Women To Watch 2025 honoree Dr. Lakeya Cherry

Dr. Lakeya Cherry, DSW, MSSW, PCC, is the CEO/Founder of Lakeya Cherry LLC, a Partner at Evolution, and an executive leadership coach who has dedicated her career to the growth and development of individuals and their organizations. As an ICF Certified Coach, a StartingBloc Fellow, a Rmrkblty #IAmRemarkable Facilitator, and a Certified Dare to LeadTM Facilitator, she believes that when leaders are empowered to reach their fullest potential, they will be able to support those around them more effectively.

Her experience with coaching ignited her passion for supporting individuals, teams, and organizations to lead more authentically and courageously. Her former clients include Glassdoor, LA Cleantech Incubator (LACI), Snap, Cisco, Takeda Pharmaceuticals, Southern Veterinary Partners (SVP), The Trust powered by the NFL Players Association, The Gates Foundation, Chicago Foundation for Women, Seattle Children’s Hospital, UCSD Palliative Care, Black Administrators of Child Welfare, and the National Child Welfare Workforce Institute amongst many others.

Dr. Cherry is the former Chief Executive Officer of The Network for Social Work Management, an international organization dedicated to strengthening and mobilizing diverse social impact leaders through education, leadership development, networking, and community-building. Under her leadership, the Network has expanded globally and introduced transformative programming that has produced better leaders and enhanced organizational cultures. She also serves as a Commissioner on San Diego’s Commission on the Status of Women, which helps to address the needs of San Diego women in their social, economic, and vocational pursuits.

Her approach is informed by her Doctorate in Social Work from the University of Southern California, where she was honored with the prestigious Order of Arête award, her M.S. in Social Work from Columbia University, and her B.A. in Psychology and Legal Studies from the University of California, Santa Cruz. Additional qualifications: iEQ9 Enneagram, Team Coaching, Psychological Safety, EQi 2.0 and EQ 360 certification, Diversity and Inclusion and Women's Entrepreneurship certification (eCornell), and Nonprofit Executive Leadership certificate (National Human Services Assembly).