Lakecia Gunter is an accomplished corporate board director, visionary global C-suite executive, and dynamic Chief Technology Officer known for her ability to drive innovation, accelerate growth, and lead with impact.

She currently serves as an independent director for IDEX Corporation, contributing her expertise on the Board’s Compensation Committee and Nomination and Governance Committee. In addition, she serves as a board advisor to Responsive.io, a private equity-backed startup pioneering Strategic Response Management (SRM) software.

A recognized trailblazer in digital transformation, Lakecia most recently served as Chief Technology Officer for Microsoft’s Global Partner Solutions (GPS) organization—home to the world’s largest partner ecosystem. In this role, she led Microsoft’s global technical vision and strategy, empowering partners around the globe to harness the power of AI and cloud innovation to build transformative customer solutions.

Her executive journey at Microsoft also included leading the Device Partner Solution Sales Group as Vice President and General Manager, where she drove more than $4 billion in annual channel revenue and helped scale Microsoft’s global device ecosystem. Earlier in her tenure, she served as Vice President of the Internet of Things (IoT) Global and Strategic Engagement team, where she helped redefine innovation across the connected technology landscape, forging global partnerships and driving strategic adoption.

Before joining Microsoft, Lakecia held pivotal leadership roles at Intel Corporation, including serving as Chief of Staff to the CEO and Vice President in the Programmable Solutions Group. Her leadership across both hardware and software ecosystems has consistently positioned her at the forefront of global tech transformation.

Lakecia’s impact continues to be widely recognized. In 2025, she was named to BoardProspects’ 100 Black Board Members Making a Difference, honoring her influence in the boardroom and her advocacy for inclusive governance. She was also featured on Savoy Magazine’s Most Influential Black Corporate Directors list and recognized by WomenTech Network as one of the 100 Executive Women in Tech to Watch. In addition, HR.com spotlighted her as one of the Top 11 Trailblazing Women Tech Executives to Follow in 2025, applauding her forward-thinking leadership and industry impact.

Beyond the boardroom, Lakecia is a passionate advocate for diversity, equity, and community. She is an active member of the Executive Leadership Council, where she champions Black executive leadership and talent development, and she serves on the Executive Board of Sport Oregon. She is also deeply engaged in advancing Black women’s leadership as a member of Black Women on Boards.

Donzaleigh (Don-Za-Lay) Abernathy is the youngest daughter of the Co-Founder of the Civil Rights Movement, Reverend Dr. Ralph David Abernathy, Sr. and Mrs. Juanita Jones Abernathy,
a Civil Rights Activist and Business Education Teacher.

Mrs. Abernathy is a Humanitarian, an Actress, an Author, a Public Speaker and a wife.Her first book, “PARTNERS TO HISTORY” was nominated by the American Library Association as one of the “Best Books for Young Adults” in 2003. Forthirty-one years, she has served as a founding Board Member of the New Visions Foundation, which created New Roads Schools of Santa Monica, a K-12 College Preparatory School and assisted in the creation of two addition independent schools in Los Angeles, California. The New Visions Foundation Board was restructured into “The Coalition For Engaged Education,” which helps to uplift, inspire and educate youth previously incarcerated in the Juvenile Justice System.

Mrs. Abernathy has lectured on the Civil Rights Movement to Judges at the Judicial Division of the American Bar Association Conference, to the National Association of Women Judges, at Harvard University Law School’s “Saturday School” and to US Senate and Congress Members at the “Faith and Politics Congressional Civil Rights Pilgrimage.” She has lectured to teachers of the National Association of Multi-Cultural Educators, the “Teach American History Program,” for a Non-Government Org. at the United Nations, for Colleges and Universities, as well as lectured with former FCC Chairwoman Mignon Clyburn, former Director of the “Lyndon Baines Johnson Presidential Library” Luci Baines Johnson, President of the “Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights Organization” Kerry Kennedy and toured with Author Peggy Wallace Kennedy, the widow of Alabama Supreme Court Justice Mark Kennedy and daughter of former Alabama Governors George Corley Wallace and Lurleen Wallace. 

Mrs. Abernathy is a winner of the 2012 Tanne Foundation Artist Award for her work as an Actress and for her screenplay, “BIRMINGHAM SUNDAY.” She received critical acclaim for her performance in the Warner Bros’ Civil War Epic, "GODS AND GENERALS." She starred forfour years on the Lifetime Television’s series, “ANY DAY NOW,” which still airs on TV. She recently starred in the Lifetime TV Movie “WIFE STALKER” and the BET movie, “LOVE AND MURDER: THE ATLANTA PLAYBOY.”

She starred in the Emmy Award winning films, “DON KING - ONLY IN AMERICA,” “MISS EVERS BOYS,” “MURDER IN MISSISSIPPI” and “THE TEMPEST.” She Guest Starred in the Netflix Series “SUITS” and the FOX TV Series “9-1-1.” Information about her in listed on IMDB.com and Wikipedia.
Mrs. Abernathy is happily married to Actor/Producer Dar Dixon.

It all begins with an idea. Maybe you want to launch a business. Maybe you want to turn a hobby into something more.