Aaliyah Duah

Aaliyah Duah is a Brooklyn-born entrepreneur, educator, and financial literacy advocate focused on transforming how young people understand and engage with money. Duah founded Financial Revolutionn at age 17, aiming to teach financial literacy and entrepreneurship and help build wealth in marginalized communities. The organization provides financial education and entrepreneurship training to individuals ages 8 to 25.

Growing up in Brooklyn, Duah observed the impact of poor financial decisions on individuals and communities. During the pandemic, she reassessed her values and committed to advancing financial education in the Black community. Duah taught herself to invest and began educating peers about high-yield savings accounts, Roth IRAs, and compound interest while in college.

Duah earned a Bachelor of Science in Business Management from Virginia State University and became an HBCU Fellow in the Information & Knowledge Strategy program at Columbia University. As vice president of the Student Government Association at Virginia State University, she advocated for an annual funded trip to Ghana, West Africa, for students and faculty to learn about African history. Her academic and personal experiences provide her with a unique perspective as a Gen Z educator connecting financial theory to real-world application.

Duah’s entrepreneurial work includes publishing the book "The Blueprint for Investing," which offers a step-by-step guide to investing in the stock market. She developed the financial literacy game "Rap Cards," using rap lyrics to teach money management, and created the financial planner "The Billion Dollar Plan" to help individuals map out financial goals. She also developed "The Broke or Brilliant Game Show," which merges entertainment with financial education and emphasizes smart money decisions. Financial Revolutionn uses media and entertainment to teach essential financial literacy and business skills, aiming to address financial inequality by providing accessible learning experiences to underserved communities.

Duah addresses New York’s affordability challenges by training public school students in personal finance. She educates students about stocks through StockX, illustrates the difference between purchasing consumer goods and investing in companies, and demonstrates how earnings can grow through compound interest. Duah runs financial literacy programs in 25 New York City schools, working with both middle and high school students. She has led field trips to the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, where students learn about the history and circulation of money. Surveys indicate that Financial Revolutionn’s workshops make learning about money engaging and understandable, with high rates of satisfaction among students, parents, and educators.

Duah’s work has received recognition, including awards such as HBCU Entrepreneur of the Year and acknowledgment as a Black & Positively Golden Change Leader by McDonald’s. She has spoken at InvestFest, hosting a panel with Travis Brown and Council Member Kevin Riley, focusing on the intersection of policy, politics, and education. Through her ongoing efforts, Duah continues to promote economic empowerment and financial literacy, using culture and creativity to make financial education accessible and relevant.