Today we’d like to introduce you to Dr. La-Kasia Best.
Hi Dr. La-Kasia, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
If someone had told me a few years ago that I would leave behind the career I had worked so hard to build and dedicate my life to serving individuals with special abilities, I probably wouldn’t have believed them. Like so many life changing journeys, mine began with my son.
When my son, Loyal, was diagnosed with Level 3 Autism, Global Developmental Delays, Sensory Processing Disorder and Speech Impaired (currently nonverbal) at just 19 months old, my world shifted overnight. As a pharmacist, I understood medicine and healthcare, but nothing could have prepared me for navigating the maze of therapies, evaluations, insurance approvals, and support services as a mother. I experienced firsthand how overwhelming it can be for families simply trying to find help.
As we traveled from appointment to appointment, I met parents who shared the same fears, frustrations, and hopes that I did. Many families, especially those living in rural communities, struggled to access the resources their children desperately needed. I realized the issue wasn’t always that services didn’t exist. It was that families didn’t know where to find them, couldn’t access them, or felt alone trying to navigate the system.
That realization changed the course of my life.
I founded Pathways to Puzzle Pieces with one simple goal: to ensure that no family has to walk this journey alone. What began as a mother’s desire to help her own child has grown into a nonprofit organization committed to connecting individuals with special abilities and their families to education, healthcare, therapy providers, community programs, advocacy organizations, and opportunities that empower them to thrive.
Since then, we’ve built meaningful partnerships with healthcare systems, nonprofits, schools, businesses, government agencies, and community leaders throughout Texas. One of our proudest accomplishments is creating Puzzle Pieces Connect, a free community resource event that brings together more than 50 organizations under one roof so families can discover life changing resources in a single day. We also developed Sensory Escape, a sensory friendly initiative designed to make community events more welcoming and accessible for individuals with sensory sensitivities.
While I’m grateful for how far we’ve come, I believe we’re only laying the foundation.
My ultimate dream is to build an inclusive campus where individuals with special abilities can live, learn, work, and flourish throughout every stage of life. I envision a community with supportive housing, vocational and life skills training, sensory friendly recreation, employment opportunities, healthcare resources, and spaces where individuals are empowered to become as independent as possible while families gain peace of mind about their loved ones’ futures. I don’t just want to create programs. I want to create a place where belonging is built into everyday life.
Everything I do is rooted in one simple belief: every individual deserves to be seen for who they are, not defined by a diagnosis. My son, Loyal, gave my life a new purpose, and through him I discovered a mission much greater than myself. If Pathways to Puzzle Pieces can help one family feel less alone, open one door that once seemed closed, or create one opportunity that changes a life, then every challenge along this journey has been worth it.
This is only the beginning. My hope is that one day the legacy of Pathways to Puzzle Pieces will stand as proof that when a community chooses inclusion, everyone benefits.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
It definitely has not been a smooth road, but every challenge has strengthened our purpose.
Like many nonprofit founders, one of the biggest obstacles has been building an organization from the ground up while wearing every hat. In the beginning, I became the founder, grant writer, event planner, fundraiser, marketer, administrator, and community outreach coordinator all at once. There were many late nights, early mornings, and moments when I questioned whether I was doing enough.
One of the most significant setbacks was the unexpected delay in building what was intended to become the foundation for our future vision. Although that chapter didn’t unfold as planned, it taught me resilience, patience, and the importance of adapting when circumstances are beyond my control. Rather than allowing the setback to define our mission, it strengthened my determination to keep moving forward.
Another challenge has been securing funding. Like many nonprofits, we’ve faced grant denials and missed funding opportunities. While those moments can be discouraging, I’ve learned that every “no” simply brings us one step closer to the right opportunity. Each challenge has pushed me to become more creative, build stronger partnerships, and continue advocating for the families we serve.
On a personal level, balancing motherhood with entrepreneurship has been one of my greatest challenges. My son will always be my first priority. Raising a child with significant support needs means therapies, appointments, and celebrating every milestone, no matter how big or small. There have been times when I’ve had to pause organizational goals because my responsibility as a mother came first. I don’t view that as a sacrifice. I view it as the very reason Pathways to Puzzle Pieces exists. My son continues to be my greatest motivation and my daily reminder of why this work matters.
Another challenge that many people don’t see is doing everything on my own while raising my son. At this stage of our organization, there isn’t a team behind the scenes. From planning events and applying for grants to gathering supplies, loading and unloading equipment, driving to venues, setting up booths and sensory spaces, engaging with families and community partners throughout the event, breaking everything down, and unpacking everything afterward, I handle it all myself. At the same time, I’m making sure my son is safe, included, and able to enjoy the experience alongside everyone else. It is physically and emotionally demanding, but every time a family tells me they found the resources they needed or finally felt seen, I know the work is worth it.
Another challenge has been changing the way people think about disability. I want our communities to move beyond simply accepting individuals with special abilities and instead embrace true inclusion, where everyone has opportunities to learn, work, play, and contribute. That kind of change doesn’t happen overnight, but every partnership we build, every family we connect with resources, and every event we host brings us one step closer.
Through every obstacle, I’ve learned that setbacks are often redirections. They have strengthened our purpose, deepened my resilience, and reminded me that meaningful change takes time. Looking back, I wouldn’t change the journey because every challenge has helped shape both the leader I am today and the vision I have for Pathways to Puzzle Pieces. I truly believe the best chapters of our story are still ahead.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I have always been passionate about serving others, and that passion has taken shape in several different ways throughout my career.
