Tonya Ladipo never intended to own a business. She started a small psychotherapy practice in 2004 because she was frustrated with the treatment that black and brown people received in community mental health agencies. While she did not have any formal business training, she was passionate about ensuring that people who looked like her received high-quality therapy services, thus The Ladipo Group was formed.
The Ladipo Group is a consulting company that works with individuals and organizations to create healthy workplaces where everyone has equitable opportunities to thrive and advance in their careers.
By 2010, Ladipo expanded the company’s focus to consult with organizations as she noticed that many of the therapy clients had a common pain point – dealing with the impact of bias and racism at work. “Whether they were navigating covert or blatant discrimination or had an apathetic manager who did not develop them, they needed workplaces to change and become places where they had the same opportunities as others to advance and thrive,” said Ladipo.
Under her leadership, The Ladipo Group has experienced an average of 41% year-over-year growth since 2016. Ladipo also created Excellence With Ease for the team to maintain its high standards of delivering quality services while having the time to enjoy life without overworking. Looking forward, Ladipo said the company plans to increase service offerings to include new products and online courses that support leaders and employees to help develop healthier workplace cultures and relationships.
According to her staff, Ladipo has a wonderful gift to see what others do not. “She has the strong ability to see what is possible beyond what currently exists, and her consulting work stems from the strong belief that the more humanity is infused into workplaces, the better off our professional and personal relationships will be,” they said.
Ladipo’s work and passion have led to honors and accolades. She received the BICA business savvy award in 2023, the Philadelphia Business Journal’s diversity in business award in 2022, and the Black Men Heal’s pioneer award in 2021. She is a current board member of Philadelphia Works and the former chair of the Alliance Committee for the National Association of Women Business Owners.
Her leadership style relies on care and accountability. “In the past, leadership meant an authoritative, top-down management style; however, this approach is no longer effective in today’s dynamic and collaborative work environments,” said Ladipo. “Modern leaders must embody a harmony of traits that blends strength with vulnerability and care with accountability.”
