James Harden’s effort to boost financial literacy among young adults

James Harden’s non-profit organization, the Impact 13 Foundation, is partnering with financial advisor Jordan Awoye to spread awareness on what is being labeled a “financial literacy tour.” Awoye is a managing partner of the Awoye Captial in Babylon, New Jersey.

Awoye discussed his interest of boosting financial knowledge in an interview with CNBC:

“Once I started to do well in wealth management, it really started to become a mission of mine to help with financial literacy,” Awoye said.

“If we can give that to the next generation, everybody will be better off for it,” he said.

The tour will involve multiple colleges, where Awoye will then meet with groups of students to discuss life and finances, along with giving them access to a personal financial e-course where they can complete it at their own rate and schedule.

The Impact 13 Foundation will offer scholarships covering the $795 cost of the e-course, which covers topics such as budgeting, debt, credit, and investing.

Harden touched on the importance of managing money and investing in the same interview:

“I think just coming from where I’m from and where I am now — making it to the NBA, being there for 14 years and seeing how money is handled — it’s more than necessary to allow Jordan and people like me to explain and show how to manage money,”

“For me, it was learning how to not just save, but how to make smart investments,” Harden said. “You might have money in a bank account or in savings, but for longevity, your money’s got to be working for you when you sleep. That’s something I’ve learned.”

Awoye has already visited six institutions including Towson University, University of Maryland, Norfolk State, and University of Virginia. Awoye also mentioned that The Beard himself might make some surprise visits throughout their tour.

There’s a lot of room for improvement when it comes to financial literacy in the United States. James Harden’s generous effort to educate the youth will hopefully be the first few steps towards positive progression on this matter.