Lily Zheng

Lily Zheng is a diversity, equity, and inclusion strategist, consultant, and author based in the United States. They work with organizations across sectors to design and implement DEI initiatives that move beyond surface-level programming toward measurable, structural change. Zheng’s approach is distinctive for its emphasis on accountability, systems thinking, and honest assessment of why most DEI efforts fail to produce lasting results. They have written for the Harvard Business Review, MIT Sloan Management Review, and other publications, and are a sought-after speaker and advisor. Their book DEI Deconstructed: Your No-Nonsense Guide to Doing the Work and Doing It Right (2022) offers a rigorous critique of conventional DEI practices alongside a practical framework for doing the work more effectively. Zheng uses they/them pronouns and is an advocate for transgender and nonbinary inclusion in workplace equity efforts.