Whether working in plastics, pixels, or with people, the design challenge that inspires Tonya most is the creation and coaching of successful teams and organizations.

At Locomotive Partners, Tonya works with business leaders to increase employee engagement, align diverse stakeholders, and prepare organizations for the future.  

During her 25 years in the design industry, Tonya has built innovative, performance-driven teams and cultures in roles such as General Manager at Artefact, Chief Talent Officer at POSSIBLE and Head of Global Learning & Development at frog. A trained UX designer, she was also a Principal at Microsoft for over a decade. 

Outside the studio, Tonya is a long-standing member of the Design Management Institute where she served on the advisory board and editorial review board and co-founded the organization’s Design Leadership webinar series, now in its 12th year. She speaks and publishes regularly in the fields of design management and organization development.

Tonya has a Master’s in Applied Behavioral Science from Bastyr University. She is also a graduate of American University’s Kogod School of Business and an alumnus of the University of Washington’s Foster School of Business Minority Business Executive Program.