Investment Opportunity
For details, email: info@wekeza.com
THE ROAD TO WEKEZA
How I Built a World of Money
When I first met Rawm at an event for my nonprofit WorldofMoney, he was just a nervous child hiding behind his mom. Now, he’s a 6’4 senior in college, financially fluent, and a WorldofMoney classroom leader. While many young people his age squander their earnings, Rawm is building generational wealth. He’s investing in the stock market – and his future.
That was exactly my vision for WorldofMoney, which reaches thousands of young people through immersive and culturally-aware classroom experiences. When we expanded into an app, Motley Fool called it the best financial literacy app in the world. But the world I wanted to serve wasn’t ready for it.
Global Ambitions, Local Challenges
By the time I took the stage at the Seamless Conference in Nairobi, Kenya in 2018, WorldofMoney had already delivered financial empowerment for the children of the African diaspora for over a decade. I was in Africa to promote these concepts to children and families and meet with educators, financial regulators, and professionals to understand the barriers to building wealth in their communities.
When the Ghana Stock Exchange told me that their technology was inadequate to adopt the comprehensive, full-service WorldofMoney platform, I sensed an opportunity. I spoke to other leaders and realized that a lack of technology, regulation, and education was preventing African citizens from buying stocks and building wealth. It clicked that while there were technological barriers here in Africa, the obstacles in the US were mostly cultural.
Trying to look rich. Buried in debt
The Cultural Challenge of Generational Wealth
Financial capability wasn’t always on my radar. I grew up in consumer culture–As soon as I had money, I was at the mall because being “rich” meant looking the part. I racked up debt traveling to sky destinations. When I got into college, I signed contracts for financial aid and opened credit cards to fund my lifestyle. I was irresponsible with my debt and simply ignored late fees, penalties, and interest. This caught up to me quickly once I started working.
Debt collectors banging on my door. Credit cards declined everywhere. Credit score in the dumpster. Desperate and confused, I wondered how my life might have looked different if I had only learned the right habits. Taking my first financial education course inspired me to create WorldofMoney. I wanted to help kids that looked like me build a different future than I had.
In 2013, I wrote Do I Look Like an ATM?: A Parent’s Guide to Raising Financially Responsible African American Children which was nominated for an NAACP Spirit Award for an Outstanding Literary Work in the Instructional Book category.
But through operating WorldofMoney, I knew that education is not enough. Black financial education needs to be baked into the system itself, down to the apps we use to manage money. While plenty of financial tools exist and are embraced by Black people, none made the effort to reach their Black users in their own language. So I started Wekeza; Swahili for ‘save’ and ‘invest.’
Debt collectors banging on my door. Credit cards declined everywhere. Credit score in the dumpster. Desperate and confused, I wondered how my life might have looked different if I had only learned the right habits. Taking my first financial education course inspired me to create WorldofMoney. I wanted to help kids that looked like me build a different future than I had.
In 2013, I wrote Do I Look Like an ATM?: A Parent’s Guide to Raising Financially Responsible African American Children which was nominated for an NAACP Spirit Award for an Outstanding Literary Work in the Instructional Book category.
But through operating WorldofMoney, I knew that education is not enough. Black financial education needs to be baked into the system itself, down to the apps we use to manage money. While plenty of financial tools exist and are embraced by Black people, none made the effort to reach their Black users in their own language. So I started Wekeza; Swahili for ‘save’ and ‘invest.’
Speaking the Language of Money
Wekeza is the only fintech designed to be the African diaspora’s home for generational wealth. Whether you’re from Senegal, Jamaica, or Harlem, Wekeza makes it easy to become financially aware, competent, and confident. You get banked, build credit, invest and build wealth through an app that finally speaks in your language and your culture.
Wekeza is the economic Statue of Liberty for the African Diaspora in the United States.
This goes beyond just English versus non-English. Wekeza embraces what advertisers have known for decades: people will hear you only when they hear themselves in your message.
Where WorldofMoney serves children, Wekeza is about building wealth for the entire family. Adults can invest in publicly traded companies for themselves and open a custodial account for their kids while they’re at it. It’s the answer to “what’s next?” when a young person graduates from WorldofMoney AND it’s an offering of financial freedom for anyone who ever heard, “leave that money talk to the rich folks.”
Speaking the Language of Money
Wekeza is the only fintech designed to be the African diaspora’s home for generational wealth. Whether you’re from Senegal, Jamaica, or Harlem, Wekeza makes it easy to become financially aware, competent, and confident. You get banked, build credit, invest and build wealth through an app that finally speaks in your language and your culture.
