What is it like to grow up without learning how to handle money? Nitiya Walker grew up seeing this situation in minority communities. When she attended a predominately white institution, she realized that many of her peers grew up around money conversations. But she wanted better for people of color, especially women. So she founded Seeds of Fortune, a nonprofit organization that seeks to financially empower young women of color (WOC) starting with college. Now, she is a female CEO of color paving the way for future leaders that know how to manage finances. She chats with Bold TV about the mission of Seeds of Fortune.
Empower women with financial literacy
Seeds of Fortune has three main goals. First, they help WOC win college scholarships. Second, they equip these women with career development skills. And third, they teach them financial literacy. How did this organization know these were problem areas in the lives of WOC? They realize that people of color carry more college debt. First, they believe people of color have less generational wealth and don’t have enough money to pay for college. Second, they believe the minority community lacks information about the college financial process. Their solution is to teach these WOC that college is a money-making business. They need to learn how to advocate for themselves and negotiate the money they’ll receive. And they need to see college as an investment.
Sowing seeds into future generations
Why does Seeds of Fortune find their investment worth it? They believe they are sowing seeds into future generations. In minority communities, women are often the leaders of a household. If the woman knows how to manage her finances, that knowledge will trickle down to her children and their children. To learn more about this organization and its opportunities, check out the interview!
