Vibrnt Seeds: Embracing a Journey of Growth, Impact, and Trust
By Cohort 11 alum and Ventures Award Winner Ja’Keia Person
Cultivating Determination
Have you ever felt like you're not measuring up to your expectations? Perhaps you've worried about the possibility of your venture not succeeding, given the overwhelming odds of start-up failures. I can empathize with those emotions. I often find myself questioning my decisions and actions. Throughout my life, I was never the ideal student or child. Professionally, as an educator, I have always felt a little detached from education system “norms” and get easily sidetracked. I have often found myself lacking a clear and defined pathway to success. Additionally, I have struggled with identifying the right business strategies and solutions to help me achieve my goals.
Despite facing challenges, my unyielding determination to make a positive impact in the world has never wavered. With insatiable curiosity and unwavering drive, I am motivated to create a better tomorrow. And you know what? I think that drive is what's kept me going all these years.
Learning from Everyday Life
I was searching for guidance on how to channel my entrepreneurial spirit in a meaningful direction. My perspective shifted when I became a mother and became aware of the prevalence of food insecurity in my community. I used to invest in trips to supermarkets in Westchester. I spent time visiting various Bronx supermarkets to gather different ingredients. The process became so detailed that I had separate checklists for markets that sold spoiled meats and others for rotten produce. Attempting to maintain an all-natural diet while breastfeeding was challenging. I went to great lengths to source fresh and affordable groceries around my Bronx neighborhood.
I delved into studying the Bronx to identify food system gaps. Something just wouldn’t sit right with me. I blame the hunger for nutritiously sourced foods because that led me to document my ideas to encourage healthier choices in my community. By dedicating countless hours to volunteering at youth centers and gardens, I continue to search for ways to ensure food security in the neighborhood. This newfound awareness inspired me to turn past entrepreneurial challenges into stepping stones.
Digging into My Roots
As a child growing up on my family's farm in the southern region, I was taught to cultivate watermelons even before I learned to ride a bike. Those early experiences instilled in me a deep passion for agriculture and an understanding of the value of fresh produce. Recently, I have been reflecting on how my childhood experiences on the farm have helped me recognize the limited access to fresh food in the Bronx community. It is clear to me that many people in this area – even my child – are not able to enjoy the same access to fresh fruits and vegetables that I did growing up.
So, I built Vibrnt Seeds, a “Go Grow” movement, to showcase to our children the Bronx neighborhoods from a new angle, introducing a fresh system and rejuvenated surroundings for all to prosper in.
Trusting the Process
Now I find myself questioning how my venture will succeed. Yet my hours studying my area, building relations with organizations, and listening effortlessly to my fellow residents became the highlight of my days. It seems that focusing on the process rather than the outcome brought more joy.
Rather than fixating on the challenge itself, it was imperative to focus on how I can use it as a stepping stone toward success. I expect to acknowledge and accept challenges or even failure as a natural part of the process to help me develop into a stronger and more proficient business leader. By learning from my challenges, mistakes, or bumps — I can use them to my advantage, and I can steer my business towards greater heights of success.
Ja'Keia Person's journey has been nothing short of inspirational. She is an alum of the Communitas Ventures Accelerator Program, a recipient of the Communitas Ventures Award, and the Founder of Vibrant Seeds - an organization that aims to transform Bronx neighborhoods by promoting healthier lifestyles. If you want to be a part of this incredible initiative, visit www.seedinajar.com and join the movement today.
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