My Story 

Meet Zakiya Heron-Fortune...

As a woman of color living with a disability, reaching my professional goals early in my career came with significant challenges. Graduating during a recession only heightened the difficulty, as job opportunities were scarce and highly competitive. Ironically—and beautifully—the very field designed to understand and support personal struggles is where I found my path: human resources. My work, primarily with nonprofit social service organizations, allowed me to connect deeply with individuals who shared similar experiences. Over time, I began to see my hardships not as limitations, but as meaningful differences that shaped my perspective and purpose.

My differences once showed up as obstacles in the workplace—challenges with self-confidence, low motivation shaped by personal struggles, and a fear of being misunderstood that made it hard to communicate with leadership. But over time, these experiences became the foundation of my resilience. I learned to navigate the workplace with greater self-awareness, courage, and a deep commitment to helping others turn their own challenges into strengths.

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The challenges I’ve faced throughout my career—alongside my extensive background in human resources—have equipped me with both the emotional resilience and practical expertise to support the next generation in navigating today’s evolving workforce. I connect with clients on a personal level because I’ve walked a similar path. This is the heart of what makes Intrinsic Purpose Career Services truly unique.

Today, I continue to hone my coaching skills, volunteering for organizations such as MVP (Momentum & Value for People of Color), a non-profit dedicated to workforce development, helping young people build skills, expand their networks, and access to the resources they need to succeed, and Braven, a professional mentoring program for college students of underrepresented backgrounds.