Influential Woman · Healthcare consulting, transportation funding
Kia Gordon
Healthcare Consultant | Author, 11917 Enterprises LLC
Mesa, AZ 85204
Her Story
About Kia
Kia Gordon is a healthcare consultant, author, and entrepreneur based in Mesa, Arizona, with more than three decades of experience in the healthcare field. She began her career in a hospital kitchen and steadily advanced through seventeen distinct roles spanning hands-on patient support and executive administration, eventually rising to director of operations for a corporation acquiring medical practices. Along the way, she built expertise in revenue integrity, collections, behavioral health services, and healthcare operations management, gaining a comprehensive view of the industry from the ground up.
Gordon holds a Bachelor of Social Work from Arizona State University and a Master of Business Administration from the University of Phoenix, a combination that grounds her consulting work in both clinical understanding and business strategy. She currently leads 11917 Enterprises, through which she provides healthcare consulting services as well as personal and business funding, and 11917 Transportation, which offers vehicle sales and personal transportation services. She is also the author of Healthcare, Things You Should Know But Don't, and through her website she offers consultations and webinars designed for medical and financial professionals.
Beyond her business ventures, Gordon remains active in her community as a longtime volunteer with Rising Star Missionary Baptist Church, where she serves in the kitchen preparing meals for congregants and for guests of a local homeless outreach ministry. Guided by a philosophy of self-knowledge and authenticity, she credits her career achievements to persistent hard work and the willingness of others to invest in her potential, and she encourages those entering the healthcare field to build careers rooted in honest self-assessment and continuous growth.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Kia
01What do you attribute your success to?
I attribute my success to hard work, along with the willingness of others to take a chance on me and give me opportunities I made the most of.
02What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
The best career advice I ever received was simple: stop overthinking it and just apply.
03What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
I would tell them to always do their best and to know themselves well enough to be honest about their strengths and limitations. I've always worked hard at everything I take on, and if I don't believe I can do something well, I won't pursue it — that's just part of who I am. My advice is to continually assess your skills and personality, stay true to what you do best, and avoid stretching yourself into roles that don't fit, because that's often a setup for failure.
04What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
One of the biggest challenges in healthcare is inadequate pay, which leaves people overworked and underpaid and makes many roles hard to justify accepting — this is especially true in social work, where funding for programs is scarce and belief in the value of the field is limited. You can build a successful career in this industry, but it often comes at the cost of financial reward. At the same time, there is always room for growth. I started in the lowest-level positions and worked my way up to the highest, and that path is open to others too — through continuing education, learning from others, and even identifying gaps in the industry that can become the foundation for starting your own business.
05What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
Being true to myself matters most, both professionally and personally. I believe in knowing yourself deeply, staying introspective, continually learning about who you are, and then living authentically from that understanding.
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