Roar with Lakecia Gunter

In this episode of ROAR, host Lakecia Gunter sits down with Cherizza Lundy, Founder and CEO of Kneed Health, for an inspiring conversation about leadership, reinvention, and building a life of purpose. From her early beginnings as an intern at Intel to serving as Chief of Staff for top executives at Google and Stitch Fix, Cherizza reveals how she intentionally built her career—one bold question an...

In this unforgettable episode of Roar , host Lakecia Gunter sits down with trailblazing leader Lieutenant General Gwen Bingham. A retired three-star general and the first woman to serve as the Army’s Quartermaster General, General Bingham reflects on her 38-year military career and the values that shaped her rise through the ranks—faith, family, grit, and service. From early lessons learned throug...

In this dynamic episode of the Roar podcast, host Lakecia Gunter sits down with Laurel Mintz—marketing powerhouse, founder of Elevate My Brand, and General Partner at Fabric VC. Laurel shares her unexpected leap into entrepreneurship when she was called to take over her father’s business at just 26 years old, a moment that forever shifted her trajectory from corporate law to visionary leadership....

In this enlightening episode of ROAR, host Lakecia Gunter sits down with organizational psychologist Dr. Laura Gallaher to explore how self-acceptance is the often-missing link in strong, effective leadership. Drawing on her work with NASA in the wake of the Columbia tragedy, as well as with leaders at Disney and high-growth companies, Dr. Gallaher explains how psychological safety, inner judgment...

From a young girl in Amarillo, Texas watching the Challenger launch in her school cafeteria, to becoming NASA’s first female Chief Flight Director, Holly Ridings has lived a life defined by bold moves, deep expertise, and visionary leadership. In this episode of ROAR, host Lakecia Gunter sits down with Holly for a powerful conversation about what it takes to lead missions where the stakes are quit...

In this episode of ROAR, Lakecia Gunter sits down with branding powerhouse, entrepreneur, and corporate executive Monique Hayward for an unforgettable conversation on personal brand, purpose, and power. Monique, who's been Lakecia's go-to brand strategist for over 15 years, shares the pivotal life and career moments that shaped her success—and how she uses storytelling to move people to action. Fr...

In this power-packed episode of ROAR, Lakecia Gunter sits down with world-renowned Stanford professor and leadership expert Dr. Jeffrey Pfeffer to unpack the truth about power—what it is, how it works, and why it’s essential to your career success. Together, they break down the misconceptions about power being manipulative or negative and reframe it as a necessary tool for creating change. Dr. Pfe...

In this powerful episode of ROAR, host Lakecia Gunter sits down with Stephanie LeBlanc-Godfrey, tech executive at Google and founder of Mother AI. Together, they dive deep into what it means to challenge societal narratives, embrace cultural roots, and rewrite personal and professional scripts. Stephanie shares her inspiring journey from growing up in Brooklyn with strong Trinidadian roots to beco...

In this powerful episode of the ROAR Podcast , Lakecia Gunter sits down with Shelmina Babai Abji—bestselling author, former IBM VP, and founder of ShowYourWorth.ai—to explore the transformative concept of intentional attention. From humble beginnings in Tanzania to becoming a global thought leader, Shelmina shares how learning to focus on what truly matters propelled her career forward and enriche...

In this powerful episode of ROAR, host Lakecia Gunter sits down with Rachel Skaff—Head of North America Partner Sales at AWS and a longtime champion for mentorship and inclusive leadership. From her roots in civil engineering to driving cloud innovation at one of the world’s most influential tech companies, Rachel shares her inspiring journey and the life lessons she’s picked up along the way. She...

In this insightful episode of ROAR, I sit down with communication expert Jenna Lange to explore the intersection of AI and authentic human connection. They delve into the art of high-stakes communication, the critical role of storytelling, and how leaders can adapt in an AI-driven world while maintaining authenticity. Jenna shares her personal journey, her key lessons learned in executive communic...

In this powerful episode of ROAR, I sit down with the inspiring Merline Saintil—a tech trailblazer and Fortune 500 board director—to explore how breaking barriers, authentic networking, and redefining leadership can transform careers. We dive deep into her journey from a software engineer overcoming early language barriers to becoming a respected leader in the tech industry. Merline shares intimat...

