she has advised clients across sectors from entertainment to healthcare and government.
Her distinguished career includes serving as an Executive Consultant for FUSE Corps and the Los Angeles County Department of Health Services, where she designed innovative human capital strategies to empower those serving the homeless and vulnerable populations. Dr. Thatch also advanced diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives at major corporations, including Live Nation Entertainment, where she launched the company’s first global diversity program serving more than 10,000 employees, and Paychex, where she served as Head of DEI.
A scholar, author, and educator, Dr. Thatch holds a Ph.D. in Public Policy and Administration with a specialization in law from Walden University and serves as faculty at the University of West Los Angeles, teaching graduate courses in business, leadership, and human resources.
She is the author of multiple works, including The Diversity Dilemma, The Dog Chef, and Employee Handbooks 101, and the creator of MRS HR in a BOX™, an AI-powered platform that simplifies HR management for small businesses. Her writing has been featured in Upscale Magazine, Black Enterprise, and the Los Angeles Times.
Deeply committed to global service, Dr. Thatch sits on several boards and committees supporting development initiatives in Africa and Central America. A proud member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., she continues to champion equity, opportunity, and justice for all.
Her leadership philosophy is rooted in one guiding principle: build systems that work, relationships that last, and futures that reflect justice, equity, and possibility.