Virginia Lacayo is a behavioral scientist, complexity thinker, and leadership coach dedicated to transforming systems through conscious leadership. As the founder of Massive Systemic Change and creator of the Indomable Mindset™, she works with CEOs, founders, and frontline organizers to navigate complexity, master emotional resilience, and drive sustainable impact. Raised in Nicaragua and shaped by both conflict and hope, Virginia combines science, mindset, and strategy to empower leaders who refuse to lose themselves while changing the world.
Could you elaborate on the nature of your business, highlighting its purpose and the ways it benefits people?
Massive exists to incite a movement of subversive leaders—those bold enough to challenge business-as-usual and wise enough to lead from systemic awareness. We offer coaching, thought partnership, and strategy for leaders ready to align their power with purpose. Whether through our executive coaching Becoming Indomable program, The Intersectional Leadership program, Leadership Activism intensives, or our work with nonprofit boards and directors, we help leaders master their inner landscape, decode complexity, and drive change that’s equitable, sustainable, and deeply human.
What inspired you to start your journey as a coach and entrepreneur? Were there any specific events, challenges, or people that motivated you to take this path?
I’ve lived through revolution and repression. I know what it means to be both the child of a dream and a survivor of broken systems. That paradox lives in my bones. Early in my career, I led media projects that reached millions—but I kept running into the same question: “What good is influence if you’re not transforming systems?” That question became my compass. Coaching gave me the tools to go deeper than performance—to transform people who transform the world.
Looking back at the beginning of your career, what were the major challenges you faced when establishing yourself as a leader/coach? How did you overcome those obstacles?
I had to unlearn the lie that being “impressive” was the same as being impactful. Academia rewarded my intellect, media rewarded my charisma—but neither prepared me for the inner work leadership demands. My biggest challenge wasn’t gaining credibility, it was dismantling my own perfectionism, mastering my emotions, and learning to lead from wholeness. I overcame it by getting uncomfortable—doing deep self-inquiry, working with mentors who wouldn’t let me hide behind my smarts, and staying relentlessly devoted to growth.
Would you like to share any remarkable achievements?
One of my proudest achievements is Coaching for Activists™, a 20-week program now in its 5th year, supporting frontline leaders across Latin America and the U.S. It’s more than a program—it’s a sanctuary for resistance. We’ve helped hundreds of activists build emotional resilience, reclaim their energy, and lead movements without burning out. Being part of that impact—seeing changemakers rise, rest, and resist more sustainably—that’s legacy work for me.
Women are a growing force in workplaces worldwide, standing shoulder to shoulder with their male counterparts. What are your thoughts about women’s leadership today?
Women have always led—what’s shifting is the recognition. But let’s be clear: inclusion into broken systems isn’t liberation. I’m not interested in slotting more women into extractive leadership models. I’m interested in us rewriting those models. Women’s leadership today is powerful because it’s increasingly rooted in interdependence, complexity, and emotional intelligence. We’re not just breaking ceilings—we’re building new rooms. And those rooms hold more truth, more wisdom, and more possibility for everyone.
What message/advice would you have for future women leaders and aspiring entrepreneurs?
Your power doesn’t come from outperforming others—it comes from mastering yourself. Do the inner work. Learn to hear your intuition louder than your fear. Don’t shrink for access or armor up for approval. And when the system tries to tame you—become indomable. The world doesn’t need more “successful” women by patriarchal standards. It needs more unruly, brilliant, boundary-breaking women leading us into what’s next.
Please insert website or social media links (if any):
- The System Shaker’s Playbook: https://massivechange.mykajabi.com/newsletters/the-system-shaker-s-playbook
- Massive website: https://www.massivechange.co/
- Substack: https://makingitmassive.substack.com/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/vlacayo/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/virginialacayophd/
- Substack: https://virginialacayo.substack.com/
- Coaching for Activists: https://bit.ly/3PRaAbU
