Jason Andrade is the Director of Financial Services for Compass Working Capital. In this role, Jason is responsible for developing and leading culturally proficient financial coaching and education practices for Compass's coaching staff and clients. Jason has worked for more than 10 years in the asset-building field, focusing on expanding access to free or low-cost high-quality financial advising and tax preparation services. Jason is a steering committee member for Boston's Tax Help Coalition. He is also the director of two IRS V.I.T.A. tax sites and was previously awarded the SCI Community Social Capitalist award for his service work in the Dorchester community. Other initiatives that he's involved in include Bank on Boston, Boston Builds Credit, and Dorchester Bay Small Business Lending Committee. He is a board member of the Partnership for Financial Equity and chair of its Banking Services Committee. Before this, Jason worked as a tax accountant at Granite Telecommunications, LLC where he was responsible for corporate tax, gross receipts, and annual report filings. Jason is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER and was awarded his Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from Suffolk University.

Charlene Bauer is the SVP Outreach, Advocacy & Chief Development Officer at Metro Credit Union. Bauer has been employed with Metro since April 2000, having held similar roles at other financial institutions such as Salem Five and The Bank for Savings. In her role as SVP Outreach, Advocacy & Chief Development Officer, Bauer oversees business development and community relations initiatives across the credit union, increasing our membership and improving financial wellness within the neighborhoods we serve. She represents Metro through local advocacy and outreach, aligning with the credit union ethos of community partnership. Bauer oversees the Metro Credit Union Foundation and is the CRA Officer having earned an outstanding rating. Bauer holds a Bachelor of Arts from University of Massachusetts Amherst and has completed a three-year academic program with the National School of Banking in cooperation with Fairfield University. Additionally, she is certified as a Credit Union Development Educator through the National Credit Union Foundation and is a Board Member of several local nonprofit organizations.

Not everyone thinks personal finance is a topic to sing and dance about, but Julie Beckham has made a career out of it! Creator of Ms. Money & the Coins®, a musical about saving, sharing, and spending money and the No Shame in this Money Game podcast, Julie is AVP/Financial Education Development & Strategy Officer at Rockland Trust Bank. A Certified Financial Educator (AAFCS), an Accredited Financial Counselor (AFC) and a graduate of New York University's Tisch School of the Arts, Julie creates and implements engaging and entertaining financial education programming for colleagues, customers, and the community. Before coming to Rockland Trust, Julie was the Community Relations Manager at Blue Hills Bank where she managed the bank’s charitable foundations, sponsorships, matching gifts, and volunteer programming. While in that role she developed a deep appreciation for the impact local nonprofits make on individuals and families in the Greater Boston area and has become involved with several organizations since. Julie is a five-time rider of the Pan-Mass Challenge, a member of the Advisory Council of Boston Money Management at Ethos, and a member of YW Boston’s LeadBoston Class of 2023.”

Chris is a freelance journalist and author who writes about science, health, technology, and education. Previously, he was a staff editor at the Atlantic Monthly, a research editor at the investigative-journalism magazine, Mother Jones, and a senior writer covering science and medicine for Boston University's daily news website and alumni magazine. He is a regular contributor to The Hechinger Report, a nonprofit education newsroom, and his writing has also appeared in Popular Science, Wired, New Scientist, the New York Times, the Washington Post, Salon, Politico, Slate, the Boston Globe, High Country News, Virginia Quarterly Review, Christian Science Monitor, Boston magazine, and the Daily Beast, among other outlets. Chris is currently finishing his second book, Clamor, about the power of noise and soundscapes (Norton, expected 2025). His first book, Mind Over Mind: The Surprising Power of Expectations (Penguin, 2012), was about the placebo effect in medical and non- medical contexts.

Juan Pablo Bonilla Santiago is Vice President of Economic Inclusion and Wealth Building at the United Way of Massachusetts Bay, leading strategies for economic justice and wealth building initiatives. Previously, he spent 18 years as Chief Operating Officer at Lawrence CommunityWorks, Inc., gaining extensive nonprofit leadership experience. Juan holds degrees from Bowdoin College and Tufts University. He serves on several advisory boards, including the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's Community Advisory Board and has previously been part of the Federal Reserve Bank's Community Advisory Council. Juan has received awards for his community service, including the Bowdoin College Common Good Award. Born in Puerto Rico, Juan lived in Lawrence, Massachusetts for over 30 years and now resides in Haverhill with his family.