I am a licensed pharmacist and earned my Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) degree from Florida A&M University. Pharmacy has always been my first profession, and I spent years caring for patients while learning the importance of advocacy, education, and building trusted relationships within the healthcare system.
I also had the privilege of owning an independent community pharmacy. While I was incredibly proud of what we built, I ultimately made the difficult decision to close the business because my responsibilities at home required my full attention. As the mother of a son with significant support needs, my priorities shifted. I also found it increasingly difficult to find trustworthy staff in such a highly regulated and sensitive profession where patients place their health and well-being in your hands. Closing the pharmacy was not giving up on my profession. It was making the best decision for my family during that season of life.
My goal is to return to pharmacy in a different capacity. Rather than operating a traditional retail pharmacy, I plan to partner with nursing facilities to provide infusion medications and specialized pharmaceutical services. That model will allow me to continue practicing the profession I love while maintaining the flexibility to remain actively involved in my nonprofit and other business ventures while, most importantly, continuing to be present for my son.
Alongside my healthcare career, I founded Pathways to Puzzle Pieces, a nonprofit organization dedicated to connecting individuals with special abilities and their families to resources, education, healthcare providers, therapy services, advocacy organizations, and community support. We are passionate about improving access to services, particularly in rural and underserved communities, while promoting inclusion through initiatives like Puzzle Pieces Connect and Sensory Escape. Our long-term vision is to develop an inclusive community where individuals with special abilities can live, learn, work, and thrive throughout every stage of life.
I am also involved in the trucking industry. While it may seem unrelated to my work in healthcare and disability advocacy, it has taught me invaluable lessons in leadership, logistics, operations, strategic planning, financial management, and perseverance. Those experiences have strengthened me as an entrepreneur and have equipped me with the skills to build sustainable organizations that create lasting impact. In the future, transportation will become an important part of our vision for Pathways to Puzzle Pieces. As our inclusive community grows, I plan to establish a specialized transportation service to safely transport our loved ones throughout the campus and within the surrounding special abilities community, helping ensure they have reliable access to employment, healthcare, recreational activities, and community engagement.
Although my work spans multiple industries, there is one common thread that connects everything I do: service. Whether I’m caring for patients as a pharmacist, advocating for families through Pathways to Puzzle Pieces, or building businesses that support a larger vision, my mission is always the same—to improve lives, create opportunities, and leave every community better than I found it.
What sets me apart is that my work is driven by both professional expertise and personal experience. I understand healthcare from the perspective of a pharmacist, entrepreneurship from the perspective of a business owner, and disability advocacy from the perspective of a mother. Those experiences have given me a unique perspective and continue to shape every decision I make. I don’t believe in creating short-term solutions. I believe in building systems that will continue serving families for generations.
I’m most proud that every venture I’m pursuing contributes to one larger vision. Each business, partnership, and initiative is another piece of the foundation for a future where individuals with special abilities have access to the healthcare, housing, transportation, employment, education, and community they deserve. My hope is that one day families will know there is a place where their loved ones can not only receive support, but truly belong, thrive, and live with dignity and purpose.
Is there any advice you’d like to share with our readers who might just be starting out?
That’s a great closing thought. It fits naturally with the rest of your advice and leaves readers with something memorable.
Here’s the revised ending:
My advice to anyone who is just starting out is simple: do not stop. Keep going. Your story will unfold the way it is meant to, even when the journey does not look exactly how you imagined.
Never compare yourself to anyone else. Two people may appear to be doing similar work, but each person brings a different experience, purpose, perspective, and vision. Trust yourself, believe in what you are building, and remember that your path does not have to look like anyone else’s to be meaningful or successful.
Build a solid team of people who genuinely share your mission and vision. You want people around you who are not only motivated by money, but also driven by purpose, compassion, ambition, and a sincere desire to make a difference. The right people will protect the mission, support the vision, and remain committed even when the work becomes difficult.
Take everything one step at a time. Do not overwhelm yourself by trying to accomplish everything at once. Set both short term and long term goals, and allow yourself to revise those goals as you learn, grow, and gain a clearer understanding of what your organization needs. Plans can change without the mission changing.
I also wish I had understood earlier how important it is to build a strong foundation from the beginning. Take the time to establish clear systems, policies, financial practices, expectations, and organizational structure. Doing that work early can prevent you from having to correct or rebuild important parts of the organization later.
It is also important to understand that it often takes money to make money. Do not be afraid to invest in what you believe in. You cannot always expect funders, donors, or partners to believe in your vision if you are unwilling to invest in it yourself. That does not mean being careless with your finances. It means showing that you are committed enough to support your own vision while continuing to seek sustainable opportunities for growth.
Always remember to give back. Remember the people who supported you, encouraged you, opened doors for you, and loved you throughout the journey. Never become so focused on success that you forget where you started or who helped you along the way.
Most importantly, never lose sight of your mission. Do not allow negativity, rejection, delays, or criticism to consume you. As I often remind myself, if a problem does not have a brain, there is a solution. Your responsibility is to find that solution as strategically, patiently, and gently as possible.
Remember that delayed does not mean denied. Some opportunities simply take longer because they are preparing you for something greater. Likewise, every denial is not a failure. Sometimes a “no” is simply redirection toward something better suited for your purpose. Keep moving forward, keep learning, and keep believing in yourself.
Finally, appreciate what you are building. Celebrate every step, every connection, every lesson, and every accomplishment. Congratulate yourself and your team along the way. You do not have to wait until you reach the finish line to be proud of your progress. Every step matters, and every step becomes part of your story.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://pathwaystopuzzlepieces.org/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pathwaystopuzzlepieces/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61568038646719
- Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@pathwaystopuzzlepieces?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc
