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When many teenagers scroll through TikTok, most of them have a sense of the experience being like an endless loop of unrealistic realities. Aadi Gujral described going through this exact situation during the COVID-19 lockdown.
After having an “enlightening conversation” with one of his best friends to jolt him awake, the Danville teen decided to break free from his lost touch with the real world. In turn, he began noticing an increase in youth making poor decisions with money and a glaring deficiency in financial literacy among his peers.
Gujral envisioned the Foundation for Financial Literacy for youth and after a lot of hard work, the launch of FinLitFun came to fruition — a new nonprofit organization with the mission of making financial education accessible, enjoyable and effective for young people.
“Our goal is to spark a dialogue and bring about a shift in mindset around money. By raising awareness and empowering our generation with the necessary financial tools, we aim to help them make sound financial decisions,” said Gujral, an incoming senior at Monte Vista High School.
In the midst of the project, Gujral hopes that providing a strong foundation of financial knowledge can lead to youth in his generation effectively participating in more significant economic actions.
“It’s true that understanding finances and having the skills to manage them effectively isn’t a magic wand that can solve deep-seated issues … overnight. However, we firmly believe it’s a fundamental first step,” Gujral said. “With a strong foundation of financial knowledge, the youth can effectively participate in more significant economic discussions, decisions and actions.”
The primary testers of the forthcoming FinLitFun app have been Gujral’s younger brother and his friends thus far. Gujral describes noticing a change in their mindset, a greater understanding of financial literacy and enjoying the process and value it provides.
Specific factors that Gujral finds “particularly heartening” are the testers developing a sense of responsibility and thoughtfulness about their financial habits. He observed the kids thinking twice before making purchases, better managing allowances and grasping the concept of long-term financial planning.
“It’s a confirmation that we’re on the right path and a reminder of the importance of our mission,” he said. “I launched FinLitFun as a nonprofit with a sole mission — to equip my generation with vital financial knowledge in a gamified app with relatable, interactive simulations in a manner that was far from boring and entirely in sync with our digital lifestyle. It was all about transforming the way we learned about finances.”
From an operational standpoint, high importance is placed on expanding the app’s outreach and introducing the organization to others. Gujral has worked to pitch his program to a greater audience which led to receiving attention from various outlets, and has visited many schools and events to extensively connect with students around the world.
“It’s demanding, to say the least, but the positive feedback we’ve received from young users and the continuous improvements we’ve made to our platform has made every effort worthwhile. We’re eagerly looking forward to the official launch (of the FinLitFun app) and expanding our mission on a nationwide scale,” Gujral said.
He acknowledges the difficulty of reaching a large audience, let alone a worldwide audience. Aside from polishing the app to perfection and better understanding international financial concepts, he recognizes the need to delve deep into the economic dialogues of different nations to design educational content that’s globally relevant and effective.
The app will have a “Learn Before You Earn” system that allows parents to actively involve themselves into their child’s financial education journey by monitoring their progress and understanding. It will offer insights into how children are budgeting their virtual currency, letting parents to guide and support their child’s learning experience effectively.
In a technology-driven era, FinLitFun employs this generation’s online learning reality to become engaging and effective. Gujral explains that the app is designed to be an interactive platform for youth to obtain and utilize a strong foundation of financial knowledge without feeling overwhelmed or disengaged.
“Rest assured, the content offered by FinLitFun is secure, non-biased and strictly educational. We’re providing the essential facts and foundational skills that every child should know about finance,” Gujral said. “Our program is like building blocks, laying a strong base for each child to build according to their interests and goals.”
Gujral’s FinLitFun team contains a group of adults bringing expertise and insight that contribute to the organization’s mission. Current team members are Bhupinder Anwar, Aimee Kerr, Scott Armanini and Steve Hoffman.
“With their guidance, I’m learning how to create disruptive change, make a meaningful impact, and navigate the challenges of startup culture. Each team member plays a pivotal role in bringing FinLitFun’s mission to life, and their collective support has been instrumental in everything we’ve achieved thus far,” Gujral said.
The app is currently in the beta stage of testing, but the plan is to have it ready and available for download on the Apple App Store by the end of this summer.
As customers wait in anticipation, Gujral invites everyone to visit the official website at finlitfun.org and their social media channels. This allows the public to receive timely updates of the release and detailed instructions on how to join and navigate the app once it’s launched.
“We are incredibly excited about the progress we’ve made so far and even more thrilled about what’s to come,” Gujral said. “We look forward to inviting everyone to explore and learn from our platform soon.”
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