8 Black Financial Influencers You Should Already Be Following
Learning from a diverse set of people helps to expand your viewpoints, sharpen your empathy and increase your knowledge base. Being able to finally achieve financial wellness is just a bonus.
Likewise, the personal finance gurus you follow online and on social media should ideally represent different cultural backgrounds.
We’ve created this list of eight Black financial influencers who are enriching the personal finance space with their unique perspectives and expert advice on everything from eliminating student loan debt to surviving a competitive housing market. Whether you’re looking for a new podcast to listen to, a personal finance book to read or a course to improve your financial literacy, check out these money gurus.
8 Black Financial Influencers to Follow
Expand your financial literacy with these Black personal finance gurus who work to bridge the wealth gap through financial education.
1. Tiffany ‘The Budgetnista’ Aliche
Tiffany Aliche — better known as “The Budgetnista” — knows a thing or two about how to achieve financial wellness. She is a former preschool teacher who used her financial know-how to bounce back from job loss, foreclosure and debt to grow a multimillion-dollar business based on personal finance education.
Aliche created an online school, the Live Richer Academy, and has over 485,000 members in her Dream Catchers community group on Facebook. She’s an author whose latest book, “Get Good With Money,” came out in March 2021.
Aliche was also the driving force behind getting a law passed in her home state of New Jersey to make financial education mandatory for all middle school students.
2. Mandi Woodruff-Santos of MandiMoney
Looking to get advice from an inclusive wealth-building advocate? MandiMoney founder Mandi Woodruff-Santos and her community of MandiMoney Makers are a great place to start. As a career and money expert, Woodruff-Santos regularly lends her personal finance know-how to national outlets such as CNN, Business Insider and more.
In addition to her Makers Academy and the “Just Quit” toolkit, Woodruff-Santos also co-hosts the “Brown Ambition” podcast, which was nominated for best business and finance podcast at the 2022 iHeartRadio Podcast Awards. Operating as a “judgment-free zone” for ambitious Black and brown women since 2016, podcast guests have included Stacey Abrams, Imani Walker and other first-generation wealth builders.
3. Amon and Christina Browning of Our Rich Journey
Amon and Christina Browning of Our Rich Journey are former government employees who retired at age 39 and 41, moved overseas and now share smart advice on how to do the same.
The Brownings offer courses in investing, relocating to Portugal and pursuing F.I.R.E. (which stands for Financial Independence Retire Early). You can also check out their videos on investing, financial habits, early retirement and more on the Our Rich Journey YouTube channel.
4. Kiersten and Julien Saunders of Rich and Regular
Kiersten and Julien Saunders want to shatter the notion that talking about money is taboo. With their platform Rich and Regular, this couple’s mission is to inspire better conversations about money.
Watch the Saunderses’ web series “Money on the Table” on YouTube. In the second season of the series, they chat with a variety of special guests on topics like entrepreneurship, estate planning and investing. Or keep up with their blog for updates on their financial journey.
5. Michelle Singletary
Michelle Singletary is an award-winning financial journalist and author. She pens “The Color of Money” personal finance column for The Washington Post, which is syndicated in newspapers nationwide.
Singletary is also the author of several personal finance books, including “What to Do With Your Money When Crisis Hits: A Survival Guide.” She has made numerous television and radio appearances, sharing her financial expertise with the masses.
6. Kevin L. Matthews II of BuildingBread
Kevin L. Matthews II is a former financial adviser turned investment educator. He has taken what he learned helping clients manage multimillion-dollar portfolios and created a platform, BuildingBread, where he helps beginners start investing and building generational wealth.
Sign up for the Breadwinner’s Circle — a free weekly newsletter with tips for new investors — or check out one of Matthews’ courses on investing. Matthews is also the author of “From Burning to Blueprint: Rebuilding Black Wall Street After a Century of Silence.”
7. Rianka Dorsainvil
As a certified financial planner and a thought leader in the financial planning profession, Rianka Dorsainvil likes to lead by example. Dorsainvil is also the co-CEO of 2050 Wealth Partners, a virtual, fee-only comprehensive financial planning firm.
Dorsainvil’s podcast, “2050 Trailblazers,” speaks to her passion for diversifying the financial planning industry. She hosts professionals from advisory or brokerage services as well as financial literacy experts to share insights on how to achieve long-term financial goals.
8. Bola Sokunbi of Clever Girl Finance
Bola Sokunbi is a certified financial education instructor (CFEI), and she’s all about empowering women with the financial knowledge they need to make positive changes in their lives. One of Sokunbi’s inspiring accomplishments: She was able to save her first $100,000 in a little over three years without a six-figure annual salary.
Sokunbi’s Clever Girl Finance brand is more than just a blog. Clever Girl Finance offers free financial courses on topics like saving, budgeting, investing and building multiple streams of income. You can subscribe to the “Clever Girls Know” podcast, watch the Clever Girl Finance YouTube channel or read one of Sokunbi’s Clever Girl Finance books.
Kaz Weida is a senior writer at the Penny Hoarder. Nicole Dow is a former senior writer at The Penny Hoarder.
