Jasmine Vedua
Jasmine Vedua, MPA, is a public service leader and nonprofit operations strategist serving as Senior Operations Manager, Community Impact at Greater Twin Cities United Way. In this role, she leads cross-functional teams, manages grant portfolios, and oversees strategic initiatives that align with the organization’s philanthropic priorities. Known for her collaborative leadership style and operational excellence, Jasmine spearheads knowledge management practices, strengthens data systems, and drives process improvements that enhance community impact across the Minneapolis–Saint Paul region.
Jasmine’s career reflects a deep commitment to service and equity. She began her nonprofit journey in direct service roles, including positions with Kalamazoo Valley Habitat for Humanity and AmeriCorps NCCC, where she supported housing initiatives, volunteer engagement, environmental clean-up efforts, and community development projects. Since joining Greater Twin Cities United Way in 2021, she has advanced from Operations Associate to Senior Operations Manager, demonstrating strong project management, team leadership, and a talent for building systems that empower both staff and community partners. She also co-leads the Multicultural Business Network employee resource group, championing diversity, equity, and inclusion within the organization.
A proud alumna of Hamline University, where she earned her Master of Public Administration, and Western Michigan University, where she completed her Bachelor’s degree in Biomedical Sciences, Jasmine brings both analytical rigor and heart-centered leadership to her work. Selected as a United Way delegate to the global One Young World Summit, she continues to grow as an emerging leader committed to advancing equity and strengthening communities. Through every role, Jasmine remains driven by purpose—building bridges between people, ideas, and resources to create lasting, meaningful change.
• Master of Public Administration (MPA)
• Hiring an Employee for Managers
• Fair and Effective Interviewing for Diversity and Inclusion
• Hamline University
• Western Michigan University
• Girls on the Run Coach
• Habitat for Humanity Volunteer Services
• AmeriCorps
What do you attribute your success to?
Even before I went to the Naval Academy, I remember sitting in my parents' home at 18 years old, and I just remember sitting on the couch and saying out loud to myself, my purpose in life is to serve others and to help other people. That has always been the driving factor of any part of my career, whether that was Habitat for Humanity, AmeriCorps, United Way, even the Naval Academy. My ultimate goal was to make sure that I was serving other people. That's what's given me purpose and kept me going, knowing that the work I am contributing to does have an overall impact of helping others, even if I'm not directly handing food packets to people or being the social worker helping different cases. At United Way, I'm still that person who's helping get funds into the community, and those funds are so crucial for those nonprofits to keep doing the great work they're doing. Even from this far of a connection with the service or the community, I still feel like I am helping people, and that's what's keeping me going.
What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
I would say that it's okay to change your mind. Whether that's once, twice, five times, 10 times, it is okay to change your mind. I wish someone had told me that when I was trying to leave the Naval Academy. I had worked so hard to get in, going through 8 different interviews, a physical readiness test, getting a nomination from my congressperson. I thought if I put in this much work to get in, I can't leave now. But I was extremely depressed and became suicidal at one point. If I had been told it's okay that you don't want to do this, I probably could have left sooner. My family was pressuring me to stay because of the free college tuition, but eventually I realized this is not worth everything about my mental health. The same thing happened when I decided I didn't want to go to med school after 3 more years of college for biomedical sciences. But at the end of the day, I still had my college degree, and at this point in my life, I realized you don't need to be studying the thing that you're gonna do in your career. You can study anything and do whatever you want with your career after that. I just wish someone had told me it's okay to change your mind, and that exploring different options is not a bad thing, and that your support system should be supporting you however you decide you want to go about your career. It's your life, and you make your own choices. You can change your career 10 times and still be successful. We shouldn't be limited to one thing.