Say Yes Buffalo and JPMorganChase Announce a Day of Financial Education, Workshops, and Resources Free and Open to the Community
JPMorganChase and Say Yes Buffalo have partnered to create a special one-day event called the Financial Empowerment Summit. The event will take place on Saturday, April 26, 2025 at the Northland Workforce Training Center located at 683 Northland Ave,Buffalo, NY 14211 from 8:30am until 5:00pm. The event is free and open to the entire community, but space is limited. Individuals can register for the event at the following website: https://bit.ly/FES2025.
April is Financial Literacy and Education Month and JPMorganChase is actively working to identify community partners to offer financial education resources and programs to residents who are interested in building their knowledge and wealth-building strategies. JPMorganChase has been partnering with Say Yes Buffalo for several years bringing financial education to young people in the program and is excited to offer this event to a wider audience.
A series of workshops and seminars will be offered to the public at the Financial Empowerment Summit with topics ranging from investing, home ownership tools and strategies, and budgeting and savings tips, to the importance of carrying different kinds of insurance. The theme of the event is “getting the bag and making it work for you!” and the goal of the summit is to bring financial education resources to community members with limited exposure to the fundamentals of how money and wealth are built. The keynote address will be delivered by Buffalo native and Equity Now CEO Shomari A. James.
“This partnership between JPMorganChase and Say Yes Buffalo is essential," said Romanda Gibson-Stevenson, Community Manager, JPMorganChase. "At JPMorganChase, we believe financial education is a catalyst for economic growth, empowering Buffalo families and individuals. As someone who proudly calls Western New York home, I am thrilled to bring these impactful resources to our community.”
The opportunity to learn about credit, homeownership, generational wealth building, stocks, and budgeting is something I wish I had at earlier stages of my life, said Say Yes Buffalo program director Daniel Robertson. “The ability to offer a full day of community-wide programming aimed at giving people information and resources that can help them make informed financial decisions to better position themselves and their families for the future is a gamechanger. To quote Jay-Z, ‘financial freedom is our only hope’ and we all need to have hope as we move forward in very uncertain time
"Buffalo is my home, it shaped who I am, and it's where I first understood both the challenges and the power of financial education,” said Equity Now CEO Shomari A. James. “Hosting the Financial Empowerment Summit at home is about coming full circle and bringing some of what we have done successfully across the globe and have rooted deeply in Prince George’s County Maryland. I want our Buffalo communities, especially those underserved with financial education, to walk away from this experience not just inspired but equipped with the tools and knowledge to build generational wealth. This summit is a step toward rewriting the financial narrative for those who need and desire it most for our city... for my city."
“I’m very much looking forward to learning as much as I can at the Financial Empowerment Summit,” said Breaking Barriers member and podcast host Jalin Clark, an 18-year-old SUNY Erie student. “As I’ve talked with Romanda and Shomari on the podcast, I’ve been inspired by their path and it’s helped me start thinking about my own financial goals.”
AboutThe Say Yes Buffalo Partnership
Launched in 2012, the Say Yes Buffalo partnership is a community collaboration dedicated to strengthening the city’s public school system and increasing high school and postsecondary graduation rates. Comprised of the Buffalo Public SchoolDistrict, City of Buffalo, Erie County, the Buffalo Teachers Federation, theDistrict Parent Coordinating Council and more than one-hundred other funders and community-based-organizations is made possible by the collaboration and generosity of Western New York individuals, families, businesses, and organizations. More information at SayYesBuffalo.org.
About Breaking Barriers
BreakingBarriers is a youth leadership and mentorship program and the key program of the Boys and Men of Color Initiative at Say Yes Buffalo. Breaking Barriersserves young men of color ages 12-24 in the Buffalo area. More information can be found at breakingbarriersbuffalo.org.