About Nishia & ZenRoots

Meet the Founder

Nishia D. Ikezoe Heard is a federal leader, educator, and leadership coach dedicated to helping people and systems grow with intention, integrity, and alignment. She currently serves in the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Federal Student Aid, where she leads national projects that support colleges and universities in administering federal financial aid and expanding access to education.

"Nishia's Leadership Background"

Before entering federal service, Nishia spent more than a decade in higher education administration, most notably as Senior Director of Student Financial Assistance, Veteran Services, and Scholarships. In this role, she led and developed a team of more than 30 professionals while navigating complex regulatory environments and driving cultural and operational improvements. Across every role she has held—spanning federal service, higher education administration, professional coaching, and community-based leadership —one thread remains constant: a deep commitment to people. Nishia is known for building trust, navigating complexity with clarity, and leading with both courage and compassion.

In addition to her federal service, Nishia is the President and CEO of ZenRoots Professional & Life Coaching. She brings her lived leadership experience into a space dedicated to personal growth, authentic leadership, and empowerment.

"Nishia's Educational Accomplishments"

A lifelong learner, Nishia holds a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology with a minor in Sociology from Columbia College and a Master of Arts in Communications and Executive Leadership from Liberty University. She is a certified life coach, holds the Federal Acquisition Certification for Program and Project Managers (FAC-P/PM), and has earned multiple professional credentials through the National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators (NASFAA). Nishia is currently pursuing a Doctor of Education in Leadership from American College of Education, with research focused on leadership practices that better support financial aid administrators through collaboration, trust, and meaningful communication.

"Nishia's Story"

Born and raised on the South Side of Chicago, Nishia identifies as an African-American woman with Japanese ancestry and leads with an understanding of identity, resilience, and service shaped by those roots. Her leadership is grounded in purpose, growth, and alignment—values that guide both her professional work and personal life.

A writer at heart, Nishia is currently working on two books that explore parenting adult children, and life with honesty and humor. Her first book, “Parenting an Adult: This Is Some Bullsh*t”, is slated for publication later this year, while the second—currently untitled—centers on life lessons shaped by experience and growth.

"Beyond Business"

Outside of her professional work, Nishia is a devoted wife, mother, and grandmother. She enjoys traveling the world, spending time with her husband (with whom she has shared nearly 20 years of life together), and their beloved American Akita fur babies. She finds joy in creative outlets such as scrapbooking and DIY projects. Nishia is also a lifelong music lover who believes sound and rhythm fuel both reflection and inspiration. Lastly, as a proud “Trekkie” (a Star Trek fan), Nishia appreciates stories that explore humanity, leadership, and possibility.

Grounded in values, inspired by service, and committed to growth, Nishia leads with heart and authenticity—and invites others to do the same.

My coaching philosophy is rooted in servant leadership, transformational growth, and effective communication—supporting individuals in finding their voice, aligning their values with their actions, and leading with courage, clarity, and integrity.

Where ZenRoots Comes From

ZenRoots is not just the name of my work.

It is the name of my story.

When the suggestion “ZenRoots” first appeared on a screen — born from a simple prompt to honor both my Japanese American and African-American heritage — something in me recognized it immediately. Not the individual words, but the way they lived together. Zen. Roots. A reflection of where I come from and who I have become, braided into one truth.

ZEN

Quiet strength.

Courage without noise.

A grounding that comes from knowing who you are even when the world tries to tell you otherwise.

My Japanese lineage taught me that.

I come from people who endured one of this country’s great injustices — Japanese internment. My great-grandparents, my grandfather, my great aunt... uprooted from their homes, stripped of rights, labeled “other,” herded into camps by a nation they called their own. And before that, my great-grandfather Kishinosuke — an eighteen-year-old who left Hiroshima alone, boarded a ship to America, and rewrote the future of an entire bloodline with a single act of bravery.

Strength like that is not loud. It does not scream.

It stands. It endures.

It knows what it is made of.

That is my Zen.

ROOTS

Power.

Depth.

Resilience carved into bone.

My African-American lineage taught me that.

Though I am still piecing together our family tree, I do not need a document to know what my people survived. I know the history of enslavement. I know the resistance, the brilliance, the refusal to break. I know the way culture crossed oceans and still lives. I know the pride that pulses through Blackness — a pride my mother carried fiercely.

She survived hardship, illness, and a childhood of limited opportunity. Out of eleven siblings, she was one of only two to walk across a high school graduation stage. She fought systems, expectations, and statistics so her children could have choices. She fought for me before I even knew what fighting was.

Strength like that does not whisper.

It insists.

It creates futures.

Those are my Roots.