Financial Literacy Training For Student-Athletes & Generational Impact

by Jeff Bond

At the core of my work is helping global business, communications, and people leaders create meaningful engagement with their teams and customers. Together with my wonderful colleagues at Chat With Leaders Media and People First Elevation Team, we deliver all-hands meeting support, content, podcasts, creative, cross-cultural training, speaker coaching, and strategic advisory solutions. We are committed to unlocking the power of inclusive storytelling, shared experiences, leadership development, and mixed media to help our clients authentically connect with their most important stakeholders.

Our core values—Partnership, Inclusion, and Empowerment—guide everything we do. By fostering strong partnerships, embracing diverse perspectives, and equipping leaders with the tools to succeed, we aim to transform the way people engage while achieving meaningful work.

Outside of work, I cherish time with my wife and three children, balancing my roles as a husband and father with my professional life in Atlanta, GA. Let's connect and explore how we can create impactful media solutions for your business.

Ashley Rutland and Tiffany Pearson-Kilgore are the Co-CEOs of Planned to A.T., a nonprofit organization that curates interactive game-style workshops to teach financial literacy and life skills to students and student-athletes from diverse backgrounds. They are both former classroom teachers and have 16 years of combined educational experience that ranges from Title I public schools to private schools, and elementary through the high school levels.

Ashley and Tiffany took the leap of faith to launch Planned to A.T. after recognizing a deficit amongst their young African-American male students, in particular, who often desire to become professional athletes but lack the knowledge they need to navigate in that world financially. They realized that nearly all of their students no matter what grade level had no idea of how the lack of good money management skills can negatively impact their world in general. This sparked an interest in developing fun yet impactful workshops that expose students to the fundamental basics of managing their finances. Planned to A.T. was born with a primary focus on programming for students at colleges, universities, educational institutions, and youth organizations.

Planned to A.T. is driven by the understanding that financial knowledge is power and can lead to creating a framework for a successful livelihood! They provide students with a simple toolkit designed to not just help them successfully navigate their current financial circumstances but to ultimately help them build a framework that carries into adulthood. So although they start by meeting students where they are, their focus is for them to start thinking in terms of improving their current financial status to the point that this thinking translates into an interest in building generational wealth. It’s all about money management. This, of course, can have a positive impact on not just them and their families but can contribute to the overall health of their communities. The belief that their work could create a positive impact of that magnitude is what motivates Ashley and Tiffany the most!

Discussion Points

What do you wish everyone understood about how the lack of financial literacy is negatively impacting our student-athletes today?
What motivated you to make the leap of faith from being educators to entrepreneurs to tackle these issues? As cousins, how does looking through the lens of your upbringing and families clarify why it was important for you to come together on this mission?
How has NIL (Name-Image-Likeness) changed the game for student-athletes? What complexities have you seen it present when it comes to financial literacy?
Why does it make sense for large corporations to get involved with the solution with their time, talent, and treasure?
How they will continue to invest in these students with increased support.