Staff: Zeyanna Defortunato

Zeyanna Defortunato is originally from Boston, MA and is super excited about starting a new chapter in Houston, TX.

After graduating high school in 2009, Zeyanna attended Regis College in Weston, MA where she received her Bachelors Degree in Business Management and a concentration in Sports Management. Zeyanna began working for State Street Financial Corporation post graduation for about three years. She realized that the financial industry was not fulfilling for her and began her career as a mentor in her community.

Zeyanna's love for giving back began when she was asked to coach her high schools summer league basketball team in which she played for during her high school years. During this time she began to build strong relationships with the girls she was coaching and still has a close relationship with them today. From there she began to work for the YMCA as mentor, case work coordinator, and then a program coordinator.

While working as a mentor professionally, and in her personal life Zeyanna founded a non-profit "No Struggle No Progress" in honor of her best friend that passed away due to complications of having leukemia in 2011. She led a group of her peers who were also dealing with the loss of a friend to start a free football clinic for the community. The event grew to an annual event that her community looked forward to. Along with the football clinic hosted by the non-profit she also pioneered a free coding camp by the name of "Code Blk" which gave 20 youth an introduction to coding and robotics.

Outside of giving back to her community Zeyanna loves spending time with her family, traveling, playing flag football and working out. She is also a huge basketball fan and loves the Boston Celtics. Zeyanna also has a passion for real estate and owns investment properties in the Midwest and looks forward to investing in the Houston, TX area.