Kiro X STEP Personal Finance Workshop
Join us for the first-ever Kiro Money x STEP community session!!
Whether you are currently navigating life on campus or preparing to head off to a top-tier university, there is one subject that usually gets left off the curriculum: how to manage your personal finances. In today's world, the rising cost of inflation, the reality of student expenses, and the complexity and volatility of the stock market, can feel like everyone else has a "head start" on understanding their finances.
This live session is a foundational workshop exclusively for the current STEP community. We are focused on sharing the knowledge that we simply weren't taught in school so that you can navigate your college years and beyond feeling confident and prepared. We are combating all confusion to help you understand the essential building blocks of wealth. As a student this can be planning on how you save your stipend or part-time income to starting your investment journey while you're still a student.
The session will be led by Sara Ellis, Community Manager for Kiro Money. As a STEP alumni and former Money Mentor at Smith College, Sara knows exactly what it’s like to manage finances while attending a demanding liberal arts school. She focuses on making financial concepts approachable, translating big financial concepts into simple bite size information that makes sense for your current student budget.
Kiro Money is a personal finance platform and community designed to help students and early-career young adults build confidence with money through clear education, simple tools, and step-by-step guidance. Instead of overwhelming you with jargon or assumptions, Kiro focuses on helping you understand how money actually works in your real life right now, from saving and budgeting to investing for the future.
This is a judgment-free space to learn, ask questions, and get clarity. No question is too basic, and you do not need any prior experience with banking or the stock market to attend. You don’t need to have a certain amount of money saved or any specific accounts already opened. Just bring your questions and a way to take notes!
We will cover:
The Emergency Fund: Why this is your financial safety net while you're in school and how much you actually need.
The benefits of a HYSA: How High-Yield Savings Accounts work and why they are a must-have tool to keep your money from losing value to inflation.
Budgeting: How to track your spending using Kiro without it feeling like a chore so you always know where your money is going.
Account Types: A breakdown of the accounts you should have (Checking vs. Savings vs. Investing).
Investing Simplified: A beginner’s guide to what it actually means to invest and how to get started with small amounts despite market swings.
Consistency over Complexity: How to build the financial knowledge to grow your money without having to react to every scary headline or market dip.
This session is educational, beginner-friendly, and designed to give you the head start you deserve on the basics we aren't taught in school. We’ll also share how you can join the Kiro community to keep the conversation going after the session ends.
At the end of the session there will be time for a live Q&A with Sara and Alisha Chowdhury, founder of Kiro Money who was formerly an investor.
Please note that this event is virtual and the meeting link will be sent immediately upon registration. The workshop will also be recorded and will be sent in an email after the workshop.