New York Financial Educators Council: About, Mission, Advisory Board
The New York Financial Educators Council℠ is committed to helping people across the state gain access to financial education programming that helps them work toward financial wellness. To this end, we provide complimentary resources, advocacy campaigns, and local personal support to build scalable financial wellness initiatives.
The mission of the New York Financial Educators Council℠ is to build sustainable, scalable economic empowerment programs that have a real impact on people’s lives at the community level.
State Chapter Details & Affiliation with National Council
The New York Financial Educators Council℠ is a chapter of the National Financial Educators Council®. The National chapter is well-qualified to support our initiatives here across the state of New York. They bring:
Social Impact
As a Certified B Corporation, the NFEC meets the highest standards for socially responsible commerce, using the power of business to build more sustainable economies.
Standards
The NFEC set industry standards for the financial education industry and materials are developed with the highest educational outcomes in mind.
Advisory Board
The New York Financial Educators Council Advisory Board members come from diverse backgrounds, yet share one similar goal – to help push the financial wellness movement forward. Board members serve in a variety of roles to support the Leadership Team to develop leading educational resources, expand our business, and create positive social change.
Dr. Mario DiFiore
Dr., Professor, and Senior Assistant Dean at Fordham University’s Gabelli School of Business

Dr. Mario DiFiore
Dr., Professor, and Senior Assistant Dean at Fordham University’s Gabelli School of Business
Advisory Board Member Mario J. DiFiore, PhD – professor, dean, journalist, and consultant – is Senior Assistant Dean and Director at Fordham University’s Gabelli School of Business in New York. A member of the Finance and Business Economics faculty since 2001, Dr. DiFiore serves as Chairman of the Investment Committee of the ESG Student Management Investment Fund, an experiential learning opportunity for students in the graduate division to manage approximately 1,000,000 of the University’s Endowment.
A five-time award winner for teaching excellence and innovation, Dr. DiFiore leads the Gabelli School’s financial wellness initiatives. He also serves as Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Financial Compliance, an internationally peer-reviewed journal devoted to best practices in the field of compliance. DiFiore’s rich career and experiential background underlies his contributions to the New York Financial Educators Council’s Advisory Board.
Global Proficiency in Financial Research, Monetary Policy, and Macroeconomics: Mario J. DiFiore
Dr. DiFiore has had an extensive career on Wall Street and in the banking industry. Prior to joining Fordham, Dr. DiFiore was Global Head of Compliance Training at Deutsche Bank AG for nearly 10 years; Deputy Director of the Ten Squared LLP hedge fund in Greenwich, CT; Global Head of Continuing Education at Prudential Securities; and Assistant Director of New York University’s (NYU) Finance Division in the School of Professional and Continuing Studies.
Dr. DiFiore began his career at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York where he worked for about a dozen years in the research and statistics, international affairs, and public information areas. In fact, as the Fed’s Senior Representative for International Relations, Dr. DiFiore regularly met with and discussed issues relating to monetary policy, macroeconomics, and Fed policy with central bankers from across the globe. Dr. DiFiore ended his Federal Reserve career as Assistant Director of Public Information, where he led the group responsible for all financial and economic data releases for the weekly Fed press conferences.
Dr. DiFiore also serves as an international consultant, providing extensive training and consulting in financial compliance, economics, financial markets, and other areas in the finance and economics sphere. He has taught in Asia, Africa, Europe, the Middle East, and North and South America. He holds a BA, summa cum laude, in Economics from Fordham University; an MBA also from Fordham; and a PhD in Financial Economics from the NEOMA Business School in Paris, France.

