Meet Ray’Chel Wilson, CFEI®, personal finance teacher and Founder and CEO of ForOurLastNames, a financial education platform launching in February 2024 that bridges the gap in financial literacy and investment opportunities for underrepresented groups. Ray’Chel beautifully applies her values of collective liberation to the work of financial wellness, asking how building wealth can be not just about individual benefit but value for the whole community. Currently based in Durham, North Carolina, Ray’Chel considers Tulsa, Oklahoma, where she taught high school through Teach for America, as a home away from home. “Intriguingly,” she notes, “both Durham and Tulsa are home to historic Black Wall Streets. Walking through these areas gives me chills, and it feels almost prophetic to build a business that will impact Black wealth in these significant locations.”
What faith(s), if any, do you practice? How does your tradition and/or spiritual practice inspire or influence you as an innovator?
Although I attend and am on the Board of Trustees for Metropolitan Baptist Church, I grew up in the COGIC (Church of God in Christ) community, a traditional Pentecostal denomination. My childhood was marked by church hats, speaking in tongues, and singing with the choir in long jean skirts. As a teenager, I attended a non-denominational church, which helped me gracefully transition away from past church hurt.
As a believer, I am influenced to be an innovator because our Creator is the master innovator. The first action verb in the Bible is "create/created." As innovators, we are called to do the same—to provide value to others through creation.
What are you currently working on?
My primary stewardship project is ForOurLastNames.io. ForOurLastNames is a financial technology platform that bridges the education gap for first-generation investors. It originated from my experience as a personal finance teacher, where I developed a curriculum that resonated with my school's first group of seniors. This curriculum, due to its success, evolved into a 3-part workbook series called the Black Wealth Freedom series, now sold in seven countries. However, literacy can be a barrier to accessing financial education, which led to the creation of ForOurLastNames.
ForOurLastNames is unique in its go-to-market approach. We sell directly to institutions, such as HR departments and universities, offering it as a financial wellness benefit. If an organization hasn't yet recognized the financial wellness needs of their team, ForOurLastNames subscriptions are also available to individual users. The users on our waitlist (until we launch in February) are excited about a feature called our "WealthVault," which enables users to track their growth toward building wealth, earning rewards, and building community.
Our philosophy is that more education equals less risk, which leads to more profit. We aim to empower a new generation of educated wealth-builders who can create lasting legacies for their last names.
What can we find you doing when you’re not working?
When I'm not working, I enjoy nature walks, and if I’m really feeling fun, nature roller skating. At Duke Divinity School, I appreciated my Spiritual Formation classes, particularly those that focused on labyrinth walking and its connection to nature and our Creator. With a background in biology before teaching personal finance, I value the intelligent design of nature and the patterns within it. Nature walks, and practices like labyrinth walking, offer a peace that truly surpasses all understanding.
What is piquing your curiosity these days?
Financial liberation. I'm exploring how we can engage in financial activities that benefit the collective, not just ourselves. Maya Angelou's quote, "The truth is, no one of us can be free until everybody is free," resonates deeply with me. The Sonia Sanchez play "Uh Huh: But How Do It Free Us?" highlights issues of sexism in the African American community, but its themes apply to other forms of discrimination like racism, ableism, and classism. I'm curious about, and actively seeking, pathways toward financial liberation that enable us to do good, whether through volunteering or donating, and to create trends within our communities for collective upliftment.
What is something you’d like help on?
I'm currently interested in Design Thinking. This approach to creativity and innovation is a trending topic, and I’m eager to learn more about how it can be applied in various fields. We’re also hiring for ForOurLastNames, so I’m interested in help from people aligned with our vision.
What is something you can offer others in the innoFaith network?
Whether you’re looking to build the mindset or the earning potential of your organization, I'm your person!
You can find Ray’Chel via LinkedIn or at http://forourlastnames.io or http://rtbinvestments.org.
Meet an innoFaither is our series to introduce the inspiring optimists in the innoFaith world and what they’re working on and thinking about. We hope it helps you find and engage with each other across the network to advance faith-rooted social innovation and interfaith collaboration for social impact. Or just meet some cool people. Find the full series at www.innofaith.org/meet-an-innofaither.