“Economic development can truly transform people’s lives,” says Lakey Boyd, who has built a career around creating and connecting people to opportunity.
“As a mother and someone deeply rooted in community, I see economic development as the opportunity to shape a future where more people — across neighborhoods, industries and generations — can find success and thrive,” adds Boyd, chief economic officer for the Greater Baltimore Committee. “Being a part of that effort is what drives me every day.”
Boyd brings nearly 25 years of experience in economic development, urban planning and civic engagement. She got her start as a grad student working for an organization tasked with determining how to utilize facility and real estate assets after the Olympic Games in Atlanta.
Since then, she has built a solid track record of building economic development strategies and implementing place-based initiatives in more than 50 cities, including the redevelopment of The Battery Atlanta and the creation of The Switch Innovation District in Birmingham, Alabama.
However, she has faced challenges operating in traditionally male-dominated fields, such as being mistaken for having junior roles when, in fact, she held senior level positions.
“Navigating leadership as a woman has meant holding firm to my values and vision, even when consensus is elusive,” she says. “I’ve learned that authenticity, inclusivity and resilience are key to driving real impact.”
She advises women to “say yes to leadership opportunities, always stay curious and do not underestimate your value and contributions.”
“Reach out and connect to women leaders because most of us are happy to share our perspectives and open our networks,” she adds. “Cherish colleagues and mentors who push you beyond your comfort zone.”
Boyd applauds the Baltimore region for having “a deep bench of women innovators and entrepreneurs across industries.”
“There’s a community among women business leaders and entrepreneurs here that you can feel, and I am thankful to have been welcomed here as a transplant,” she says. “Diverse leadership is often a competitive advantage for sustained economic growth. We’re in a region where more women can launch, lead and scale — and where their success is seen as essential to the region’s future.”
Overall, Boyd considers the Baltimore region “resilient and innovative, an open frontier for smart, strategic investment.”
“The region is undergoing a quiet but powerful transformation,” she says. “But what makes us stand out today is how we’re aligning those assets with a bold, unified economic growth strategy driven by our strengths in tech/cyber, logistics, life sciences and advanced manufacturing.”
Since joining the GBC in 2024, Boyd has spearheaded business attraction, retention and expansion efforts to drive regional growth.
Earlier this year, she led the launches of the “Bold Moves” regional economic branding platform to reflect the region’s agility, innovation and resilience, and investinbaltimoreregion.org, a business investment website that streamlines access to investment opportunities and resources.
She also steered the Baltimore Region Investment Summit, which attracted national and international investors, reinforcing the region’s competitiveness and accelerating capital activation.
In a short time, Boyd has become a vital and visionary leader, charting a strategic business-focused path for the Baltimore region’s future.
“My goal is to build a more connected, transparent and responsive regional economy, one where bold ideas turn into real outcomes for families, businesses and communities across the Baltimore region. And I am committed to doing that in a way that honors both aspiration and accountability.”
Caryn R. Sagal is a Baltimore-based freelance writer.
