Ashlee Richards
Financial Literacy Advocate
Personal Notes
I believe deeply in prevention. I believe in giving young people the tools they need before life gets expensive, overwhelming, or unforgiving. I didn’t grow up with financial guidance, and I learned money lessons the hard way through stress, mistakes, and survival mode. As a young mom who experienced foster care, homelessness, debt, and later permanent blindness, I know what it feels like to navigate adulthood without a financial map. That experience changed me, but it also gave me clarity.
Today, I’m a blind mom of five, a certified financial educator, and the founder of Financially Growing LLC. I built this work because I didn’t want the next generation learning money through fear, shame, or crisis. I wanted teens to learn proactively, practically, and confidently. I believe financial education should be clear, relatable, and rooted in real life, not lectures or intimidation.
My work is driven by one core mission: to help families and schools equip young people with money skills that build confidence, resilience, and long-term stability. When students understand money early, they gain freedom later. Being part of that transformation isn’t just my profession. It’s my purpose.
Bio
Ashlee Richards is an NFEC Certified Financial Education Instructor℠ (CFEI) and the Founder of Financially Growing LLC, a virtual financial literacy education company dedicated to equipping youth and families with practical, real-world money skills. She is currently completing the NFEC Accredited Personal Finance Instructor (APFI) program and serves on the National Financial Educator Council (NFEC) Advisory Committee, contributing to the advancement of high-quality financial education nationwide.
Ashlee holds formal training in accounting and business, including certifications as an Accounting Assistant, Accounting Clerk, and Business Professional. She also completed Financial Coaching Master Training (FCMT) through the Dave Ramsey organization, providing a strong foundation in behavior-based money principles and coaching methodology.
Her professional work is deeply informed by lived experience. After overcoming foster care, young motherhood, homelessness, debt, and permanent blindness, Ashlee shifted her career toward prevention-focused financial education. She has designed and facilitated youth pilot programs, hosted small-group mini course clubs, and developed curriculum that helps students build confidence, decision-making skills, and financial resilience before adulthood.
Ashlee is known for her relatable, age-appropriate, and engaging teaching style. Her programs emphasize understanding how money works in real life, not just in theory, empowering students to think critically about financial choices and long-term consequences. Through Financially Growing LLC, she partners with schools, homeschool communities, and youth organizations to deliver meaningful financial education that prepares the next generation for independence and stability.
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