Charlotte Bruce is the Senior Research and Policy Analyst at Children's HealthWatch, a network of pediatricians and child health researchers working to improve health equity for young children and families by advancing research to transform policy. In this role, Charlotte manages Children’s HealthWatch’s state and federal policy portfolios, working to advance evidence-based, equitable policies through legislative advocacy and participation in state and national coalitions. Charlotte also leads the statewide Healthy Families Tax Credits Coalition, a network of 80+ Massachusetts organizations working to improve the health and well-being of children and families by expanding refundable family tax credits. Charlotte received her BS and Master of Public Health from the University of Massachusetts Amherst. She currently resides in Washington, DC.

Brian Clarke works at the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston in the Regional & Community Outreach Department. His work includes understanding the impact of instant payments on low- and moderate-income communities, with particular interest in how instant payment networks may be able to alleviate the fees users of alternative financial services currently pay. Brian has a forthcoming paper which publishes the results of a survey of alternative financial services users to better understand why they use these expensive products and whether there are lessons for financial institutions in how to communicate the value of instant payment products in the future.

Jacqueline Collins is a National Board Certified Teacher in Career and Technical Education, specializing in Business, Marketing, and Financial Services at Mansfield High School. She was the 2021 National Business Teacher of the Year and has served in many leadership roles at both the state and national levels. Her passions include financial literacy, entrepreneurship, instructional technology, and STEM.

Sue is a Business Education Teacher and Digital Literacy Specialist at Swampscott High School, she has taught at Swampscott for 27 years. This year she was named Swampscott Public Schools Teacher of the Year. Sue holds a Bachelor's Degree from Southern New Hampshire University and a Masters degree from Salem State. In addition, she is the Secretary/Treasurer for Massachusetts Business Educators Association and was named JumpStart’s spotlight teacher in February 2022. Sue is passionate about financial literacy and in 2019 was able to implement a graduation requirement at her school, earning an NGPF gold standard grant for Swampscott. She is a lifelong learner and finance geek, completing over 200 hours of professional development in Financial Literacy since 2019.

Yari DeJesus is currently the Director of Economic Development at MACDC. Her work experience over the years have placed her firmly within the community economic development space, by providing invaluable support to the small business community. She has provided technical assistance, guiding businesses on how to secure loans, create their business plans, marketing and gain access to capital. Her role didn't just stop at financial advice; Yari has been instrumental in helping these businesses unlock a wealth of resources within their communities. Yari also holds a Master's degree in Public Administration from Northeastern University.

Deborah B. Goldberg serves as the Massachusetts State Treasurer and Receiver General, overseeing state finances and chairing several boards and commissions. She established the Office of Economic Empowerment in 2015 and chairs its Trust Fund. Goldberg is the former President of the National Association of State Treasurers and chairs the National Institute of Public Finance. With a background in business and local leadership, she brings innovative management and a commitment to economic stability and opportunity. Goldberg is actively involved in various philanthropic endeavors and holds degrees from Boston University, Boston College Law School, and Harvard Business School. She lives in Brookline with her husband and has two children.

George "Scott" Guild is currently a co-chair of the Financial Empowerment Network after serving as a classroom teacher in a suburban high school, management consultant at Anderson Consulting, Director of Economic Education at the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston, President of the Mass Council on Economic Education and Adjunct Professor at Bridgewater State University.

Kelly, Senior Research Manager at Boston Indicators, is a macro social worker interested in guiding policy and program decisions using research and analysis. Kelly brings experience with community-engaged research and cross-sector research collaborations on a range of topics related to social and economic wellbeing. Kelly previously worked as the Associate Director of Community Operations for the HEALing Communities Study at Boston Medical Center and as the Director of Program Evaluation for the Office of Economic Empowerment at the Massachusetts Treasurer’s Office. Kelly holds a Master of Social Work degree from the University of Kansas and is a graduate of St. Olaf College.