Wekeza is the economic Statue of Liberty for the African Diaspora in the United States.
This goes beyond just English versus non-English. Wekeza embraces what advertisers have known for decades: people will hear you only when they hear themselves in your message.
Where WorldofMoney serves children, Wekeza is about building wealth for the entire family. Adults can invest in publicly traded companies for themselves and open a custodial account for their kids while they’re at it. It’s the answer to “what’s next?” when a young person graduates from WorldofMoney AND it’s an offering of financial freedom for anyone who ever heard, “leave that money talk to the rich folks.”
Speaking the Language of Money
Wekeza is the only fintech designed to be the African diaspora’s home for generational wealth. Whether you’re from Senegal, Jamaica, or Harlem, Wekeza makes it easy to become financially aware, competent, and confident. You get banked, build credit, invest and build wealth through an app that finally speaks in your language and your culture.
Wekeza is the economic Statue of Liberty for the African Diaspora in the United States.
This goes beyond just English versus non-English. Wekeza embraces what advertisers have known for decades: people will hear you only when they hear themselves in your message.
Where WorldofMoney serves children, Wekeza is about building wealth for the entire family. Adults can invest in publicly traded companies for themselves and open a custodial account for their kids while they’re at it. It’s the answer to “what’s next?” when a young person graduates from WorldofMoney AND it’s an offering of financial freedom for anyone who ever heard, “leave that money talk to the rich folks.”
Black Glory is Alive in Wekeza
“For a message to resonate, it has to come from someone who sounds like they get it. My CFO Keith Wheelous – a Wall Street CFO – and I get it, as evidenced by 100 independent testers giving just the beta version 4 out of 5 stars.
Wekeza is breaking down the barriers to generational wealth for the African diaspora in the United States and Caribbean. Next, we expand into the African nations that inspired the idea in the first place. African citizens are mobile-first, and they’re ready for a financial app. We will be a central player, leading discussions on the expansion and regulation of financial technology throughout the African continent. When their countries’ regulatory bodies catch up with what’s possible, Wekeza has the connections to help Africa build wealth too.
Despite my early financial struggles, I’ve been successful. I wrote six books and appeared on Saturday Night Live. I finished the NYC Marathon three times and built a successful nonprofit that helps people at scale. I know my ancestors are looking down and saying, “You go, ‘Brina!”
Wekeza is our ancestors’ wildest dream!
Black Glory is Alive in Wekeza
“For a message to resonate, it has to come from someone who sounds like they get it. My CFO Keith Wheelous – a Wall Street CFO – and I get it, as evidenced by 100 independent testers giving just the beta version 4 out of 5 stars.
Wekeza is breaking down the barriers to generational wealth for the African diaspora in the United States and Caribbean. Next, we expand into the African nations that inspired the idea in the first place. African citizens are mobile-first, and they’re ready for a financial app. We will be a central player, leading discussions on the expansion and regulation of financial technology throughout the African continent. When their countries’ regulatory bodies catch up with what’s possible, Wekeza has the connections to help Africa build wealth too.
Despite my early financial struggles, I’ve been successful. I wrote six books and appeared on Saturday Night Live. I finished the NYC Marathon three times and built a successful nonprofit that helps people at scale. I know my ancestors are looking down and saying, “You go, ‘Brina!”
Wekeza is our ancestors’ wildest dream!
Black Glory is Alive in Wekeza
For a message to resonate, it has to come from someone who sounds like they get it. My CFO Keith Wheelous – a Wall Street CFO – and I get it, as evidenced by 100 independent testers giving just the beta version 4 out of 5 stars.
Wekeza is breaking down the barriers to generational wealth for the African diaspora in the United States and Caribbean. Next, we expand into the African nations that inspired the idea in the first place. African citizens are mobile-first, and they’re ready for a financial app. We will be a central player, leading discussions on the expansion and regulation of financial technology throughout the African continent. When their countries’ regulatory bodies catch up with what’s possible, Wekeza has the connections to help Africa build wealth too.
Despite my early financial struggles, I’ve been successful. I wrote six books and appeared on Saturday Night Live. I finished the NYC Marathon three times and built a successful nonprofit that helps people at scale. I know my ancestors are looking down and saying, “You go, ‘Brina!”
Wekeza is our ancestors’ wildest dream!
The Wu-Tang Clan famously said “Cash Rules Everything Around Me”. That’s certainly true if you don’t invest, have bad credit, or are unbanked. I’m building Wekeza so millions of us worldwide can finally rule – not be ruled by – our money.
