How Jasmin Foster Built A Brand For Black Women, By Black Women
Be Rooted: How Jasmin Foster Built A Lifestyle Brand For Black Women, By Black Women
Jasmin Foster built the lifestyle brand she’d always dreamed of. Just five years in, Be Rooted is already a celebrated go-to for beautiful stationery and gifts—earning spots on Oprah’s Favorite Things and the Tamron Hall Show, proving there’s been a clear gap in the market for a lifestyle brand built for Black women, by Black women. From journals and gift wrap to candles and puzzles, you’ll find Be Rooted products in Target and beyond, bringing Black-owned labels to the forefront of mainstream retail.
In a conversation with MadameNoire, Foster shares her vision to create “a lifestyle brand that is centered around Black women, inspiring us and motivating us”—a philosophy that has shaped every design and decision from day one.
Representation
“I’d been sitting on the idea for about 10 years,” Foster says, envisioning a lifestyle brand celebrating Black women from every angle. “I felt like there was a need for Black women to have a brand that was fully based on making sure that they felt seen.” Starting out, Foster launched the brand with a stationery line. “I’ve always had this love for writing,” she says. “I thought, what if you combine beautiful Black art with products that you carry around in your everyday life, and have these journals and planners that look back at you and inspire you?”
First, she and her team focused on nailing the design. “In the beginning, it was about getting the art right,” Foster says. “Black women, we are not a monolith. We made the decision to remove some of the details from the face, so that people could focus on seeing themselves in the art. We wanted to make sure that the hairstyles, skin tone, body type, and fashion sense were something that a wide variety of people could relate to.”
The team behind the brand’s signature aesthetic crafts each design with intention and perspective. “We have our own team of designers that reflect the community we serve,” she says. “They are all Black and Brown women designing the artwork.”
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Community impact is a key part of Be Rooted’s mission: “How do we continue to deepen our investment and the impact that we have on the community that we serve?” The company has donated to the Loveland Foundation’s Therapy Fund, helping expand access to therapy services for Black women and nonbinary people, and has provided supplies like journals, planners, and notebooks to school districts and community organizations.
Foster is committed to giving back as her company grows. For her, impact and business go hand in hand. “I want Be Rooted to not only be the brand that you love because of how it makes you feel, but also the brand that you love because of the good that we do,” she says.
Growth
When Be Rooted launched in 2020, the unrest of the moment shaped the brand’s messaging. Foster was intentional about offering joy and affirmation during a time when so much felt unstable. “It was a scary time, right? We were dealing with the pandemic, we were dealing with a new administration and uncertainty around that,” she says. “So we wanted to be a brand that was a bright spot of joy for people in these uncertain times.” Some of Be Rooted’s first journals, Foster recalls, featured uplifting messages like “Act up sis,” “Dream chaser,” and “Protect your energy.”
Foster’s journey came full circle early on. Not long after leaving her role as senior buyer at Target, she launched Be Rooted; just nine months later, her products were on Target shelves. “It’s been so cool to go from working at a store to having your own products there,” she says.
The brand grew faster than she ever imagined, winning over both customers and top retailers. “When I got the opportunity to speak with Target within the first couple months of us launching, at first I was afraid because I know how hard it is to win there,” she says. “But then I said, you know, if I’m going to launch this brand, if my goal is for us to be able to make sure that Black and Brown women feel seen, why not do it in a place where hundreds of thousands of women will be able to discover us each year?”
Just five years in, Be Rooted has blossomed into a recognizable brand with a loyal following, named one of TIME’s 100 Most Influential Companies in 2022. It’s easy to see why. Shoppers adore the refined aesthetic, pleasing color palettes, and messages that inspire. “The community support has been phenomenal, and it is absolutely the number one thing that continues to drive me forward,” Foster says.
Family
Family has always been at the heart of Be Rooted’s success, Foster explains. Her parents have been involved every step of the way, from storing inventory in every available corner of their home to shipping orders.
Today, the close-knit family works side by side, running the company together in Atlanta. “My mom was employee number one,” Foster says. “She still packs every single order that is on the website. She’s our number one quality control, making sure that everything looks good on its way out.” Meanwhile, her dad handles shipping, dropping off packages and keeping orders moving. “It’s so funny because say for some reason my dad is unavailable and I take something to FedEx. They’re like, ‘Wait, is Mr. Tony okay? Why are you here?’” she laughs.
They believed in the vision, and the journey has been every bit as meaningful as the success. “I see them every single day in the office,” Foster says. “My parents are my number one cheerleaders and it’s been so cool to have their support. I think it’s even brought our family closer.”
Future
As Be Rooted continues to evolve, Foster is excited to expand the brand’s product range with their upcoming Black History Month collection for 2026. “For the first time, we are getting into a lot of new product types that we’ve never done before,” she says. With additions like a phone crossbody bag, laptop bag, makeup bag, and coffee mugs, Be Rooted is broadening its offerings and moving closer to Foster’s vision. “I knew that it would start with stationery, but it would truly be a lifestyle brand,” she says.
An avid journaler herself, she is passionate about designing products that help bring ideas to life. “These are tools that help you stay productive,” she says. “I’m hoping that our brand will motivate people to go after their dreams and goals.”
