Laci Gatewood, MHA, CPC

Laci Gatewood, MHA, CPC, is a Chief Operating Officer and a Certified Performance and Leadership Coach whose primary goal is to help organizations and staff achieve their full potential. Through her platforms as a Founder and a Mental Health Advocate, she strives to empower individuals to live their most authentic lives. Laci is an advocate for dispelling stigmas around mental health and providing culturally appropriate resources and support to communities of color.

Laci has over 20 years of experience implementing strategies that support financial stability and growth, strategic direction, and external positioning as a Chief Operating Officer and an Entrepreneur. She successfully identifies opportunities, assesses internal/external issues that threaten an organization's stability, and provides innovative solutions to meet goals and contractual obligations for positive and sustainable outcomes. Laci is a motivational leader who leads complex teams and people by fostering respect, communication, feedback, support, and effective conflict resolution to influence change management with a DEI approach. Fearless in the face of conflict and adversity, Laci maintains a keen awareness of the interests and motivations of others and acts with integrity. Laci is also one of Crain's 2022 Notable Executives of Color in Health Care.

As a mental health advocate, Laci is the founder of myimo. This award-winning app makes you aware of your emotions by providing reflection journals to assist you in deeply describing your thoughts and feelings. While myimo allows you to self-reflect through journaling, it also provides you with self-help resources for enhanced emotional intelligence and allows you to seek community support for encouragement. Myimo has won several awards in its early idea stages, such as 1st Place, Apple App Pitch Winner; Runner Up 1871 StartUp Pitch Winner; and Finalist, TechCrunch Chicago Edition.

Laci received a Bachelor of Science degree in Computer Information Technology and Management, a Master of Health Care Administration degree from National-Louis University, and a Certificate in Strategic Leadership and Management from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.