Minjon Tholen
Founder & CEO
I help organizations live their values, be more effective, and do more of what matters. As a global organizational transformation strategist with nearly 20 years of experience, I bring deep expertise in people-centered systems-thinking and passion for making organizations work more inclusively and effectively for the people that work in them and the communities they serve.
I partner with organizations to diagnose culture challenges, align strategic vision with day-to-day operations, and implement innovative, scalable, and sustainable change. My work includes leading or co-leading the creation and improvement of key functions, developing new approaches to strategic and operational planning, and guiding change management for major organizational shifts. I’ve designed and implemented organization-wide and department-specific DEI strategies and strengthened end-to-end people and culture practices—spanning compensation, recruitment, learning and development, performance management, promotions, workforce planning, and wellbeing. I also introduced new ways to assess culture and engagement, build structures for stronger staff–leadership collaboration, and improve governance and internal communication.
Across all of this work, I have built and led diverse, high-performing teams; served on and co-led leadership and crisis management teams; facilitated cross-organizational working groups; and advised boards and senior stakeholders. While the organizations and initiatives vary, the through-lines in my work remain consistent: a commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion; a deep understanding of organizational systems and processes; and a relationship-driven approach that empowers people to become more creative, capable, and confident change makers.
As a senior consultant at a global DEI and change management consulting firm, I have worked with corporations, nonprofits, and public sector institutions in more than 25 countries on their DEI and culture change strategies. In my in-house roles as Chief Inclusion & Strategic Innovation Officer at Amnesty International USA and Global Head of DEI and Culture & Organizational Development at Human Rights Watch, I partnered with senior leaders to design and drive large-scale strategic change efforts related to people & culture, operational & strategic planning, innovation, and organizational development. I have also served on several nonprofit Boards of Directors and am the co-founder of IDEAS Generation (formerly Inclusion Nextwork). This organization is dedicated to strengthen the DEI field, foster a community of emerging and established leaders committed to DEI, and provide consulting to social impact organizations.
While I often initially joined organizations to support them in their DEI journeys, my work always quickly evolved to encompass broader enterprise-level transformation efforts that not only center DEI but also connect a range of other organizational imperatives. Over the years, I developed a love for untangling strategy, culture, and operational challenges to help unlock an organization’s full potential, both in terms of its values and performance. I am particularly interested in the human elements of systemic change, and the empathy, resourcefulness, and perseverance (and a healthy dose of humor) it takes to make progress towards a shared vision.
Born in Sri Lanka, raised in The Netherlands, and now based in the U.S. with my partner, two young children, and dog, I’ve always been drawn to fostering inclusive community across difference, building lasting bridges, and navigating the “spaces in between”. That lifelong thread of inclusion and belonging shapes everything I do, and I combine these values with pragmatic business savvy to drive organizational change.