Our Team

The Founder

Erika Walker (Walker-Thomas)

For entrepreneurs, executives and professionals, Erika Walker brings a wealth of experience to her clients. As President and CEO of The Walker Thomas Group, she has earned a stellar reputation for engaging public speaking, experiential facilitation, meaningful coaching, and practical consulting. Erika also has an in-depth understanding of diversity and inclusive intelligence with a passion for addressing women’s issues in both business and society.

Erika is a native Chicagoan with over 23 years of professional experience providing Human Resource consulting to a variety of small businesses, Fortune 500 companies, colleges/universities and municipalities. She is a professor at LATAM Business School, author of A Woman’s Vault, and the creator of Wine, Women, and Woo along with various tools to close the gender gap for women.

Prior to The Walker Thomas Group, Erika was Vice President of The Kaleidoscope Group, a niche diversity consulting firm and has held multiple consulting positions with Aon Hewitt, one of the leading human resource consulting firms in the world. Her work has provided opportunities to work with entrepreneurs, C-level executives, HR managers, and external partners. Erika has designed gender and diversity strategies, conducted cultural assessments, global learning strategies, and addressed attraction and retention issues for general and diverse populations. She has delivered solutions to clients throughout North America, Europe, Latin America, and Asia. She is certified to administer Myers-Briggs, DiSC and a certified coach.

Vice President

Maylene Peña, PHR

Maylene Pena, PHR (MAY-leen PE-nyuh), is a proud Latina and a Chicago native who grew up in the Humboldt Park neighborhood. Professionally, Maylene began work in the DE&I space about 20 years ago. However, real-life experiences in diversity and equity began in early childhood. Maylene’s parents were born in Puerto Rico and came to the United States as teenagers. Raised in a community that was predominantly Spanish speaking, Maylene held the role of interpreting for adults. From a young age, she became aware of the disparity of how people were treated based on skin color and language. It was evident to her that individuals were not given the same level of respect or dignity, simply because of a barrier in communication.

Instead of giving up, Maylene became an advocate for people of color in her community in various ways. She continues to find joy and fulfillment in helping others gain access to health resources, food, and education. She is dedicated to helping community health officials and other public servants understand and dismantle systemic racism. Maylene is also a pastor of a Christian church and has seen her ministry poured out into her professional workspace. “It has come full circle that I can now do this full-time.”

In early 2019, Maylene joined forces with the Walker-Thomas Group, a comprehensive diversity and inclusion consulting company as Vice President, focusing exclusively on People Operations and DE&I topics. Maylene helps organizations that “know there is an issue but can’t put their finger on it.” When resources are exhausted, employees are calling for more, and existing programs have reached their capacity, Maylene and her team step in to address their needs and develop a customized strategic plan.

For Maylene, living inclusively boils down to one thing, which is the capacity to love and accept others. In order for individuals and organizations to truly embrace and live inclusively, Maylene believes we must all get past our egos. She has worked with many individuals afraid to travel down the DE&I road because they are afraid to lose something. Instead, Maylene encourages the mindset, “There is enough pie for us all to eat.”

Maylene describes herself as a “forever optimist,” committed to viewing the metaphorical glass as half-full. With decades of experience in DEI space, she has seen great progress. Although she recognizes there will always be work to do, Maylene affirms this generation for honing in and making intentional space for differences. “This generation is coming to the table expecting differences and asking questions for anyone who doesn’t fit into what is already understood.” Maylene’s advice to this generation of leaders centers around what can be done as a collective. Although we can’t dismantle racism as individuals, everyone can do their own part. One of her favorite sayings is, “We can’t boil the ocean, but I can warm my pot.”

Over the years Maylene has worked in various industries as a subject matter expert in the field of Human Resources, Operations, Process Improvement, Training & Development, Organizational Design, and Facility Management. Maylene is certified as an OSHA Trainer, A PHR and is also certified as an Instructor through the ACA (Association of Credit and Collection Professionals).

Maylene prides herself on her ability to connect with individuals on many levels and aid them in realization of their goals and aspirations. Maylene is a mother and a wife and is passionate about social justice and is happy to marry her love for people and her need to see them excel and finally live their customized version of the “American dream”. When she is not busy helping others, she is most likely to be found soaking in the sun or spending the day outdoors simply enjoying nature.