Gwynette Ford Lacy was born and raised in Washington, DC and attended DC public schools as an honors student. She attended Lincoln University (PA), formerly an all male school, on an academic scholarship, graduated magna cum laude in three years, and received a Wall Street Journal Award. After marrying the love of her life and working as an auditor for the federal government during the Watergate Scandal, she got an MBA and was the first African American female to earn a PH.D. in her field from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. She was also the first African American female to earn tenure and serve as chair of the Department of Management at the School of Business of Howard University, and later as an Associate Provost. Today, she is an international management consultant, trainer, and motivational speaker.