How Money Magnets Club Came
About
Public institutions, like the library, have been a great source of support, hope, and resources in many children's lives. This was the case for Charlotte community member, consultant and training, Alexandra Arrington, who co-founded Money Magnets Club. Her experience was intensified by encountering people who really cared about her as a person, and who were passionate about the work they did. Alexandra attended Title 1 schools the majority of her K-12 experience and became an entrepreneur at 14. As a young hairstylist, in a single parent home, having a passion that was encouraged, and one that made her money was connected to an invaluable set of resources that had immediate material benefit, and would support her future plans and aspirations. Having a chance to create a more intentional approach for younger children, that we lovingly refer to as “kids'' and “kidpreneurs-in-training,” to experience entrepreneurship and be encouraged and supported in it early on is a direct result of Alexandra's experience. Money Magnets Club seeks to bring a similar experience as Alexandra’s to others much earlier, with a direct tie to their developmental stage of learning, and to provide material resources is the essence of Money Magnets Club. We, especially seek to learn from and cater to kids in geographic areas that have been underinvested in, like Charlotte's West side, that has so much vitality and ingenuity. Co-Founder Teresa Cain noted that there were several programs for teens and adults that promoted entrepreneurship in the West Boulevard branch of the library where she worked, and in the Charlotte Mecklenburg, system more widely, but there was not anything similar for kids. The identified need and the personal passion and practice aligned to bring together the co-founders to launch this asset-based program, focused on entrepreneurship as a means of economic enfranchisement, character-building, and community-mindedness.
Mission
To serve as a community that encourages entrepreneurship among elementary school kids and their responsible adults through education, exposure, and resources.
Vision
To see all kids fully empowered...to explore and realize all that they can be through principles of character, community, and business.
Meet the Board
LaToya Lowery
LaToya Lowery, M.S. (she/her/hers/herself) is from Wilmington, NC and resides in Charlotte NC. She has been in the nonprofit sector for over 20 years doing much work with anything related to grants management, community engagement, event planning, and advocacy. Two popular grants she has had the opportunity to manage is the VITA free tax program. She has led the program in every capacity over the last 20 years and the SNAP Employment and Training grant.
LaToya has held roles with the United Way of Greater Nashville, where she led community impact work, including a focus on SNAP Employment and Training and the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) programs, and now with Prosperity Now as their Senior Program Manager, Network Building. Prior to her work with United Way, she worked with alongside Google at Goodwill Industries International and worked several years improving workforce development in Charlotte and the surrounding areas at Goodwill Industries of Southern Piedmont (GISP) (located in Charlotte).
LaToya is the Vice President of the Board of Directors for Autism Wonders and represents the state of North Carolina as a Volunteer Advocacy Ambassador for Autism Speaks working alongside Congresswoman Alma Adams to create policy around programs for individuals on the autism spectrum. LaToya has a bachelor’s degree from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte and a master’s in clinical Mental Health Counseling from Walden University and is working toward a doctorate from Walden University. LaToya loves to spend time with her family, loves to shop, going to the beach, binge watching TV, and fresh and saltwater fishing. She is a die-hard Duke fan and loves sports and westerns.
Teresa Cain
Details coming soon!
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Sabrina Clark (Past Board Member & Program Volunteer)
Sabrina is a Policy & Practice Model Supervisor with Mecklenburg County Department of Social Services-Youth & Family Services Division, where she has been responsible for developing and leading the county’s first team of coaches who support child welfare staff in bringing county-level policy and practice into alignment. Sabrina is also an Adjunct Professor to undergraduate and graduate level students within the University of North Carolina at Charlotte School of Social Work.
She is a proud graduate of North Carolina Central University and University of Michigan, and is passionate about work involving the coordination of multiple systems to promote better outcomes for youth and families. She also champions endeavors geared towards helping parents/caregivers and child-serving professionals increase their capacity to provide trauma-informed care.
Steven Stack
Steven grew up in a Southern household. While his parents didn’t come from great financial means, they provided a rich inheritance of faith, character, stewardship, generosity and love that he's deeply grateful for to this day. Some of the things that he learned from an early age were the importance of giving, living within my means and saving for a rainy day which were the building blocks to him becoming a millionaire at age 31.
A big turning point came while in college at Clemson when he realized that he could not save my way to wealth; he had to invest! This set him on a path to discover how to make money work for him with the understanding that he would one day help others do the same.
Free Nixon
Free has worked as a Director of Human Resources at a K-10 Charter School here in Charlotte NC for the past 3 years. Prior to devoting her days as an HR Professional she was an K-5 educator with Guilford County Schools.
Free graduated cum laude from North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University With a B.S. in Early Childhood Education and Masters in Elementary Education from Grand Canyon University and Administration/Human Resource Management at CPCC.
When she is not managing the day to day challenges in the HR world, Free enjoys relaxing at home with family and friends, traveling and volunteering at her church and in the community.