Donna Cirillo
Founder, Smart Money Changes Everything, MBA, APFI℠, CFEI®
With a strong financial services management foundation, Advisory Board Member Donna Cirillo has transitioned from her former professional and educational background to delivering top-quality, customized, engaging, and high-impact financial education programming and content. As a Financial Services Professional turned Financial Educator, Donna is committed to empowering individuals with the knowledge, skills, and confidence they need to take control of their financial futures.
As founder of her financial education website and blog, Smart Money Changes Everything, Donna is dedicated to inspiring, motivating, and transforming financial lives. She has earned credentials from the National Financial Educators Council as an Accredited Personal Finance Instructor (APFI℠), Certified Financial Education Instructor (CFEI®), and Certified Financial Literacy Professional (CFLP℠). These qualifications, along with her previous top-level experience in bank management and training, uniquely position Donna as a key contributing member of the New York Financial Educators Council Advisory Board.
Teaching, Inspiring, and Motivating Learners toward Financial Wellness
After earning her B.S. in Finance from St. John’s University, New York, Donna entered a Management Training Program at the prestigious wealth management bank, U.S. Trust. She later assumed Bank Officer management and training roles at U.S. Trust and J.P. Morgan Chase while pursuing her MBA. During this time, she recognized a pressing need for financial literacy, particularly evident among bank customers and employees. Driven by a passion for bridging this knowledge gap, Donna spearheaded comprehensive financial product and concept training initiatives, significantly enhancing the capabilities of the call center department to successfully handle over one million inbound calls annually. The training not only elevated the department’s level of service, but also made profound transformations in the employees’ professional and personal lives. Motivated by the training’s success, Donna pursued accreditation as a financial educator from the National Financial Educators Council, earning her Accredited Personal Finance Instructor (APFI℠), Certified Financial Education Instructor (CFEI®), and Certified Financial Literacy Professional (CFLP℠) credentials.
Donna has designed and delivered customized financial education for diverse audiences, including corporate employees, recent graduates, young women transitioning out of foster care, college-bound high school girls, and those navigating significant life changes like divorce or widowhood. Demonstrating her commitment to promoting financial literacy from an early age, Donna has delivered financial education to public and parochial elementary and middle school students in the New York City area, both independently and in collaboration with Junior Achievement. Additionally, Donna currently serves her community as a member of the Board of Trustees of a parochial academy in Queens, New York.
Donna believes financial education is so much more than solely providing financial knowledge. With the right instruction, inspiration, and motivation, learners can make positive behavior changes and improve their financial mindset to gain the confidence, personal growth, direction, and resiliency they need for financial transformation.

John Levar
Licensed Financial Advisor
John Levar is a versatile professional with a rich background. He served in the United States Marines from 2000 to 2008, transitioning to a successful career as a commercial real estate broker from 2008 to 2013. In 2013, John founded Max Clean USA, where he served as CEO until 2017. Following this, he ventured into a partnership at Sign Me Up Signs and Advertising, which was later acquired by a Fortune 500 company from 2017 to 2020. John then pivoted into the financial sector, working as a Licensed Financial Advisor from 2020 to the present.

Krystle Gladden
Founder and CEO of Financial Fluency
As the founder and CEO of Financial Fluency, Advisory Board Member Krystle Gladden, CFEI®, CFLP℠ is driven by a singular passion: equipping high school students, college students, and young professionals with the knowledge and tools they need to navigate their future financial journeys with confidence. This commitment stems from Gladden’s unwavering belief that knowing better leads to doing better, and financial literacy is the key to unlocking a brighter future for all.
With an MBA in Accounting and over 10 years of experience in the financial industry, Krystle Gladden possesses the qualifications and expertise to effectively teach financial literacy topics, advocate for its importance, and contribute meaningfully to the New York Financial Educators Council (NYFEC) Advisory Board. Having climbed the corporate ladder in both the private and non-profit sectors, she gained invaluable insights into the impact of finances on individuals and organizations. This journey underscored a crucial truth: money is more than just numbers; it represents stories, opportunities, and choices.

Trinity Owen
Founder and CFO of The Pay at Home Parent, APFI℠, CFEI®
Trinity Owen knew after three years in a soul-sucking cubicle that the corporate world was not for her. So she left the corporate life to establish her own business – The Pay at Home Parent – to pursue her true passion as a stay-at-home mom while making a living in the process.
Early in their marriage, Trinity and her husband Jared had made a pact that they would not live a paycheck-to-paycheck lifestyle. They paid off more than $30,000 in debt in a single year using a strict budget, frugal living, and a solid debt payoff plan. Accomplishing that goal gave Trinity the freedom to embark on her entrepreneurial journey, offering virtual services and holding the titles of SEO, Freelance Writer, Proofreader, and Virtual Assistant. Over the next 10 years, Trinity acquired more titles including Mom, Author, Personal Finance Expert, Certified Financial Education Instructor®, Accredited Personal Finance Instructor℠, Chief Financial Officer, Six-figure Blogger, and Real Estate Investor.
Trinity’s mission today is to empower parents to achieve financial and career freedom by affording them the opportunity to pursue their passions from home. In her role as founder and CFO of The Pay at Home Parent, she continues to research and test new ways to make money from home so she can share them with clients. She lends this entrepreneurial expertise, along with her background earning a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration from Bob Jones University, to her participation on the New York Financial Educators Council’s Advisory Board.

