Jasmine Beane is described by the staff at The Advancement Foundation (TAF) in Vinton as a cool, shy lady whose personality shines bright through her designs and clothing. Jasmine Beane LLC is an artsy, couture-inspired clothing brand emphasizing sexy, sophisticated one-of-a-kind designs that highlight the wearer’s playful and artistic side.

In August 2019, Beane enrolled in an educational and matched savings program through TAF called the Virginia Individual Development Accounts (VIDA) program. The VIDA program matched Beane’s savings with $8 for every $1 she saved in her account until she earned $4,000 in match funds from the program. She then used her savings, along with the match money, to fund her business.

The operational funding for the program was provided through another DHCD program called the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG). The town of Vinton originally applied for the CDBG grant that TAF administers. In addition, Virginia Community Capital bank sponsored the savings accounts for TAF’s participants.

Beane touted “The VIDA program has been a great opportunity for my business and for me personally. The VIDA program allowed me to develop the habit of saving money. Kelly Turner, of TAF, has been awesome to work with and extremely helpful. I plan to use my VIDA funds to purchase professional dress forms, a serger, an industrial sewing machine and fabric, along with various sewing supplies.”

Beane has a bachelor’s of science in studio art with a minor in fashion design from Radford University. Beane is a native of Roanoke, Virginia. You can view more of her work at www.jasminebeane.com.

If you want to learn more about how VIDA and how CDBG can fund a local program in your area, contact the Community Revitalization Office at the Department of Housing and Community Development to learn more.