Lalitha Sankaran leads the UCOP Equity, Diversity & and Inclusion (EDI) department with the charge to lead equity, diversity, inclusion (EDI) and anti-racism efforts across the University of California, Office of the President (UCOP). She is currently focused on architecting and executing a long-term unified strategy to advance shared ownership of EDI efforts and advancing a culture of anti-racism at UCOP. Her emphasis is on system solutions to mitigate bias with the philosophy “make the right thing to do, the easier thing to do.” In her prior roles, Lalitha led the newly established Office of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion at the San Mateo Medical Center, County of San Mateo, where she developing developed a roadmap and strategic framework for the work. She also partnered with teams across Kaiser Permanente to drive inclusion of patient demographic data, specifically sexual orientation and gender identity in ~approximately 10M electronic medical records. Lalitha is a first-generation immigrant who values alone time and appreciates the power of good chocolate in her everyday life. In her professional practice, Lalitha identifies as an imperfect leader, a deep listener, and a continual learner.