"She Thrives: Black Women Making History Today" puts the spotlight on 10 amazing individuals whose achievements transcend generations, occupations and regions. These women — all leaders in their communities — are truly elevating the conversation around black identity, politics and culture. Meet all of our "She Thrives" honorees here.
Name
Jasmine Crowe
Title
Founder and CEO, Goodr
Age
35
Hometown
Charlotte, N.C. Lives in Atlanta
Words you live by
“The key to realizing a dream is to focus not on success but on significance — and then, even the small steps and little victories along your path will take on greater meaning.” ― Oprah Winfrey
Your hero
Oprah Winfrey
How she thrives
Jasmine Crowe has long considered herself a do-gooder. She defined herself as such through community service acts.
A few years ago, she learned through a volunteer initiative titled Sunday Soul — which feeds senior citizens and those experiencing homelessness in Atlanta — just how pervasive a problem hunger is for the city's poor.
"When I researched food waste that night, I literally spent hours combing through articles, and I was blown away with the amount of food that was going to waste," Crowe told NBCBLK.
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It left her with an appetite for action.
So in January 2017, she launched Goodr, a food waste management company. Goodr is a real-time food rescue app that connects businesses with local charities to arrange deliveries of leftovers to people in need. The company uses blockchain technology to keep a data ledger for clients to track their food waste and know where they can save money.
"I wanted to convey the message of doing good while rescuing, hence the 'r', good food," she said of the inspiration for the company name.
It all traced back to being a do-gooder. Crowe earned her bachelor’s degree from North Carolina Central University in Durham, and a master’s degree in nonprofit management from Arizona State University.
Her company has benefited thousands. Every day, she and her team of “do-goodrs” — the term they use to describe full-time workers or volunteers — deliver meals across Atlanta. In the next few months, the company will expand to Washington, D.C., Chicago and Raleigh, North Carolina.
Her ultimate goal is for Goodr to go global.
“As a black female founder of a tech company, it wasn’t an easy feat getting people to believe in my business,” Crowe said. “I heard ‘no’ so many times, but I didn’t get defeated because what I was fighting for was worth it: I believe that everybody deserves to eat.”
