Her Story
About La Keisha
La Keisha Riley Burton, MPM, CSM, is a Senior Project Manager with more than 10 years of experience leading Technology and Business Transformation initiatives across the Telecommunications, Government, Healthcare, Life Sciences, Energy, Utilities, and Transportation industries. She is passionate about helping organizations solve complex challenges through Technology, Process Improvement, and Strategic Program Delivery.
With a strong foundation in Salesforce Consulting and Implementation, La Keisha specializes in Agile Project Management, Stakeholder Engagement, CRM Transformation, and delivering solutions that align business goals with measurable outcomes. She holds multiple certifications within Salesforce, including Administrator, Service Cloud Consultant, Experience Cloud Consultant, and AI Associate, as well as her Certified Scrum Master credential.
Her journey into Project Management was anything but traditional. Originally pursuing a career in Education, she transitioned into Financial Services after her student teaching experience. While considering her graduate degree, she discovered Project Management and quickly recognized it as a field that combined her strengths in leadership, organization, and problem-solving. She gained valuable experience through Nonprofit work before expanding into Government, Healthcare, Life Sciences, Telecommunications, Media, and Transportation, ultimately building a diverse career that prepared her for Enterprise Consulting and Technology Delivery.
Today, La Keisha serves as a Senior Project Manager, where she leads cross-functional teams and oversees complex Salesforce and IT programs. She is responsible for aligning project execution with client objectives while managing scope, budgets, timelines, risks, and stakeholder expectations. Known for her collaborative leadership style, she focuses on building strong partnerships that drive successful project outcomes.
Beyond her professional accomplishments, La Keisha is deeply committed to serving others through deeply personal purpose. The Levi J. Burton Foundation was created following the heartbreaking loss of her son, Levi, in 2020. What began as a response to profound grief has grown into a mission-driven organization dedicated not only to supporting parents and families navigating pregnancy and infant loss, but also to ensuring that no family feels alone in their journey. Through advocacy, educational resources, and community engagement, including an annual 5K held in memory of her children, the foundation provides spaces for remembrance, healing, and connection.
At the heart of the foundation’s mission is a powerful message. "Even in the midst of devastating loss, there is still hope.". La Keisha’s work is driven by her desire for other parents to know that their grief is seen, their child is remembered, and their story still matters. The foundation continues to grow as a source of comfort, awareness, and support for families navigating similar journeys. Her leadership in this space reflects both resilience and a deep commitment to helping others heal.
She also serves as President of her local and district Business & Professional Women's Federation, where she leads efforts to equip and inspire women to excel professionally, grow spiritually, develop as leaders, and make a positive impact in their communities. In this role, she champions initiatives that promote mentorship, empowerment, and personal development. She is committed to creating spaces where women can thrive both personally and professionally while building meaningful community connections.
Whether leading enterprise initiatives, mentoring others, or serving her community, La Keisha brings the same dedication, resilience, and purpose to every aspect of her life. As a wife, mother, project leader, and advocate, she strives to make a meaningful impact both professionally and personally.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with La Keisha
01What do you attribute your success to?
My success has been shaped first and foremost by my faith in God, which keeps me grounded and guides my decisions. I have also been incredibly supported by my family and my husband, who have provided a strong foundation throughout my journey. I grew up watching my parents work tirelessly to break barriers and create opportunities for our family, making significant sacrifices so that we could access spaces they themselves had to fight to enter. They also intentionally exposed us to a world that was eye-opening and inspiring, while continuing to grow personally and professionally and consistently encouraging us to do the same.
I've also been fortunate to have a strong network of friends, mentors, and colleagues, as well as opportunities to work with outstanding organizations. All of these relationships, experiences, and influences have played a major role in shaping both my personal and professional growth.
02What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
One of the best pieces of career advice I’ve received is to “Think Outside of The Box.” Early in my career, I was always looking for a clearly defined career path. No matter where I worked, whether at CitiFinancial, Chase, CenturyLink, or IBM, there never seemed to be a roadmap that someone could point me to and say, “Follow this path.” After deciding to move away from pursuing a career in elementary education, I found myself at a crossroads without a clear next step. I knew I would need to go to grad school, but I wasn’t sure what the focus should be. That moment challenged me to rethink my future and explore opportunities outside of the path I had originally envisioned.
After talking with my family, my mom mentioned Project Management as a potential career path. After doing more research and getting feedback from family and friends, it started to feel like a great fit for me, even though I had never heard of the profession before that conversation. The more I learned about it, the more it just made sense. Looking back, that willingness to explore an unconventional path changed the course of my career. What started as a search for direction led me to a profession that perfectly matched my strengths and passions. Years later, I’m still doing work that I love.
03What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
AFRAID? DO IT ANYWAYS!
Fear is part of the process, not a sign to stop. Most of the time, it shows up right before something meaningful is about to happen. You don’t need perfect timing or total confidence to begin. You just need the willingness to try. Action builds confidence, not the other way around, so move even when you’re unsure.
TAKE UP THE SPACE!
You don’t have to shrink yourself to fit into any room. Your voice, your ideas, and your presence belong there just as much as anyone else. There will be moments where you feel out of place, but that doesn’t mean you are. Show up fully, speak with confidence, and if the seat isn’t there yet, create it.
HOLD ON TO HOPE!
Every experience is shaping you, even the uncomfortable or delayed ones. Growth takes time, and things rarely unfold the way we expect. Keep showing up, keep learning, and keep believing. Hope is what carries you while everything is still coming together.
04What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
The values that guide me are positivity, accountability, and collaboration, and they really shape how I show up in both my work and personal life.
I try to carry a positive mindset even in challenging situations. Not in a way that ignores reality, but in a way that keeps me focused on solutions instead of staying stuck in the problem. I’ve found that the energy you bring into a room matters, especially when things are complex or high pressure, because it impacts how teams communicate, solve problems, and move forward together.
Accountability is also very important to me. I believe in taking full ownership of my actions, my decisions, and the outcomes that come from them. That means being honest when something doesn’t go as planned, learning from it, and making the necessary adjustments without shifting responsibility. For me, accountability builds trust, and trust is what strengthens every team and relationship.
Lastly, I deeply value collaboration. I’ve learned that the best results rarely come from working in isolation, but from people bringing their strengths together toward a shared goal. I enjoy being part of environments where ideas are exchanged freely, different perspectives are respected, and everyone has a voice. When people work together with intention, the outcome is almost always stronger than what any one person could achieve alone.
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