Thank you for your interest.  Registration is at full capacity. 

May 31st, 2025

Location: 280 Huyshope Ave, Hartford, CT 06106 (Sports and Medical Sciences Academy)
Time: 9:30am to 2:00pm
Food and Childcare will be provided
Transportation Provided to Hartford Residents Only

Workshop availability and choice will be first come first serve. All participants will choose (based on availability) two workshops to attend. Workshop tickets will be provided at check-in.

Two of our workshops are student focused but all are welcome. Parents and students are encouraged to attend the student focused workshops together.

Investing 101 (Student Focused):

The world of finance can seem challenging to say the least. This session aims to help, by presenting some of the basics of saving and investing.  

You may ask yourself, “Where do I start”? Fundamentally, there are three important questions to consider for your future: what are your goals; what is your appetite for risk; and what is your time horizon?

We will look at these and other issues, hopefully providing some insight along the way. By the end of the session, this seemingly complex world will be just a little bit more understandable. The content of this workshop is student focused however all are welcome to attend.

Lead by:  Margaret Foley

Margaret Foley is a Client Investment Manager with Walter Scott and a CFA charter holder. Margaret joined Walter Scott in 2011 having worked in the investment industry for more than 25 years. Prior to joining Walter Scott, she headed up BNY Mellon Asset Management’s Endowments and Foundations Resource Center and  spent 11 years at Wellington Management Company, LLP.  She holds an MBA in Finance from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business and a BA in Economics from Georgetown University. Margaret sits on the Board of Governors for the International Tennis Hall of Fame and has been Vice Chair of its Investment Committee since 2021.
 

Budgeting Basics (Student Focused): 

The key to building wealth and/or coming out of financial hardship is not just in making more money but in managing what you do have. This workshop will empower individuals to take control of their financial journey by learning how to create realistic and simple budgeting habits as a first step to getting their financial house in order. The content of this workshop is student focused however all are welcome to attend.

Lead By:  Rashia Schand, NMLS #2341251
Affordable Lending Loan Officer, (860) 652-2724,
2074 Park Street, Hartford CT. 

Rashia is an Affordable Lending Loan Officer focused on making homebuying a reality and educating home buyers who may feel this goal is out of reach. Rashia dedicates time to teaching financial literacy to teens and young adults and authored “Jumpstart Your Money Journey”, a financial literacy book series for children and young adults. She is on a mission to break the cycle of poverty and empower individuals to embark on a journey of financial independence.

Building Your Credit:

What is credit and how it can work for you.  A discussion on how to best get, build and/or repair your credit.  Learn how not to fall victim to scams and safe ways to get and improve your credit score.

Lead By:  Stephen Robert
Stephen Robert is the CEO of Bedrock Credit America, a 501(c)(3) IRS approved non-profit that focuses on credit education.  Since 2007, Stephen has immersed himself in the realm of credit, aiding individuals in understanding and improving their credit profiles. He received comprehensive training from John Ulzheimer, a former Equifax and FICO expert, through Credit Summit seminars, Credit Expert certification, and personal dialogue. Equipped with this expertise, Stephen has conducted numerous presentations to professionals and clients, elucidating the intricacies of the credit scoring system and offering actionable advice. Having established two successful credit repair companies, Stephen now directs his focus towards nonprofit endeavors. Through his companies, he has meticulously reviewed thousands of credit reports, providing free consultations and tailored services to clients in need. His offerings include credit education, debt settlement representation as a limited power of attorney, and direct engagement with credit bureaus to rectify negative accounts.

Debt Detox:

Join us for a fun and engaging Financial Literacy Workshop -   "Financial Wellness & Debt Detox” - where we'll discuss the fundamentals of financial wellness, including maintaining a healthy income stream, developing good saving habits, and investing consistently. You'll learn practical strategies to stay debt-free while maximizing your money through smart budgeting and discover why building emergency savings is crucial for financial stability.

In the second half of the workshop, participants will work on a budgeting and debt inventory activity to understand their personal financial situations and assess concrete actions they can take to create long-term financial stability. This hands-on exercise will help you identify opportunities to improve your finances and provide guidance for the path forward.

Lead By:  Tanu Rishi, CFA 

Tanu Rishi is a financial literacy educator based in New York City and the founder of FiWe (Fái-We - Financial Wellness). She has developed numerous educational resources that help children and parents build strong financial foundations. In just over two years, FiWe resources have been used in nearly 100 NYC schools, helping to shape a financially literate generation from an early age. Tanu holds an MBA in Finance and is a CFA Charterholder. Before founding FiWe, she worked at various large financial institutions in New York City.

Homeownership Prep:

In this workshop, as your community bank, we’ll help you understand the process and steps to purchasing a home.  We’ll cover things like what it takes to be prequalified, programs available to purchase homes and programs to help with down payment assistance and closing costs and so on.

Lead By:  Dante Galvez, NMLS #137863
Affordable Lending Loan Officer, (860) 982-6601,
2074 Park Street, Hartford CT. 

Dante has been in the mortgage industry for over 20 years focused on First Time Home Buyer programs and Down Payment Assistance Programs. He collaborates with Non-Profits educating the community on homeownership and financial literacy.  As an Affordable Lending Officer at Liberty Bank, Dante leverages his fluency in Spanish to increase community awareness of homeownership-related products and access to community programs focusing on affordable housing initiatives.

Small Business Workshop:

Small businesses are at the heart of our communities. And the fewer barriers there are to their success, the more we all thrive. This workshop will help future business owners feel more confident about unleashing their earning potential by equipping them with the tools and knowledge needed to grow.  We will cover topics such as organizational types of business structures, financial management practices to keep businesses running smoothly, common risks associated with small businesses, types of insurances to help protect small businesses and how taxes affect small businesses. The more you know, the more you'll grow.

Lead By:  Glenn Davis and Steven Taylor

Glenn Davis - Glenn Davis is the First Vice President, Community Development and Community Reinvestment Act (CRA) Officer for Liberty Bank. In this role, he is responsible for leading and overseeing the Bank’s Community Reinvestment Act (CRA) compliance program. In addition to managing the Bank’s various financial education programs for the community, he administers an Academy for Small Business, a basic entrepreneurship program for start-up business owners.

His broader professional experience includes many years in community economic development, certification with the Network for Teaching Entrepreneurship (NFTE); the U.S. Small Business Administration as a Technical Assistance provider and served as a grant reviewer of New Market Tax Credit applications with the Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFI) Fund.

Steven Taylor - As a VP, Business Banking Officer, Steven is in charge of liaising with clients / prospects ensuring they receive prompt and efficient service.Steven has been in banking since 2008 for the most part in branch management which included sales, service, operations and employee development.  Steven also spent 2 years in marketing and has been in his current role for 2 years.

Steven is a 2014 Quest graduate through Leadership Greater Hartford, 2015 Hartford Business Journal 40 under Forty honoree, and 2015 100 Men of Color honoree.  Steven is also a member of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity Inc, a Free & Accepted Mason and serves on 2 non-profit Board of Directors in the communities he serves.  Steven earned his BSBA from Johnson C Smith University in Charlotte, NC and MBA from Albertus Magnus College.