How do we get more women into promising careers in finance?  That’s the question that Devon Mercurius, Program Director for Invest in Girls, thinks about every waking hour. From relating stocks to pizza pies to taking field trips to the New York City Financial District (the first time most have ever set foot on Wall Street), Devon's program provides young girls with the tools and confidence to pursue a career in finance. For him, it’s all about the eureka moment in the classroom that lead to conversations at home. Whether his students remember his name or not, he hopes that he’ll be able to make a lasting impact through the power of knowledge.

Details:

• 0:00–1:05 Introduction
• 1:06–1:58 Devon’s day job
• 1:59–5:59 His desire to learn spurred from the 2008 Recession
• 6:00–8:59 “The application of knowledge is power”
• 9:00–11:18 Invest Girls, Inc. in the classroom
• 11:19–13:47 Relating stocks to pizza pies
• 13:48–16:34 The name’s Bond… Municipal Bonds
• 16:35–20:30 Credit cards, budgeting to visit Toronto, and interest rates
• 20:31–23:08 “So this is why… “ eureka moments in the classroom
• 23:09–24:29 Teaching about credit scores like they’re overdue library books
• 24:30–24:57 A word from NGPF
• 24:58–27:41 Pitching personal finance jobs
• 27:42–31:11 How success is measured: students talking to their parents about money
• 31:12–32:28 Students learn the skills for facilitate professional communication
• 32:29–34:47 The future of the program: internships, summer camps, shadowing and more
• 34:48–36:59 Opportunities to pursue their passions through different outlets
• 37:00–38:53 Helping girls build a financially stable future
• 38:54–41:46 Addressing the skewed gender gap
• 41:47–42:30 What he wish he knew when he was younger: investing during a recession
• 42:31–43:25 What he’d text his students: “All of your goals are attainable if you plan”
• 43:26–44:02 Still dreaming about the best thing bought for under $10: pulled pork nachos
• 44:03–44:45 Devon’s favorite way to stay up-to-date: podcasts
• 44:46–45:31 Conclusion

Favorite Podcasts:

• Planet Money
• Freakonomics

News site:

• Bloomberg

Notable QUOTES:

• “By the time I’m doing this crash course about how loans work, they’re literally signing loans for the first time in their lives for thousands of dollars… Someone should’ve gotten to them way before...”
• “Budgeting doesn’t have to be stressful… You budget not only to make sure that you’re saving money, but you budget so that you can have the things that you want.”
• “A credit card first and foremost is a loan card.”
• “Interest rates are your two-faced friend. When you are paying interest, [it] is your worst enemy… When you’re receiving interest, [it] is your best friend. You want is as high as possible.”
• “What’s impactful about these [field] trips is when [these young girls] meet females [in the field of finance].”
• “Whether they remember my name or not, if they’re still motivated to learn about a subject that I taught them and they’re trying to find out more, I’ve done my job.”

Chart from Bloomberg that shows the need for more women in finance:

About the Authors

Danielle Bautista

Danielle is a native of Southern California and a recent graduate from the University of Maine, where she braved the frigid winters—a feat in and of itself—and earned her Bachelor's degree in International Affairs. She has a passion for working with non-profit organizations and serving populations in underprivileged communities. When Danielle isn't writing NGPF blog posts, spearheading various outreach projects, or managing contests and flash surveys, you can find her doing some sort of outdoor activity, learning a new hobby, or cracking what she thinks are witty puns!

Tim Ranzetta

Tim's saving habits started at seven when a neighbor with a broken hip gave him a dog walking job. Her recovery, which took almost a year, resulted in Tim getting to know the bank tellers quite well (and accumulating a savings account balance of over $300!). His recent entrepreneurial adventures have included driving a shredding truck, analyzing executive compensation packages for Fortune 500 companies and helping families make better college financing decisions. After volunteering in 2010 to create and teach a personal finance program at Eastside College Prep in East Palo Alto, Tim saw firsthand the impact of an engaging and activity-based curriculum, which inspired him to start a new non-profit, Next Gen Personal Finance.