Cara Macksoud, FBS®️
CEO of Money Habitudes
Cara Macksoud, FBS®️, is the CEO of Money Habitudes. After a 15-year career as a Wall Street trader and stint as CFO for a NYC nonprofit, Cara transitioned into the behavioral finance space. She completed the Financial Therapy Graduate Certificate at Kansas State University and holds a BS in Finance from NYU Stern School of Business. She is a Certified Financial Behavior Specialist®️ and a member of the Financial Therapy Association, where she serves on the board as the Chair of Student Engagement.
Prior to founding Money Habitudes, Cara was the CFO/COO for The Animation Project, an incentivized workforce development program for at-risk youth. Before her work in the nonprofit sector, Cara was an ETF trader for 12 years and, at the time, the youngest female to earn a trading seat on the floor of the NYSE.
Also the founder of Bank Roll’d, Cara spearheads a nonprofit dedicated to financial literacy, extending education and mentorship to unbanked individuals, who often are marginalized by the traditional banking system.
Raised in a modest Brooklyn environment, Cara faced the challenge of reconciling her humble upbringing with the extravagant lifestyle prevalent on Wall Street. This stark difference in money attitudes led her to initiate Relationship with Money workshops. These workshops facilitated participants to explore their financial behaviors and attitudes toward risk. This venture laid the foundation for Cara’s growing career, now centered on the psychology of money to empower individuals toward managing their own financial well-being.
David Anderson
President & CEO of W!se
David Anderson, President & CEO, leads the effort to achieve W!se’s mission to improve economic mobility of young Americans and at-risk adults through programs that develop financial literacy and readiness for college and careers. W!se’s success is built on five pillars: relevancy, digital leadership, real-world experiences, volunteerism, and evaluation. Anderson became President & CEO of W!se when its founder, Phyllis Perillo, retired in 2022 and before that was W!se’s Executive Vice President responsible for the Financial Literacy and MoneyW!SE programs as well as partnerships, development, and marketing.
David Anderson joined W!se in 2007 after a career at Citigroup, where he was an executive in a unit that supports the process of financial sector/capital markets reform in developing countries. Before that, he held management positions at Citigroup in business development, marketing, mergers and acquisitions, and strategy. He holds a BA from University College, London and an MBA from Columbia University. He is on the adjunct faculty in the Economics Department at Drew University and served on the Advisory Board of Teachers College, Columbia University on Fiscal Sustainability; the Domestic Violence Committee of the NY Women’s Association; and The Teacher Workshop Scholarship Committee of ICE/NYSE.
David Anderson’s vision is to create a nation of financially literate, college- and career-ready young people who can succeed personally and professionally and meet the challenges of a global economy.

Alison McQueen
Licensed Associate Real Estate Broker, REALTOR®
Alison McQueen is a nationally recognized leading real estate agent who owns and operates The Corcoran Group in Brooklyn, New York. With an MA in Psychology, Mental Health and Substance Abuse Counseling from The New School for Social Research, Alison calls upon her experience as a psychologist to help clients successfully navigate the real estate market with minimal stress.
A Licensed Associate Real Estate Broker and REALTOR®, McQueen also holds credentials as an Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Counselor, a Certificate in Editing, and an AAS in Music Performance and has taught woodwinds to individuals of all skill levels. She recently completed a rigorous course at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania focused on corporate governance and healthy board functioning; and expects to earn her International Board Director Competency Designation (IBDC.D) in 2024. Alison consistently receives awards from national trade organizations and her brokerage firm based on her annual sales volume and total closed dollar amounts.
From teaching woodwinds as a classically trained musician, to supporting clients through symptom management as a mental health clinician, to building and developing three successful businesses from scratch – Alison McQueen maintains her deep commitment to transparency, honesty, advocacy, and research. As a member of the New York Financial Educators Council Advisory Board, she will translate those values into fostering greater financial wellness throughout New York communities.

