Keynote Speaker on Dignity, Transformation & Resilient Futures

 
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About Dr. Thomas

An Oakland, CA native, Dr. Destiny Thomas is a nationally recognized cross-disciplinary land use expert, visionary keynote speaker, and founder & CEO of Thrivance Group, a socially responsible urban planning firm.

Her groundbreaking, dignity-infused community engagement frameworks gained national attention when Thrivance Group was featured on ABC’s Good Morning America for its adaptive urban planning strategies during the pandemic. Most recently, she was appointed by U.S. Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg to the Advisory Committee on Transportation Equity (ACTE) under President Biden.

A dynamic speaker, Dr. Thomas recently delivered a keynote at the Washington Walk Bike Roll Summit. She contributes op-eds to leading mobility publications and has guest lectured at prominent urban planning conferences and graduate schools, including Princeton’s Mellon Forum on Planning and Design.

Dr. Thomas equips audiences with powerful, actionable frameworks that help organizations and communities shift from reactive interventions to proactive, equitable, and future-ready strategies across urban mobility, sustainability, corporate resilience, and cross-sector innovation. Audiences leave inspired to build thriving, people-first environments.

Signature Talks

Healing Traumatized Places - Proven frameworks for restoring dignity and momentum to communities after collective trauma. Audiences gain tools to heal spatial landscapes and rebuild trust.

The Science of Dignity - How to design policies and interactions that honor every person at every touchpoint. Offers a repeatable framework based on real-world research.

Urban Leadership from the Frontlines - Translate urban planning frameworks into systemic change and organizational resilience. Ideal for leaders seeking actionable insights on innovation and equity.

Selected Highlights

  1. Washington Walk, Bike, Roll Summit – Keynote: We Must Keep Moving (2026)

  2. American Planning Association – Advancing Diversity and Social Change in Honor of Paul Davidoff Award (2021)

  3. University of Pennsylvania – In Search of Our Mother’s Urbanism (2020)

  4. Congressional Black Caucus Foundation Annual Legislative Conference – Commemorating Rep. Elijah Cummings (2020)

What Audiences Say

“Dr. Thomas has shifted not only how I think about community, but how I show up in both my professional and personal life. Her concepts are now central to the new agency-wide engagement framework.” — Urban Planning Professional

“Thank you for sharing your powerful stories last week. I have been thinking about what you shared and already reconsidering my approach to conversations with project teams and communities.” — Walk, Bike Roll Washington Attendee

Booking Information

Keynotes starting at $10,000

Discounts available for nonprofits and mission-driven organizations.

Dr. Thomas is available for:

  • Keynotes (45–60 minutes)

  • Half-day workshops

  • Panel moderation & facilitation

  • Virtual engagements

All events include custom content preparation and follow-up resources.

Ready to Bring Dr. Thomas to Your Stage?

Click the booking link at the top of this page or contact our team directly to discuss your event.

Past Appearances

PED TALKS: A CONVERSATION WITH DR. DESTINY THOMAS

In this PED Talks episode, America Walks' Ian Thomas interviews Destiny Thomas (no relation!) about her work on dignity-infused community engagement, thrivance (helping people heal from environmental trauma), and the importance of removing "enforcement" and "punishment" from our public institutions.

MOVELA ZOOMPOSIUM: BOULEVARDS OF EQUITY AND OPPORTUNITY

With 600+ unique viewers and 13 panelists that included CEOs, executive directors and industry leaders, we had a robust conversation about a strategy to address the housing crisis without displacement, gentrification, and neighborhood disruption. Dr. Destiny Thomas addressed the issue of equity vs. justice and how we must not only address equity in the current system but replace an unjust system that resulted in the current inequities in housing, transit access and municipal services.

PURPLELINING: STRATEGIES THAT HEAL

Lean into racial equity learning and practice with us! Oregon Walks is excited to kick off our first Walk the Talk, Talk the Walk with Multnomah County REACH. Dr. Destiny Thomas, CEO and Founder of the Thrivance Group, will talk with us about Purplelining: Strategies that Heal.

Walk the Talk, Talk the Walk is a series of learning opportunities where we ask: how do we disrupt racism that is saturated in active transportation advocacy, programming, and policy spaces? This learning and practice will provide new paths forward as we envision and build a world where every person is able to walk, use a mobility device, or bike/scooter safely in the right of way.

WALKING AND WALKABILITY IN THE TIME OF COVID19

On May 13, 2020, Dr Thomas participated in America Walks’ webinar titled: Walking and Walkability in the time of COVID 19 Changing Policies and Practices. Her remarks begin at 12:01 on this video.