History

A child of immigrants, Early Investors’ Founder, Nislo Galvao, was put in the precarious position of managing all of his family’s finances at a very young age. By 13, Nislo managed his family’s home mortgage, car notes, insurance, investments, credit cards and utility payments.  Although this was a responsibility that no child should shoulder, the difficult lessons of his childhood have proved extraordinarily valuable in his adulthood. By the time Nislo graduated from college, he paid for his entire private university tuition with savings and investments, purchased his first home and launched a successful consulting practice.

Nislo’s experience caused him to pay particular attention to the financial acumen, sophistication and confidence of his peers. Many struggled with debt, which affected their ability to stay in school, live independently and actualize their dreams. Conversations with parents and professors reinforced the need to bolster students’ financial literacy – educators and parents alike saw the need but struggled with finding smart tools and partners in this effort.

So a group came together. A consortium of academics, students, business leaders and concerned community members who knew that young adults were capable of mastering complex financial concepts, if given the right tools and understanding. The team began working with Bryant University’s Department of Economics to develop a unique, infused economics and personal finance based curriculum.

Ironically, the economic crisis both delayed the launch of Early Investors and underscored the tremendous need for a new and effective approach to financial literacy.  And on October 2010, after building additional collaborators and incorporating aspects of the recession into the curriculum, Early Investors launched with pilot sites at three Boston Public Schools.