Today we’d like to introduce you to Jasmin Foster.
Hi Jasmin, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
As a little girl growing up in Indianapolis, IN ,Be Rooted’s CEO and Founder Jasmin Foster always loved stationery. With every new semester she would be excited to buy school supplies, and into adulthood, she’d buy a new planner to map out her work and life. Despite her enthusiasm, over the years Foster realized that she always felt disconnected from the category. Recognizing that there was a gap in the market for a brand that spoke to her, Foster launched Be Rooted.
“I never really felt like it [journals and stationery] was designed with women of color in mind. I wanted to change that. After many years waiting for a brand to come in and to help me feel seen, I launched Be Rooted because I wanted to change the face of the stationery and gifting industry. For far too long and in too many spaces, Black and Brown women have been left unseen and unspoken to. Be Rooted was created to flip that narrative and center Black and Brown women by making them feel loved, celebrated, and uplifted”. –Jasmin Foster, Founder & CEO of Be Rooted
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey have been a fairly smooth road?
Like many, entrepreneurship has had its twists and turns. I am really proud of what we have been able to build in a little over two years. Launching in Target in our first year was definitely a highlight. However, launching in a brand in a global pandemic did not come without its hard parts. We had to learn how to navigate a changing and increasingly expensive supply chain system to make sure that we did not launch a brand and then end up flopping because we had no products to sell.
Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
Leaning into her passion of inclusivity and desire to live a purpose-filled life, Foster launched Be Rooted in 2020with a mission to empower women of color and create a space for them to see themselves in the stationery they love. With a lineup of colorful journals, planners and writing instruments designed by Black and Brown artists, by 2021Be Rooted became the first and only Black-owned stationery brand available at retail giant Target and Target.com. Weaving culture into every design and message, Be Rooted ’collection of stationery and gifting products encourage and motivates women of all backgrounds to express themselves and flourish as the best version of themselves. The inclusivity-focused brand promotes creativity, self-expression, and personal planning to foster the life you aspire. With creative designs at the heart, the journals and planners include inspirational quotes, impactful imagery, and created with high-quality materials including gold spiral binding and FSC-certified paper.
Can you talk to us a bit about happiness and what makes you happy?
I feel clear that I am getting closer to walking in my purpose and passion every day. For so many years, I wondered what all these collective experiences I was gaining meant and what was the greater reason. I truly feel happy that all these dots are starting to connect and that I am doing what I feel called to do.
Pricing:
- Range of products between $10-$50
Contact Info:
- Website: berootedco.com
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/berootedco
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/berootedco
- Twitter: www.twitter.com/berootedco
Image Credits
Mecca Gamble for founder photo Jocelyn Negron for all other photos
