Lacy Goodwyn, Recognized By Influential Women, Serves As Founder Of Badass Women In AI And WYN

WASHINGTON DC, DC, UNITED STATES, September 1, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Combining Practical AI Strategy, Systems Design, and Community Building to Help Organizations Modernize and Women Shape the Future of Technology

Lacy JV Goodwyn is a technology strategist, entrepreneur, consultant, and community builder dedicated to making technology more practical, accessible, and human. As the Founder of Badass Women in AI (BAWAI), a weekly spotlight series focused on the realities of women building careers and businesses in technology, and the founder of WYN, a consulting practice specializing in practical AI, systems design, and streamlined workflows, Lacy is creating impact across both the business and technology landscapes.

Through Badass Women in AI, Lacy explores the parts of women’s professional journeys that rarely make it onto a résumé. The series highlights the real experiences behind career success, including the vulnerabilities and challenges women often learn to keep hidden. For Lacy, sharing these experiences is an important way to remind women that they are not alone, particularly during the moments when professional growth feels difficult or isolating.

Her work through WYN takes a complementary approach. Based in Washington, D.C., Lacy partners with small businesses, organizations, and founders seeking to improve efficiency through practical AI implementation, better systems, and streamlined workflows without requiring the complexity of large-scale engineering or product teams. Her approach emphasizes solving real problems and creating measurable value rather than introducing technology simply because it is new or popular.

Lacy brings more than a decade of experience working in fast-paced Bay Area technology environments. She spent six years at Coinbase, where she progressed from executive assistant to product manager and contributed to the company through its IPO. Her career also includes experience in product operations, program management, and strategic consulting across early-stage startups and growth-stage organizations.

That diverse background gave Lacy firsthand insight into how companies operate during periods of rapid growth and transformation. It also strengthened her ability to identify inefficiencies, develop scalable systems, improve workflows, and support cross-functional teams navigating change. Today, she applies those lessons to organizations looking for practical ways to incorporate AI and modernize their operations.

A graduate of Rollins College with a Bachelor of Arts in Studio Art, Lacy brings a creative foundation to her work in systems thinking, design, and storytelling. Her combination of creative and operational experience allows her to approach business challenges from multiple perspectives, balancing structure and efficiency with human needs and communication.

Lacy attributes her success to the women who opened doors for her throughout her career. In particular, she credits the women at Coinbase who took a chance on her, guided her, supported her, and helped her transition from an executive assistant into product management. Their willingness to recognize her potential and create opportunities had a lasting influence on how she views professional development and community.

That experience taught Lacy the power of women helping women. As a business owner and community builder, she is now focused on paying that support forward to the next generation of women in technology and AI. She believes that when women support one another, share knowledge, and create opportunities for each other, they create a cycle in which more doors continue to open.

This philosophy is central to Badass Women in AI. Rather than presenting success as a polished, linear journey, Lacy wants to highlight the realities behind it. She believes women can benefit tremendously from seeing others who have faced similar struggles, whether they are currently navigating those challenges or have already moved through them.

One of the most important lessons Lacy has carried throughout her career is the importance of solving real problems rather than becoming distracted by trends. In a rapidly changing AI environment, where new tools and technologies appear constantly, she believes organizations and professionals can easily become caught up in the noise.

For Lacy, meaningful innovation begins with identifying a genuine problem and determining whether technology can help solve it. When the focus remains on creating real value, the technology becomes a means to an end rather than the objective itself. This perspective informs both her consulting work and her broader approach to AI.

Lacy is also passionate about encouraging more women to participate in the development of AI. She believes women should not become overwhelmed by the pressure to constantly keep up with every new development or fear that they are already falling behind. Instead, she encourages women to recognize that their perspectives and experiences are needed in the industry.

She points to the underrepresentation of women in AI, particularly among those directly building the technologies and tools that are becoming increasingly influential in everyday life. Looking toward the future and the experiences of the next generation, Lacy believes AI should reflect a broad range of perspectives, including those of women.

At the same time, she recognizes the important conversations taking place around AI. Lacy recognizes legitimate questions involving job displacement, environmental impact, data privacy, creative consent, and ethical technology development. She also sees a cultural challenge in the way women can sometimes feel judged for using AI tools while men are more readily encouraged to experiment with them.

For Lacy, these concerns and the need for participation can exist simultaneously. AI is becoming an increasingly important part of the future, and she believes women need to be involved in shaping how that future develops. Rather than allowing legitimate concerns to become a reason for disengagement, she encourages women to participate in the conversation and help address the barriers from within.

As an entrepreneur, Lacy recognizes that building a business comes with its own challenges. One of the biggest is maintaining a strong pipeline and generating leads while simultaneously developing the company itself. She describes the experience as building the plane while flying it.

Growing visibility, attracting clients, developing services, managing existing projects, and establishing a recognizable brand all require attention at the same time. While the balancing act can be demanding, Lacy also sees it as one of the aspects that makes entrepreneurship dynamic and rewarding.

Transparency and communication remain central to the way Lacy approaches both her work and personal life. She believes in creating environments where people can be vulnerable and communicate honestly about their experiences. That philosophy is particularly evident in the conversations she facilitates through Badass Women in AI.

When highlighting women’s stories, Lacy is less interested in simply documenting their credentials than in understanding how they arrived at their current positions. She wants to explore the challenges, setbacks, sacrifices, and personal experiences that shaped their journeys because she believes those stories often contain the greatest inspiration.

For women entering technology, AI, or navigating major professional and personal transitions, Lacy believes shared experiences can be powerful. Hearing that another person has experienced uncertainty, struggled with confidence, or faced difficult decisions can make challenging periods feel less isolating.

Through her consulting work and community-building efforts, Lacy is therefore working toward the same broader goal: helping people and organizations navigate change with greater clarity and confidence.

Whether she is helping an organization identify an inefficient process, developing an AI-enabled workflow, or giving women a platform to share the realities behind their careers, Lacy remains focused on practical impact and human connection.

Her journey from executive assistant to product manager, technology professional, entrepreneur, and AI community builder demonstrates the value of taking opportunities, learning continuously, and recognizing the people who help create a path forward. Now, through WYN and Badass Women in AI, Lacy is using that experience to help organizations solve meaningful problems while creating greater visibility and opportunity for women shaping the future of technology.

Learn More about Lacy Goodwyn:

Through her Influential Women profile, https://influentialwomen.com/connect/lacy-goodwyn, through Badass Women In AI, https://substack.com/@badasswomeninai or WYN, https://www.wyn-consulting.com/founder

Influential Women

Influential Women provides a platform where women from all backgrounds can connect, share their perspectives, and create content that empowers themselves and others. Through storytelling, thought leadership, and creative expression, Influential Women amplifies voices that inspire change.

Editorial Team
Influential Women
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