About Us

To our Dreamers, Freedom-Builders, and the Descendants of Survivors,

My name is Jazz Keyes, and before any title, I introduce myself to you as a servant of the community, a daughter of poor working-class grit, a woman shaped by faith and fire, and a witness to the quiet heroism of communities like South Los Angeles. I have watched us stitch together tomorrow with nothing but borrowed hope and our last reserves of courage. I lead from that place—from what I have seen, lived, survived, and been raised by.

Today, I step into the role of President & CEO of the Vermont Slauson Economic Development Corporation (VSEDC). I do so with the full weight of my spirit pressed into this responsibility. It is an honor beyond language to walk into this next chapter with you, and a blessing to be held by such a powerful community. I humbly accept the charge to lead with bold, meaningful services that change lives and strengthen our community.

At the very center of this moment, there is a name that must be spoken with reverence and fire: Marva Smith Battle-Bey. A genius of possibility, a strategist of liberation, and a prophetic Black woman who refused to let South LA be overlooked. Every brick, every doorway, and every dream tethered to VSEDC bears her imprint.

Marva built VSEDC as an ark of refuge in the floodwaters of systems designed to wash us away. She understood that liberation is a lived experience which shows up at kitchen tables and storefronts, in prayer circles and after-school programs, and in the quiet decisions people make every day to keep going when giving up seems easier.

I honor the legacy of Marva when I insist VSEDC is for every single client who walks through our doors carrying the quiet weight of “barely”—barely enough money, 
barely enough rest, 
barely enough hope,
still choosing to reach for help instead of surrendering. 

Marva understood that South LA must be defined by what we create.

Take Curtis Young, for example. He brought his vision for Closed Loop Engineering to Crenshaw Boulevard, creating the first local business where you can walk in with an invention, idea, or widget and walk out with a physical product ready for the global market. His work proves to every dreamer that innovation is not exclusive to Silicon Valley—it lives right here.

Consider Gaynelle Winston, who spent over two decades building a fashion brand that celebrated women exactly as they are. When the weight of sustaining that legacy became overwhelming, she came to us seeking support and a path forward. With strategic guidance and access to capital, she reemerged with renewed confidence, clarity, and ownership of her future for the next 20 years.

Then there is Adriana Cortes, who honored her family’s legacy by expanding their business and opening Delicious at the Dunbar in South LA. Her story is one of inheritance transformed into impact, where history and hope sit at the same table.

To our community, I say this with the knowledge of having been there: Whatever you have is enough. Whoever you are is enough. And wherever you are starting is ENOUGH.

Here, your struggle will be held. Your dreams will be cultivated. Your fears will be met with guidance. Your potential will be amplified.

With fire in my spirit and love in my service to the people of our community,