February Spotlight: Sonny’s Black People of Interest – Jasmine Crowe-Houston & Goodr

Welcome back to our February Spotlight series, where we take a deep dive into the lives and legacies of the titans rebuilding our community's economic and social fabric. This month, we’re honoring the visionaries who don’t just see a problem: they build a bridge to solve it.

Today, we are thrilled to feature Jasmine Crowe-Houston, the powerhouse founder and CEO of Goodr. Jasmine isn't just an entrepreneur; she is a logistics genius who decided that hunger was a problem we could solve with technology and a lot of heart. Since founding Goodr in 2017, she has become a beacon of what it means to build a mission-driven enterprise that scales.

At The Black Wall Streets, our mission is to celebrate and amplify the voices of Black excellence, and Jasmine’s story is a masterclass in resilience, innovation, and the power of the #Buyblack movement.

From a Cupcake Truck to a Global Movement

Every great story has a humble beginning, and Jasmine’s is no different. Long before she was disrupting the waste management industry, she was an entrepreneur in Phoenix, Arizona, running a cupcake truck. But even then, the spirit of giving was her North Star. In 2013, she sold that truck for $30,000 and packed her bags for Atlanta, Georgia.

In Atlanta, Jasmine started Sunday Soul, a pop-up restaurant initiative where she personally cooked and served five-star, multi-course meals to people experiencing homelessness. She didn’t just hand out sandwiches; she served dignity. She wanted the most vulnerable members of our community to feel like they were dining at a luxury restaurant.

It was during these Sunday Soul sessions that Jasmine had her "aha" moment. She realized that while she was cooking for hundreds, restaurants and grocery stores just blocks away were throwing away thousands of pounds of perfectly good food. She realized that hunger wasn't a scarcity problem; it was a logistics problem.

Equipped with a B.A. in Mass Communications from North Carolina Central University (NCCU) and a relentless drive, Jasmine set out to bridge the gap between surplus food and the people who need it most.

The Birth of Goodr: Hunger as a Logistics Problem

In 2017, Jasmine launched Goodr, a for-profit, sustainable food waste management and hunger relief company. By leveraging technology, Goodr allows businesses to track their surplus food and coordinate its delivery to local nonprofits and community organizations.

This wasn't just a charity; it was a business model that worked for everyone. Companies like Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, the Georgia World Congress Center, and Wellstar Health System signed on as clients. Goodr provides these partners with a "win-win": they reduce their waste-disposal costs, earn tax benefits for their donations, and provide real food to families in need.

Jasmine’s impact has been nothing short of legendary. To date, Goodr has:

• Served nearly 40 million meals to people in need.
• Diverted over 27 million pounds of waste from landfills.
• Achieved a 2025 revenue of approximately $7.5 million, with a staggering 82% three-year growth rate as recognized by the Inc. 5000.

She also became the 35th Black woman to raise more than $1 million in venture capital, eventually raising over $8 million in a Series A led by Precursor Ventures. In a world where Black women receive less than 1% of VC funding, Jasmine didn’t just break a glass ceiling: she built a whole new house.

Modern Money Move: The Power of Scalable Social Impact

In our Modern Money Move section, we break down the strategies used by the greats to build wealth and community impact simultaneously.

Jasmine’s key insight was her refusal to stay in the "nonprofit box." By founding Goodr as a B Corporation, she ensured the company could attract the capital necessary to scale nationwide while keeping its social mission at the core.

The Lesson: You don't have to choose between doing good and doing well. Jasmine proved that when you solve a systemic problem (like food waste) using a scalable business model (SaaS and logistics), you create a sustainable engine for change. Her success allows her to open free grocery stores in schools, such as the Lion’s Den Grocery at Martin Luther King Jr. High School, providing students with fresh food without the stigma of a "handout."

More Than an Entrepreneur: Author and Advocate

Jasmine is also a prolific author. She wrote the children’s book "Everybody Eats" to teach the next generation about food insecurity. And coming in July 2026, she is releasing her highly anticipated new book, "Feeding Hope: How to Build a Mission-Driven Enterprise to Create Change."

This book is set to be a roadmap for the next generation of social entrepreneurs. It details the courage, faith, and stewardship required to turn a vision into a multimillion-dollar reality.

Her work has caught the eyes of the biggest platforms in the world. From CNBC and Forbes to Oprah Magazine and The New York Times, Jasmine is recognized as one of the top 100 influential female founders by Entrepreneur Magazine. Her TED Talk, "The delicious potential of rescuing wasted food," continues to inspire millions to rethink how we value our resources.

Rebuilding the Spirit of Black Wall Street

At The Black Wall Streets, we believe that every purchase is a vote for the world you want to live in. Jasmine Crowe-Houston is rebuilding the spirit of the original Black Wall Street by creating economic opportunities and using commerce as a tool for community liberation.

When you support Black-owned businesses, you aren't just buying a product; you are fueling the next Goodr. You are ensuring that founders like Jasmine have the capital and the community backing to solve the world's most pressing problems.

Whether you are looking for inspirational apparel that reflects your drive or luxury home décor that reminds you of your worth, your support matters. We invite you to explore our marketplace and join the movement to #Buyblack and build together.

Conclusion: A Legacy of Hope

Jasmine Crowe-Houston reminds us that "Hope" is a verb. It’s something you do. It’s something you build. Through Goodr, she has turned hope into millions of meals and a blueprint for Black excellence in the 21st century.

As we continue through February, let’s take Jasmine’s lead: see the problem, build the solution, and always, always feed the hope in your community.

Stay tuned for our next Spotlight, and in the meantime, head over to blackwallstreets.store to discover more ways to support our community’s brilliant entrepreneurs.