Charles Fisher
Financial Literacy and Entrepreneurship Mentor
Music industry veteran Charles Fisher – mentor, entrepreneur, author, and activist – was born in Brooklyn, New York and subsequently moved to Queens where he attended Martin Van Buren and Andrew Jackson High Schools and also CUNY’s York College. His commitment to community empowerment has spanned over four and a half decades, with early efforts that included founding a nonprofit in 1978 to target juvenile delinquency prevention; serving as Executive Director of LL Cool J’s Camp Cool J Foundation in the 1990s; and entertainment consultant to the White House, helping launch President Bill Clinton’s AmeriCorps program.
Fisher is well-known as the former manager of a two-time Grammy Award-winning recording artist and co-star of the CBS hit TV show NCIS LL Cool J, as well as the sensational gold-selling Hip-Hop recording group The Lost Boyz. Charles was also a consultant working with songwriter, composer, musician, TV, film, and music producer legend Quincy Jones on the NBC and UPN 9 hit TV Show, “In the House,” starring LL Cool J. Quincy has been a member of the Hip-Hop Summit Youth Council’s (HHSYC) Advisory Board for 22 years.
Charles maintains strong connections with the Hip-Hop industry as well as its artists and executives. He founded the nonprofit HHSYC in 2001 and leads this organization toward accomplishing its mission of using the positive influence of Hip-Hop music to promote the economic, social, and political empowerment of youth and young adults, especially those in poor and disadvantaged communities.
In 2008 they co-published 50 hot Hip-Hop books featuring some of the biggest stars in Hip-Hop, including Jay-Z, Beyoncé, Will Smith, Nas, Alicia Keys, Jennifer Lopez, Snoop Dogg, and a host of others. The books were created to improve reading and literacy grades and to promote the importance of learning financial literacy and entrepreneurship.
In 2012 they partnered with iHeart Radio and Power 105.1 to launch several initiatives to improve public safety by addressing gun and gang violence prevention. Since 2012, the Hip-Hop Against Gun & Gang Violence Project has been recognized by three U.S. Presidents for its national work to improve public safety and end gun and gang violence.
More recently, Charles is Mentor and Consultant to “The People’s Shark” Daymond John, who is the founder and CEO of globally recognized FUBU Apparel; co-host of the four-time ABC Emmy Award-winning hit TV show, Shark Tank; and author of five New York Times bestselling books. Their collaboration has yielded several community-related projects and youth opportunities. In 2019 the HHSYC, with Daymond’s support, released the “Call 2 Action” App designed to call together a cadre of activists across the U.S. to address social issues such as gun violence, the opioid crisis, and sexual abuse against women and girls. They also collaborated on developing a financial literacy curriculum based on Daymond’s New York Times best-selling children’s book, Little Daymond Learns to Earn, which Charles’s team has delivered to NYC schools. They also launched the Little Daymond Money Club that teaches financial literacy and entrepreneurship to young students during the school day and after school. Parents are also engaged with this project, as financial literacy is important when it comes to balancing the family budget and the children’s educational future.
Charles Fisher brings his strong background in advocacy, activism, and the music industry to his contributions on the New York Financial Educators Council Advisory Board. His plan of action for the financial literacy movement includes forging relationships between the NYFEC, celebrities, media, elected officials, and influencers to inspire educational, legislative, and social change. Using their collective resources, he hopes to make a positive impact on young people’s lives in both schools and communities in the U.S. and abroad.

Eric Wang
Senior Financial Planner, The Bonadio Group
As a Senior Financial Planner in leading Top 50 CPA firm The Bonadio Group, Eric Wang, CPA, feels passionate about helping people get their personal finances on track and thereby having a positive impact on their futures and the well-being of their communities. Wang formed this passion very early in life, avidly studying AP accounting courses in high school and researching financial concepts on YouTube in his spare time. His financial industry education continued with earning a BS in Accounting from the State University of New York at Geneseo.
Eric began his professional journey at The Bonadio Group in 2019, where he gained three years of audit experience and earned his CPA license prior to transitioning into the private wealth management sphere. Outside his professional role, he enjoys being the “go-to” person among his family, friends, and acquaintances when they have personal finance questions. Witnessing how he has contributed positively to others’ lives through knowledge has catalyzed his commitment to advocate for widespread financial literacy education within the country’s school systems.
Eric Wang considers it an honor to serve on the New York Financial Educators Council’s Advisory Board, and looks forward to playing a pivotal role in promoting financial wellness across New York communities and beyond.

Vince Shorb
Founder & CEO of the National Financial Educators Council
After spending 15 years in financial services working one-on-one with more than 20,000 people, he founded the National Financial Educators Council in 2006 and directed the organizations focus on combating the financial illiteracy epidemic. He is the current CEO of the NFEC, an IACET Accredited company and a Certified B Corporation.
Dedicated to Advancing Economic Empowerment Thorough Financial Education
Vince Shorb is one of the country’s leading advocates for promoting financial wellness and a thought leader in teaching and scaling financial education programming.
Vince’s mission is to create a world where people are informed to make qualified financial decisions and confidently take effective financial action that best helps them meet their basic human needs while moving toward fulfilling their personal, family, and global community goals.
Shorb has led the NFEC in the development of 2,500 financial education programs and more than 80 financial literacy assets and financial education standards that guide the industry. His focus is on mobilizing and developing community champions and empowering them with the resources, knowledge, and processes they need to help their communities’ citizens work toward financial self-sufficiency and security.