Who we are
Our mission is to make financial literacy accessible, practical, and engaging for students. We believe educating people on money should not be confusing or delayed until adulthood, it should start early and be easy to understand. We aim to empower students with the knowledge to make informed financial decisions and build a strong foundation for their future. We believe financial education should be available to everyone, regardless of background or prior knowledge. Our focus is on real world money skills students can apply immediately, not theory, not complexity, just practical knowledge that makes a difference.
Meet The Team
Michael Mao
Michael is a high school Junior passionate about working with others to improve financial literacy among teens. His inspiration comes from his own previous irresponsible financial management and seeks to help others to develop money skills. In his free time, he is an avid trader on stock simulators and resells collectibles on eBay.
President
Gavin Hui
Gavin is a junior in high school who spends much of his time learning about investing, trading stocks, and understanding how financial systems work. Through four years of high school debate, where he is highly nationally ranked, he developed a strong ability to analyze complex economic issues and explain them clearly. Together, these experiences sparked his passion for finance and economic education.
Vice-President
Social Media Team ManagerNish Sudhakar
I'm Nish, a high school student at Northwood and I run social media for Money Monkey. I've seen how much of my generation learns through their feeds, and I think that's exactly where financial literacy needs to show up. That's what drew me to this role: taking smart money concepts and making them actually land on the platforms people scroll every day. As the social media manager, I work to keep our content sharp, relatable, and worth sharing, because building good financial habits should feel approachable, not intimidating.
Alexandra Kim
Social Media TeamAlexandra is a sophomore who is passionate about business and wants to learn more on making smart decisions. She is excited to grow alongside her team members and is interested in building new ideas.
Tyler Kim
Content TeamTyler is a high school Sophomore who wants to apply his financial background to the community so that people are able to become more responsible with their own finances. He has participated in a few stock simulation competitions and has researched many financial topics. Additionally, in his free time, he enjoys playing soccer and the viola.
Lydia Liu
Social Media TeamI'm Lydia, a high schooler at Northwood, and I'm on the social media team at Money Monkey. Honestly, most of what people my age learn comes straight from their feeds, so that's exactly where money stuff should be too. I help make our posts the kind of thing you'd actually stop and read instead of scrolling past. The goal is simple: make financial literacy feel easy and not boring, because nobody should feel lost when it comes to their own money.
Content Team ManagerAanya Kapoor
Aanya is a high school senior who leads the content team at Money Monkey, where she turns complex financial topics into clear, approachable lessons for the community. She is passionate about making money management less intimidating and helping people build responsible financial habits early. Aanya has joined investing clubs and has also done financial literacy research.
Michael Wang
TreasurerMichael is a sophomore at Northwood High School who has great interest in math, and how math is used in everyday life around us. He enjoys solving problems that help him make brighter financial decisions, although he is still trying to learn how to not overspend at Kbbq. In his free time, Michael enjoys doing outdoor sports such as swimming, basketball, and golf.
Sean Latchman
Events CoordinatorI’m Sean, I am a high school student at Northwood High School in Irvine, California, and I am the event coordinator for Money Monkey. I’ve seen how quickly financial decisions can impact some of my goals, which sparked my interest in building a solid economic foundation early on, and helping others build that same confidence. As a student leader and athlete, I understand the importance of discipline and strategic planning, whether on the field or when managing a budget.Jon Lee
Content TeamJon is a Sophomore who is fascinated by many aspects of finance as his love for money and numbers work together for this passion. Outside of finance however, Jon loves to play his guitar and his huge collection of instruments.
Our Story
Financial literacy is rarely taught when it is needed most. Like many students, we noticed a gap between academic learning and real world preparation. While schools teach essential subjects, topics like credit, budgeting, taxes, and investing often remain unclear or overlooked.
What began as a simple observation soon became a shared mission. Conversations among peers revealed a common pattern that capable students are uncertain about money and financial systems that directly impact their futures. This issue is not a lack of ability, but a lack of accessible and relatable education.
This organization was created to close that gap. Our goal is to make financial knowledge practical and understandable for students. Confidence with money is built through clarity and early exposure to the right resources.