Empowering
Students
SmartCents is a student-led initiative dedicated to bridging the financial literacy gap. We equip young people with the tools to build lasting wealth and resilience.
Meet the Team
Andres Penuela
"SmartCents was born from a personal experience, watching a family member's life be shaped, and limited, by a lack of financial education. Financial education, being one of the most consequential subjects, never makes it into the classroom at the scale and depth it should. SmartCents is here to bridge that gap."
President & Founder
Lorenzo Martinez
Chief Impact officer
Leads SmartCents' community outreach and measures the real-world difference our programs make, ensuring every session creates lasting change in the lives of the students we serve.
Nicolas Vives
Chief Operations Officer
Oversees the day-to-day infrastructure of SmartCents, keeping our programs running smoothly across partner sites and managing the logistics that turn our mission into action.
Bruno Francez
community relations manager
Builds and maintains SmartCents' relationships with partner organizations, sponsors, and community leaders, serving as the bridge between our initiative and the institutions that help us grow.
Our Mission
SmartCents empowers middle and high school students to take control of their financial futures. Through peer and Bank of America employee volunteer led workshops, we provide the tools and habits necessary to build a financial foundation and economic resilience.
Our Vision
Our hope is that every student who is apart of SmartCents graduates with the confidence to navigate the financial world. By fostering a student-led movement, we are creating a legacy of smart money habits that will transform families and neighborhoods for years to come.