MoneyGirl is a financial literacy social enterprise bringing not-for-profits, public sector and corporate together to give everyone the confidence and skills they need to take control of their finances.
MoneyGirl was founded in early 2019 by the effervescent Mariam Mohammed and the enigmatic Mellisa Ma. As young women of colour, they saw the need for targeted and accessible financial education for others embarking on their careers, to equip them with the money skills they need before they end up in crisis or retire in poverty.
Allergic to jargon-heavy, snooze-inducing finance content, they created MoneyGirl to help others increase their financial literacy and independence in a safe and supportive environment, one course at a time.
With a growing and diverse community, hundreds of women educated and partnerships with some of Australia’s leading corporate and non-profits, MoneyGirl has fast become Australia’s leading financial literacy social enterprise giving people the confidence and skills they need to take control of their finances and their lives.
“My favourite was that it's two women of colour leading it. It's so inspiring, you're both so knowledgeable and it gives me so much confidence that I too can be financially free and independent!”
I went from a place feeling completely knowledgeable about money, to a place where I can understand the terms used in money discussions. I no longer feel overwhelmed by money, and want to take responsibility of my finances. My mum always told me to find someone who knows how to do finances, but now I want to be that person for myself.
Being with a like minded group of women, from arrange of backgrounds, discussing these important issues and hearing similar stories to my own, gave me a lot more confidence in my ability to better manage my money across all aspects. I had struggled to find information previously that was suitable for me and the MoneyGirl course provided a safe space and an excellent understanding of all things money. I would 100% recommend!
MoneyGirl is on a mission to give women and non-binary folks the financial literacy and confidence they need to live a life of freedom and independence. Can you imagine how amazing the world will be when this work is done?
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Mellisa Ma is a bad ass climate advisor and social impact advocate, with a background in strategy consulting. Whether it's driving our country's environmental agenda or empowering women and vulnerable communities with financial education, Mellisa strives to bring together the public sector, private sector and social organisations to implement solutions for a more equitable and sustainable world.
Mariam is an entrepreneur, speaker, and facilitator. In 2016, Mariam was elected Women’s Officer of the Sydney University Postgraduate Association (SUPRA). In 2017, she became the President of SUPRA – leading the team that delivered a 600% increase in the organisation’s community engagement. By 2019, she had co-founded MoneyGirl to empower and inspire women to become financially independent. Now, Mariam teaches advocates and changemakers how to create and leverage a strong personal brand to amplify their impact. She is among the Australian Financial Review 100 Women of Influence list, 40 under 40 Most Influential Asian-Australians, a 2020 NSW Young Woman of the Year Finalist, Finalist 7News Young Business Achiever of the Year 2021, and Marie Claire Next 25 List 2021.
Megan is a small business mentor specialist and a teacher of business entrepreneurship and financial literacy, she has dedicated her life to helping women via her personal and professional experiences. Megan's experience working in the small business sector has taught her the value of financial literacy and inclusion, as well as the impact it has on women. Megan has a strong background in the creative field and has successfully supported women from all walks of life. She believes in the power of positive thinking and understands that no single approach works for everyone, so she continues to educate herself on emerging trends in the small business and financial literacy space so that she can provide the most comprehensive support that meets each of her clients' individual needs.
Sukhpreet Kaur resides on the Wurundjeri Land of the Kulin Nation (Melbourne) and is a passionate Social Worker from the Sikh Community. She has a strong interest in advocating for social justice, human rights, and empowering disadvantaged voices. Her work experience ranges from working in the homelessness sector, with Family and Domestic Violence survivors, multicultural community work, event planning and providing educational and training sessions. She has supported women, families, the elderly, children and culturally and linguistically diverse people experiencing crisis or in the post crisis stage. Sukhpreet aspires to empower and support women with increasing financial literacy to thrive within the larger community.
Ketvi is a fierce financial inclusion and literacy advocate who believes that at the heart of an equitable society lies financial equality. She has international work experience in financial services and academia across Africa, Australia and the UK. She is a Chartered Accountant with degrees in Applied Finance and Accounting. Ketvi is on the advisory committee for the Chartered Accountants Australia New Zealand (CAANZ) council, a member for Board for Good in Mauritius and a mentor for Women in Banking and Finance as well as an ambassador for the Financial Services Accountants Association. In 2021, Ketvi was featured in Acuity’s magazine as a Global Top 20 CA leader under 35. She also writes a money column called Anou Koz Kas for Le Mauricien, one of the oldest daily newspapers in Mauritius.
Aaishah wears many hats in the digital and financial world. She is on a mission to empower women and minorities through equitable financial education. She holds an undergraduate degree in Commerce and Master’s in Journalism and is currently working in media. Aaishah is focused on cultivating more inclusivity and diversity through the fabric of her work.
Lora has a background in banking and finance and is currently working in the Public Sector as a Relationship Manager for a National Program. With a Degree in Management, Lora is passionate about promoting and building awareness of financial literacy that changes the lives of women, their families and their communities through the sharing of knowledge. Lora is also a Skilled Business Volunteer that works with organisations within Australia and Internationally to enhance existing business operations or explore future business concepts. Lora enjoys facilitating for MoneyGirl and is committed to delivering a program that is accessible to women from all backgrounds.
Kate is a lawyer with experience in banking and finance, tax and corporate law. She works with major Australian and international financiers and local fin tech growing their businesses. Kate joined MoneyGirl in 2021 after moving to Sydney from Wellington New Zealand where she volunteered with investment education and legal aid groups. She has previously served as a board member for community organisations and is currently on the New South Wales state leadership committee of Women in Banking and Finance. Kate holds degrees in law and international relations and is working towards the Chartered Financial Analyst designation. She is passionate about equipping women to be financially independent and confident tackling financial goals.
Canjie is an all-rounder “Rockstar Virtual Assistant”. She is a go-getter who started from scratch and built an entire new career that could proudly inspire women living with a disability. At the age of 12, she was diagnosed with an illness called JRA (Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis). Being tied in a wheelchair is never to be ashamed of and not a hindrance to achieve anyone’s goals and stop believing that she can do better. Canjie also loves to paint, sing and voice out the importance of women in this society. So, being one of the employees in MoneyGirl is a “dream come true” for her.
Alex is a recent Commerce graduate of the University of Sydney, and is fostering a career in data analytics and financial reporting. He currently works as a product owner for Commonwealth Bank. With a passion for website development, Alex assists the MoneyGirl team by handling the maintenance and design of the website, in addition to looking after the payment infrastructure, ticketing and blog. He is keenly interested in applying his skill set and knowledge to help drive positive social change.
Avril is a serial career changer who has finally settled down in the financial advice industry. A passionate advocate for improving financial outcomes for women, she has found sincere joy in empowering others on their journey to financial freedom. With degrees in both English and Financial Planning she writes newsletters and magazine articles on finance related subjects and also heads the MoneyGirl blog team. She is an enthusiastic facilitator, educator and problem solver, and weaves fabric in her spare time.
Do you want to join the MoneyGirl team or support your community to get more financially savvy? We’d love to hear from you!
We send occasional emails packed with money tips, new course offerings and stories from MoneyGirl alum.
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