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The Hidden Opportunity uses sports to teach financial literacy
High school friends who bonded over basketball, they built a blueprint for impact by creating The Hidden Opportunity, a nonprofit that teaches financial literacy, opens doors to opportunities, and connects people with resources. Good Day Wake Up Anchor Tashanae Whitlow sits down with the founders.
NEW YORK - As Nelson Mandela said, "Sport has the power to change the world… to inspire… to unite."
Local perspective:
Two New York natives, Trevor Jackson of Jackson Strategies and Jordan Awoye of Awoye Capital, a boutique wealth-management firm whose clients include NBA star James Harden, are tapping that power, through sports and financial literacy, to uplift communities.
High school friends who bonded over basketball, they built a blueprint for impact by creating The Hidden Opportunity Summit, a nonprofit that teaches financial literacy, opens doors to opportunities, and connects people with resources.
"We didn’t know what we were going to do with our lives. So, we want to help expedite the process for other people," said Jackson. "I don’t think the hoop dream’s deflated—I think this is the hoop dream."
Languages of Money Summit
What began as a podcast is now providing jobs and training.
Their financial-literacy nonprofit, Languages of Money, has toured the country and is licensed by top companies. The pair say they’ve partnered with the Department of Education to bring the program into high schools, where students can earn graduation credit and stipends for learning about money, while also working with Fortune 500 brands, the NBA, and launching a certification program with Sports Powered Infrastructure to connect athletes to careers in energy, maritime, and manufacturing.
"You get young people in the door with sports, then hit them with education," Jackson added. "The Hidden Opportunity isn’t charity, we’re a development firm and strategic stakeholder partner focused on community and business growth."
The backstory:
FOX 5 NY met the duo at the Kips Bay Boys & Girls Club, where they presented a $10,000 check to Harlem nonprofit Bridging Structural Holes, creator of the HBCU All-Star Dream Classic at Rucker Park, to expand money-management programs for local youth.
"It’s about building, managing, and passing on wealth. That’s central to opportunity, access, and resources," said founder Darryl Roberts.
BSH will teach students how to open bank accounts, understand trusts, and master everyday money decisions.
Meanwhile, The Hidden Opportunity’s pipeline keeps growing, MakerBot also donated a 3D printer to Boys and Girls High School in Brooklyn, linking tech skills to tomorrow’s jobs.
For more information or tickets to upcoming events, click here.
The Source: This story is based on information from reporting by Good Day Wake Up Anchor Tashanae Whitlow.