Inspired by her grandmother’s struggles with breast cancer, as well as her passing in 2009, founder and CEO of Myya and Cherry Blossom Intimates, Jasmine Jones, felt her granny deserved more; given her contribution to improving the lives of humanity. As a nurse, her grandmother saved the lives of many children and people, and when she retired from her profession, she bought a home; where she brought up her three children.
After her grandmother’s encounter with a double mastectomy, Jasmine was challenged to secure the right post-surgical supplies and intimates. The only avenue for her grandmother was mastectomy bras and breast forms in a medical supply store.
Despite the various procedures she was taken through, there were limited bras for women of color. Those that she found did not match her grandmother’s skin tone and were costly. This compelled Jasmine to see this difficulty as an opportunity to provide other women of color who were battling breast cancer with well-deserved intimates they could adorn with confidence.
She didn’t want them to have challenges getting their sizes and skin tones. Aside from attempts to make postmastectomy more inclusive, there was a wide gap that needed to be filled by someone, and that someone was Jasmine.
She invested her funds in setting up Cherry Blossom Intimates to provide breast cancer survivors with a convenient space to shop for bras, using a variety of colors to improve their shopping experience. Last year, the business was able to raise $1.25 million in a pre-seed funding round.
This success did not come on a silver platter. Jasmine experienced the everyday challenges that black startup founders face in the early years of their businesses. She recalls an experience where she was mistaken for a waitress at a first durable medical equipment (DME) supplier conference because many black women are not generally expected to be in a medical facility, according to biz journals.
The DME space has an insignificant representation of women of color; a reality that often gives Jasmine a cause to worry. However, she took another approach to deepen inclusiveness and created a network that enabled more breast cancer survivors to access certified fitters, mastectomy bras, and breast forms, even in the comfort of their homes.
She created Myya.com, an online platform where survivors could connect with her virtually. She believes the differences in how women of color are treated and the challenges they encounter with regard to accessibility have given her a deeper perspective on serving the underrepresented population.
Jasmine hopes to hold the door open for more black female founders to inspire the next generation. One of the ways she is doing this is by drawing the attention of people looking for solutions to improve their lives from within. By so doing, endless opportunities for businesses will be created to enable the black community to improve their standard of living.
