By Brianna Rae
Dr. Jasmine Zapata with her new book, Multiple Streams of Income, published this April. Zapata is a doctor, author, motivational speaker, entrepreneur, health coach, columnist, wife, and young mother. Photo credit: Jasmine Zapata.
Dr. Jasmine Zapata is not just a doctor. She is an active change-maker in her community with a seemingly endless supply of passion and energy, as well as a strong focus on promoting financial literacy, freedom, and economic empowerment for herself and others.
This April, Dr. Zapata was featured in a new book, titled Multiple Streams of Income: Because Living Off of One Paycheck Isn’t Working Anymore! The book is a collaborative effort that features multiple entrepreneurs from various fields who offer their perspective and experience on the importance of having more than one flow of income and offer tips on how to get started.
“One of my mentors out of Atlanta, who is an amazing entrepreneur, was looking for people to collaborate with all across America and beyond,” said Zapata on how she got involved with the book.
“Having multiple streams of income is extremely important because in today’s economy, you don’t want to put all your eggs in one basket. You want the most security that you can get. Unfortunately, we grew up being taught that we should go to school, get a job working for somebody else, and keep that only that one job,” she said.
And, she stressed, “It’s important not just for you, but for building a financial legacy for the future of your family. The decisions that you make now can change the financial trajectory of your entire generation line.”
Dr. Zapata became involved in real estate in 2013. She started a real estate investing company called Emerge Capital Partners with four other minority entrepreneurs who have combined their finances to make some real estate acquisitions as a means to achieving personal financial freedom and helping others do the same.
“We’re just getting started now, but long term, we’d like to offer affordable housing and are hoping to teach other minorities how to get involved. We want to help people who aren’t traditionally represented in real estate or entrepreneurship,” she said. Dr. Zapata has worked with both residential and vacation rental property and also has experience and advice on how to get started in the field of real estate with low to no money down.
Working in the medical field, Dr. Zapata sees firsthand how devastating and detrimental poverty can be to families’ and children’s physical, mental, emotional, and social health. Knowing that one is limited in what they can do from within the clinic walls, especially in regards to combating complex issues of racism, poverty, and/or mental health issues, Dr. Zapata is adamant about doing educational outreach in the community.
Consequently, she has a long and diverse resume for her work in the community. Dr. Zapata is the health and wellness liaison for the Nehemiah Center for Urban Empowerment, and she also works with the Foundation for Black Women’s Wellness by offering support and leading workshops on how to live healthily.
She is the co-founder of the Madison Inspirational Youth Choir, for which she discusses with teens and youth topics regarding depression, drug and alcohol abuse, and how to make healthy choices while offering her emotional support and guidance. She is also the co-founder of and a writer for Brown Girl Green Money, a national network of women who promote financial literacy and economic empowerment for other women of color. Additionally, she is a volunteer coach and health empowerment educator for the Madison Elite Track Club.
Ultimately, Dr. Zapata wants to use her passion and influence to motivate, inspire, and empower those around her to make healthy decisions while also working to promote financial freedom. “I truly hope to inspire, touch, strengthen and uplift each and every child and family that crosses my path,” she said.