'Money maven' teaches financial capability

She inspires people to be “financially well.” From teens to seasoned pros, this financial education rock star has something to teach everybody.

Amy Crowe, financial education specialist at $2.4 billion asset Summit Credit Union in Madison, Wis., is described by colleague Lisa Peyton-Caire as a “money maven.”

“A maven is defined as one who is an accumulator of knowledge,” says Crowe. “That is definitely me. Over the past 20 years, I’ve amassed a storehouse of knowledge on money—how to manage it and how to grow it—and it’s my passion to share what I’ve learned with others.

"Luckily," she adds, "my work allows me to do that every day with the hopes of motivating and inspiring our members and other audiences to reach new heights in their financial lives.”

Crowe spreads the power of financial literacy in many ways: speaking at schools, companies, and other venues; developing how-to personal finance seminars and motivational lifestyle sessions; and helming two of the credit union’s signature financial education programs: Project Money and Project Teen Money.

Through Crowe’s guidance, Summit’s educational programming goes beyond surface money matters and dives into the core of people’s lives.

“I teach financial literacy, but I also inspire people to develop financial capability and to be financially well,” she says. “To do that, you have to connect with people and create ‘a-ha’ moments that speak to their deepest values and desires, moving them to act.

"Money is very emotional, and to help someone break through that emotion and think about their finances without the shame can be life-changing.”

It turns out that financial education can be quite emotional as well.

“We impact thousands,” says Crowe. “It’s humbling to know that something said, watched, or learned could turn on a light bulb in someone’s mind, and it could click and change the trajectory of his or her life forever.”

For more from Crowe, listen to an interview with her on the CUNA News Podcast.