Jasmyne Julien's story begins at the tender age of 8 after moving to Toronto's West End with her family. Residing not too far from Little Jamaica, her interests peaked in two key areas: criminal justice and community development. The media, which played a huge role in her upbringing, showed one side of life in West Toronto: a community filled with a high police presence, crime, violence, and socio-economic challenges. However, there was another perspective present; one that reflected much of the everyday experiences of residents in this area. This perspective was community. An old African proverb states that it takes a village to raise a child, and for Jasmyne this proverb was her reality.

Merging her media-influenced perspectives and community-based upbringing, Jasmyne pursued an undergraduate degree in criminology at Ryerson University, where she learned about systemic challenges impacting communities such as the one she grew up in. Her education provided her with a much-needed rude awakening: that the institutions her communities respond to do not always have their best interests at heart.

After graduating in 2019, Jasmyne began working with different social-justice agencies focused on driving meaningful and sustainable system change. She also began loaning her voice to tables across Durham Region, where she now resides. Through working with these different agencies and tables, she began to connect the dots between her upbringing and educational background. Low-income, highly-racialized communities, like the one she was raised in, faced systemic barriers that kept them from thriving. This was not just a Toronto issue. This was experienced across the country and deeply embedded into our nation's history. This realization led her to become one of the founding members of Revitaled Reintegration Services, a non-profit organization helping primarily racialized individuals navigate all ends of the justice system.

Today, Jasmyne is a Policy Intern for Ontario’s Ministry of Finance, continues to grow Revitaled, and consults on projects to empower marginalized communities. She is also a public speaker, having recently spoken at the Canadian Council for Youth Prosperity's 2nd Annual Youth Summit. Particularly known for working with companies and organizations in their infancy, Jasmyne aims to help institutions utilize holistic approaches as they aid communities in their quest for equality and equity. As a self-proclaimed changemaker, Jasmyne's mission is to create spaces to help marginalized communities rise and thrive.