The Spark
It began with class discussions at Kent State University. At the time, it was just that—an idea inspired by two professors: Dr. Via and Dr. Thornton. Ideas often come and go, but Scott Glasgow knew this one was different. He knew it could be something more. Something bigger.
The Foundation
Scott's passion for finance and mangoes led him to launch FinMango (FinMan + Mango), an energy bar company with a charitable foundation. The name FinMan originated from a Financial Management class, while Mango was chosen to bring brightness and color into the darkness. Though the business failed, the foundation thrived. During a visit to San Francisco, Scott and his friend Oscar envisioned FinMango as a force for improving financial health worldwide. They partnered with Steffan Dwarkasignh and Jeff Jensen to build the nonprofit, launching their first program in Canton, Ohio. The organization quickly expanded globally, reaching 13 countries with their Money Cycle curriculum. Soham Patel and Scott's trip to Mexico to explore a partnership reinforced their commitment to making financial well-being accessible to all.
Building Momentum
In May, Scott addressed 500 students at the University of Akron Finance Day, where he met Bob Gillingham. Their shared passion led to Bob, now known as Mango Bob, joining FinMango to launch an investment education program that later expanded to schools across the United States, reaching over 50,000 students. Soham relocated to Ohio, and Maci Woyat became a leader, officially kick-starting FinMango. The team held meetings on kayaks, worked late nights at Starbucks, and onboarded new volunteers like Taylor Fair, Jeff Shafer, and Aditya Maitra. The kick-off was marked by the launch of the Bob Gillingham Investment class in schools. Brandyn Neal and Rich Hoag joined the organization, and during a visit to Harvard's campus, Brandyn and Scott had a memorable 15-minute conversation with Steve Ballmer, further solidifying their commitment to FinMango's mission.
Going Global
FinMango received an invitation to a networking event hosted by the JP Morgan Chase Foundation in San Francisco. The organization seized the opportunity to reward its founding members, including Soham Patel, Bob Gillingham, Maci Woyat, Jon Li, Steffan Dwarkasingh, and Scott Glasgow, with a trip to attend the event. During this time, FinMango India was officially formed with Harish Sharma and Gautham Kannan at the helm. Harish and Gautham later joined FinMango's global leadership team to assist the organization with operations, bringing their expertise and regional insights to drive the mission of promoting financial health and well-being worldwide.
The Fincubator
FinMango launched the Fincubator, a youth accelerator program focused on financial literacy and entrepreneurship, with Stephen Nzishura and Fern Morrison in Uganda. The program created 12 businesses and 211 bank accounts through 2020, demonstrating the power of financial empowerment at the grassroots level.
Record-Breaking Impact
In May, EXTRAVAGANZA launched as the world's most unique financial inclusion conference, setting a WORLD RECORD on ZOOM with 24 hours of live content, reaching over 1,600 attendees and 300,000+ on social media. July saw the launch of the FinMango Advocacy Alliance, accepting 300+ people from 70+ countries, and a collaboration with Google on the COVID Open Data Project, providing insights used by the WHO, World Bank, IMF, Harvard Research, USAID, and Verily. In September, FinMango and Florida's COVID Action created the nation's most comprehensive COVID-19 dataset for U.S. K-12 schools, with Scott and Oscar Wahltinez's co-authored Op-Ed trending on U.S. News and World Report and featured on CNN, The New York Times, The Daily Beast, Fortune, and NBC. Throughout this period, FinMango grew to a record number of active contributors, their passion driving remarkable results.
Innovation & Recognition
In March, Mango X, FinMango's semi-secret moonshot factory, was born with the goal of creating radical new technologies to address major obstacles to financial inclusion. The team developed a series of powerful tools and calculators that are now used by thousands of teachers nationwide. In August, FinMango was awarded a $50,000 grant from Google Health for their collaboration on the COVID-19 Open Data Project, which began in July 2020 and provided valuable insights into the pandemic's impact on local economies and communities.
Strategic Evolution
FinMango assembled a strategic planning team of eight carefully selected Mangoes and facilitator Chris Shannon to assess the organization's current state, envision its future, and formulate a plan to achieve its goals. Through surveys, ecosystem mapping, empathy maps, and research, the team identified young adults worldwide and their financial stability as the target population and problem to address, aligning FinMango's work with the "complex," or systems, context. Based on community feedback, FinMango shifted its focus from financial education to supporting the financial stability of young adults in transition, recognizing the diverse factors influencing financial health. On National Mango Day, FinMango announced its new mission, believing in a world with economic equality, with Katherine Lordi, Bruna Chixaro, Soham Patel, and Scott Glasgow meeting in NYC for the relaunch. The strategic planning team's efforts drastically altered FinMango's direction for the better in just 15 weeks.
The Ambassador Era
FinMango officially resumed work, kicking off a new era in the organization's history, with exciting updates on the horizon. The FinMango Ambassador Program launched, selecting 10 exceptional individuals who are making a difference, challenging stereotypes, and breaking barriers. In a spontaneous display of enthusiasm, Mangoes took over NYC, showcasing their passion for FinMango's mission and the positive change they aim to create in the world.
Data-Driven Advocacy
The 2024 FinMango ambassadors were selected, with only 20 individuals chosen from an impressive pool of over 270 applicants since 2023. FinMango launched the "FinTrends for Good" initiative, which harnesses Google search data to identify trends in financial hardship. By analyzing searches for terms such as "food banks" or "renting costs," the initiative provides real-time insights that enable faster policy and aid responses, surpassing the capabilities of traditional economic measures. This innovative approach demonstrates FinMango's commitment to leveraging data and technology to address pressing financial health issues and support those in need.
A Global Movement
Today, FinMango is a team run by a collective of passionate professionals all with the same mission in life: to create a future where all people are more healthy financially. What started as a campus conversation has evolved into a global force leveraging research, advocacy, and technology to improve financial health for young adults and vulnerable communities worldwide.