A.J. Lucky, a former educator and community organizer, has significantly contributed to education and youth justice advocacy in Indiana. He's the founder and CEO of BLQ Medium and Director of Advocacy at Economic Mobility Pathways. A.J. has held various positions in education and social impact organizations, and is a fellow in the New Leaders Council program. He runs a podcast called Black + Love + Queer and serves as Program Director for the Young Democrats of America. A.J. studied at Purdue University and is pursuing an MBA from Indiana University.

Mr. Maali started at CHA in 2007 as Work Force Program (TWF) Director and in 2013 was promoted to Assistant Director of Resident Services, overseeing all internal youth programs. During his tenure, Mr. Maali has successfully overseen the expansion of TWF to a 4th site and a middle school site, and established a partnership with Gap Inc. to start the This Way ONward retail training program. Prior to 2007, Mr. Maali spent six-years at Bird Street Community Center, where he facilitated the community planning for development of an $11 million community center and transformed the youth program from drop-in to a youth employment and education. Mr. Maali has also served as an Adjunct Professor at Northeastern University and a Project Director at Build the Out of School Time Network (BOSTnet). Mr. Maali holds a Master of Social Work from Boston University and a BA in Philosophy from University of Michigan.

Jimmy Merino is a student at Harvard College, where he is pursuing studies in Government and Economics. Raised in a low-income household in Chelsea, Massachusetts, by immigrant parents from El Salvador, Jimmy’s background fuels his passion for education advocacy. He previously served as Vice Chair on the Executive Board of the Massachusetts Association of Student Representatives, where he led initiatives to expand financial literacy education across Massachusetts. Jimmy remains committed to ensuring that all students, regardless of socioeconomic background, have equal opportunities to succeed.

Elizabeth Pierce is the Director of Economic Inclusion in the Office of Economic Empowerment, a department of State Treasurer and Receiver General Deborah Golberg. The Office of Economic Empowerment is tasked with offering free and accessible financial education, promoting wage equality, and creating a bright future for children across the state. Throughout her work and research, Elizabeth’s focus is on advancing economic mobility and racial equity, informed by her previous roles in higher education and with the Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (MSPCC). She is delighted to have recently joined the Office or Economic Empowerment to lead its asset and wealth building program and policy initiatives. Elizabeth has a Ph.D. in Social Policy focused on Economic and Racial Equity and an Ed.M. in Administration, Planning, and Social Policy.

James Redelsheimer brings 20+ years of AP Economics and Personal Finance teaching experience in Minnesota to his job as Curriculum Development Officer at FEE. He is the author of Barron’s AP Economics, aiding countless students in AP exam preparation. James holds degrees from St. Olaf College and the University of St. Thomas. He's received notable awards like the 3M Economics Educator Excellence Award and the Thrivent Personal Finance Educator of the Year Award.

Hannah Reuter is the Director of the Bridge to Prosperity Cliff Effect Pilot Program at Springfield WORKS, an initiative with the Western Mass Economic Development Council. Prior to her role at Springfield WORKS, she led several initiatives to bridge the gap between research evidence and policymaking. Most recently, she served as a Policy Manager at the Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab (J-PAL North America) at MIT, where she partnered with non-profits and government entities to catalyze rigorous evaluations. Hannah holds a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Massachusetts Amherst and a Master of Public Administration from the NYU Wagner Graduate School of Public Service. In her current role as the inaugural Director of the Cliff Effect Pilot, she oversees the development of critical partnerships, the design and refinement of the pilot model in collaboration with the community, and ensures that the Pilot’s learnings influence future policy decisions.

Jill Wheeler serves as Senior Financial Program Specialist in the Office of Community Affairs at the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. She leads the Your Money, Your Goals program to promote financial empowerment and improve the financial well-being of traditionally underserved consumers. She has over 20 years of experience collaborating with grassroots leaders to promote community economic development and civic engagement in the U.S. and Latin America. Her areas of focus have included rural issues, migration, and serving limited English proficiency communities. She received a master’s degree focusing on international commerce and finance from Georgetown University, and a bachelor’s degree in sociology from Harvard University.