Roar is back, everyone! I'm Lakecia Gunter and I unveil our upcoming season centered on the transformative power of connection. Let's explore how building authentic relationships and harnessing innovative technologies like AI can unlock doors to unprecedented opportunities in our rapidly evolving world. Join me as I prepare to engage with industry leaders, innovators, and trailblazers who are resh...

Only 37% of professionals have a mentor. This statistic is surprising, as mentorship is the secret behind so many successful people. Modern mentoring and the power of mentorship can help you achieve your goals—both personally and professionally. We should all be seeking to develop our skills, continually learning new things, and challenging ourselves on a regular basis, which takes a good degree o...

If you’ve ever thought about becoming an entrepreneur, the uncertainty of success can often be the biggest obstacle holding you back. Fear and doubt are inevitable, but allowing them to dictate your professional life could mean missing out on fulfilling your dreams. Sometimes it takes recognizing your potential through the eyes of others to really provide the confidence boost you need to take the...

When we meet obstacles in our lives and careers, how do we move forward? After such a tumultuous year, we’ve learned to expect the unexpected with greater frequency. This has allowed us ample opportunities to test our ability to recover from adversity, and it’s built up our resilience to weather and learn from the challenges we face.  My guest today is Kim Stevenson, Senior Vice President and...

Success is something that builds up over time, making early influences fundamental. Having a strong support system of people who champion you and unbridled access to recreational and educational opportunities plant the seeds for strong, smart, and bold leaders. My guests today are Cyreena Boston Ashby, CEO of Girls Inc. in the Pacific Northwest, and Amaya Gustave, an alumna of the program and curr...

If you can see it, you can be it, right? We know from history that it’s not always easy to become something when you’ve never seen your face reflected in the stories we’re taught. March is Women's History Month, and it’s an important time to recognize the trailblazers who have led the way. Their bravery and persistence have created pathways that make the journey less challenging for future generat...

Throughout 2020, organizations have been tested as the pandemic quickly swept across the globe. Despite the rapid pace of change, some companies were able to meet their operational challenges head-on and actually thrived. These organizations share one trait in common. They were able to demonstrate resilience in the face of change.  For high-performing leaders, resilience is imperative in orde...

Having a handful of professional role models to look up to is important for anyone climbing the corporate ladder. But, we all know that work isn’t everything. When it comes to measuring the level of fulfillment in our lives, personal relationships are an important source of comfort and strength. We need role-models who represent our relationship goals, in conjunction with our professional aspirati...

We’re living in changing times, and we’ve certainly seen how true that is with the disruption that’s been caused by Covid over the past year. We’ve all had to stay resilient through changing work, life, and family situations. It’s required us to think differently. It’s required us to be innovative in the face of change. There’s no denying that the digital revolution has arrived, and the pace of in...

How much do you think about your role as a communicator? For leaders at every level, effective communication is what distinguishes the most impressionable leaders from the rest of the pack. Investing in this “soft” skill is not an elective in business; it’s an absolute necessity if you want to rise to the top.  Good communication is universally agreed upon as being the most important and indi...

There comes a moment in everyone’s career where a unique opportunity presents itself. Whether it’s through an unexpected job offer, the chance for a complete career pivot, or a big move, change always involves a varying degree of risk. Understanding our comfort level with risk, and knowing whether or not it’s the right time to jump, is an intuitive calculation that has the potential to alter your...

When tragic, life-altering events take place, it’s hard to see beyond the immediate horizon. If you’ve lost someone close to you, that loss leaves a permanent mark. Responses to such cataclysmic personal events can understandably be tumultuous. But, the nature of your response has strength building potential. It has character enhancing potential. And sometimes, it may even lead you towards a profe...

In any competitive work environment, you can show off financial progress reports, and you can demonstrate impressive metrics of success to shareholders. However, what we’re seeing more and more across the spectrum of the corporate world today is that a true leader is more than an embodiment of the title they bear. A true leader is someone who serves with purpose .  Purpose is a concept that’s...