Arsiema Smith
Arsiema Smith is a youth advocate, consultant, and founder working through VZN Consulting, LLC, where she uses basketball as a framework to support families, empower young athletes, and strengthen community systems. Based in Iowa, she focuses on vision clarity, team building for emerging business owners, and helping families navigate the complex world of youth sports with a balance of development, protection, and long-term growth.
Her professional background spans more than two decades in child welfare and juvenile justice. She began her career in New York working in CPS, adoption, foster care, and independent living programs before later serving as a juvenile probation officer in Las Vegas. In these roles, she worked with high-risk youth including trafficking victims, gang-involved adolescents, and justice-involved children, building case plans, coordinating with courts and schools, and supporting stabilization and rehabilitation efforts.
Her work is deeply shaped by lived experience, including surviving early-life adversity and later advocating for her daughter through a serious congenital heart condition. This personal journey led her into broader advocacy for youth health and safety, including CPR education, AED access, and athletic policy change. She now collaborates with organizations such as Heart Charged while continuing her mission of protecting vulnerable youth and helping families build stronger, more informed futures.
• State University of New York Cortland - BA
• Heart Charged
• CPR Education for Youth
• AED Access Advocacy
• Pediatric Heart Health Awareness
• Military Care Package Program for Soldiers
What do you attribute your success to?
I attribute my success to my faith in God, the guidance of my adoptive father, and a deep, enduring commitment to serving and protecting children. These foundations have shaped both my work and my resilience throughout my journey.
What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
The best career advice I’ve ever received came from my father, who emphasized the importance of giving back through small, consistent acts of service, such as donating blood and platelets. He taught me that meaningful impact is built through everyday actions, and I carry that principle with me in my professional life by striving to model service in everything I do.
What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
My advice to young women entering this field is to find the area you are truly passionate about and pursue it wholeheartedly, because meaningful work requires both commitment and resilience through inevitable challenges and losses. Don’t let fear hold you back—your voice and presence matter, especially to young people who need strong, consistent role models. Even small acts like listening, encouraging, or showing kindness can have a lasting impact, often more than you realize. This work can be difficult and even heartbreaking at times, but if you stay grounded in purpose and remember that even one word or gesture can change a life, you will make a meaningful difference every day.
What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
The biggest challenges in my field include a shortage of pediatric cardiology resources, limited access to screening and AEDs in schools and sports, and underfunding of pediatric heart research. There are also growing concerns around youth mental health and rising dropout rates among girls. At the same time, these issues present opportunities to expand access, strengthen prevention, and better support both the physical and mental health of young people.
What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
The values most important to me in both my work and personal life center on making a meaningful difference and giving back to the community. I see my personal and professional life as deeply intertwined, guided by the belief that even small acts of kindness and service—like helping others or donating blood—can save lives and create lasting impact. Inspired by my father’s example and my own experiences, I am especially committed to supporting children and contributing to better health outcomes. Ultimately, I strive to leave people better than I found them by consistently leading with compassion, generosity, and purpose.
Locations
VZN Consulting, LLC
Altoona, IA 50009