Advisory Board Member Charles Fisher
New York Financial Educators Council
Born in Brooklyn and an attendee of CUNY’s York College, Advisory Board Member Charles Fisher exhibits an exceptional commitment to New York communities that has spanned more than four and a half decades. An entrepreneur, mentor, activist, author, and music industry veteran, Charles has dedicated his career and advocacy work to creating opportunities for youth and young adults, with a focus on those living in poor and disadvantaged communities.
Fisher brings strong celebrity connections within the music, film, and television industries to his efforts to empower youth with financial literacy and entrepreneurship skills. He previously managed the career of two-time Grammy Award-winning recording artist and co-star of the CBS hit TV show NCIS LL Cool J, as well as the sensational gold-selling recording group The Lost Boyz. Charles was also a consultant working with songwriter, composer, musician, TV, film, and music producer legend Quincy Jones on the NBC and UPN 9 hit TV Show, “In the House,” starring LL Cool J.
He worked with Tyrone “Fly Ty” Williams and Lyor Cohen to establish the Cold Chillin’/Warner Brothers record label dynasty, home to some of the most successful artists in Hip-Hop including Big Daddy Kane, Biz Markie, Marley Marl, Roxxane Shante, Kool G. Rap, and MC Shan.
In 1978 he founded Youth Enterprises & Associates, Inc., a New York nonprofit agency that launched his journey to empower young people with the tools for success, with a focus on juvenile delinquency prevention. In 2001 he founded the nonprofit organization Hip-Hop Summit Youth Council (HHSYC) in New York and the organization continues to serve as an effective voice for youth to confront the issues they face today. The HHSYC’s primary objective is to bring the positive influence of the multibillion-dollar Hip-Hop industry to bear toward fostering economic, social, and political empowerment among young citizens.
In recent years Charles has been Mentor and Consultant to “The People’s Shark” Daymond John – the founder of FUBU and co-host of the four-time Emmy Award-winning ABC hit TV show Shark Tank. Fisher’s ongoing collaboration with John has opened up a variety of community-based projects and opportunities for youth, particularly those living in compromised communities. In 2019, with Daymond’s support, the HHSYC released the groundbreaking “Call 2 Action” App in the Apple App Store and Google Play Store. The App’s goal was to sign one million new members to help address the issues of gun and gang violence, the heroin and opioid crisis, and sexual abuse against women and girls.
Charles Fisher and Daymond John also partnered to develop an elementary and junior high school financial education curriculum based on Daymond’s New York Times bestselling children’s book, Little Daymond Learns to Earn. The HHSYC team has delivered this curriculum to New York City schools. Fisher’s objective is to expand the program across the state, into other U.S. cities, and worldwide. The organization has also set up the Little Daymond Money Club (LDMC), created to teach financial literacy and entrepreneurship during the school day and after school. The LMDC goal is to have a chapter in every school, Youth Center, and Public Housing Development across the nation.
In addition, the HHSYC created the Hip-Hop and Daymond on Demand Project (HADD), which teaches college and high school students how to become successful entrepreneurs. The project was a huge success at the Borough of Manhattan Community College and with the NYC Department of Youth and Community Development. The project is also looking to expand to other CUNY schools as well as with the New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA), which represents over 600,000 residents who live in 323 developments across NYC; and is the largest public housing development in the U.S. To illustrate just how big NYCHA is, if it were a city it would be ranked 29th in the nation – bigger than Boston, Miami, Atlanta, Cleveland, and Baltimore.
Charles Fisher of the Hip Hop Summit Youth Council with Governor Kathy Hochul and bill sponsor State Senator Brad Hoylman-Sigal at the signing of Sammy’s Law, advocating for safer streets and community well-being.
Building Powerful Connections to Make a Positive Difference: Charles Fisher
Charles Fisher has several goals for his participation on the New York Financial Educators Council Advisory Board. First, he plans to connect the NYFEC and its parent organization, the National Financial Educators Council, with the influential people necessary to take the New York chapter to the next level. Forging strong connections with educators, policymakers, celebrities, business and community leaders will help the NYFEC move forward with its agenda to promote economic empowerment and make a positive difference in New Yorkers’ lives. Charles’s celebrity relationships and media partnerships will help take the Council’s media outreach to new heights as well.
Fisher has already made strides in advocating for policy change. He has been active in support of state legislation to mandate financial literacy education as a requirement for high school graduation in New York. Although the bill is currently stalled in the legislature, Charles hopes to make this policy a priority for the Advisory Board to encourage. Once the bill is passed, the next step will be to make sure teachers in the New York schools are well-qualified to teach the material.
Charles’s view is that spreading greater financial literacy is the key to alleviating all the societal ills facing U.S. communities today, including poverty, illiteracy, substance abuse, obesity, mental health, and gun and gang violence. He advocates teaching solid money management and entrepreneurship to youth starting in elementary school, so those children in turn can teach their parents the same skills. From managing bank accounts, getting a loan, college tuition, and investing in stocks and bonds to retirement planning, starting and marketing a successful business – Fisher recognizes the need for financial literacy at every stage of people’s lives.
In 2006 Advisory Board Member Charles Fisher’s HHSYC organization signed a contract with the United Nations Millennium Campaign, and has been involved with a host of other United Nations Agencies and Member countries for over 17 years. They continue to promote the importance of the UN’s Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Both were created to help eliminate poverty, HIV/AIDS, violence, substance abuse, sexual abuse against women and girls, and a host of other social problems around the world.
Establishing the Financial Educators Council chapter in New York, the largest financial market in the world, will offer a unique opportunity to make a global impact through economic empowerment moving into the future.
New York Financial Educators Council Details
Selected members of the New York Financial Educators Council Advisory Board are individuals who support us in our commitment to widely spread financial wellness resources across the state of New York. They share our goal to donate financial wellness programming at the community level in initiatives that can be sustained and taken to scale.
Board Members who pass the rigorous selection criteria are professionals with a demonstrated commitment to building financial wellness in their communities. Individuals with the following traits are considered:
Dedication
A demonstrated deep passion for raising financial wellness, empowering people, and strengthening whole communities with financial education.
Contribution
Minimum contributions of time, active participation, and communication are required of individuals and organizations selected to serve on the Advisory Board.
Integrity
Board members are individuals with a proven history of providing ethical, honest service in their local communities and maintaining strong professional values.
