Sally Thornton

An instigator on how to thrive in the future of work, Sally Thornton is the CEO and Founder of Forshay, a San Francisco-based firm that focuses on how people can do their best work through executive recruiting, interim experts, and optimizing teams through increased inclusion, diversity, and belonging. Forshay is recognized as a B Corporation, committed to using business as a force for good.

Forshay was awarded #290 on the Inc. 5000 "Fastest-Growing Private Companies" list for 2015, and made the list again in 2019 at #3377. Prior to founding Forshay, Thornton co-founded and was CEO of Flexperience, which grew into a nationally acclaimed firm under her leadership, and was awarded “Top 100 Fastest-Growing Private Companies” in 2010 by the San Francisco Business Times. Thornton has delivered TEDx talks including "Hire Like a Rocket Scientist" at TEDxDavisStWomen, "The Science Behind Work-Life Blend" at WIP 2018, and "Re-imagining the Future of Work" at TEDxLosGatosHighSchool, exemplifying her expertise and innovative approach to the future of work.

In addition to her business acumen, Thornton is a frequent keynote speaker on topics including the future of work, women in leadership, and talent recruitment strategies. She has been featured in various media including the Wall Street Journal, BBC, Harvard Business Review, and Forbes. Thornton launched WorkLabAccelerator in 2015, a community committed to using design thinking to make work better. She lectures regularly at Stanford’s Graduate School of Business as well as UC Berkeley's Haas School of Business, sharing her insights and experiences. Furthermore, Thornton served for six years on the Advisory Council of Stanford’s Clayman Institute for Gender Research, the educational partner of LeanIn.org, contributing significantly to gender research and advocacy.