My Classroom is a short NGPF podcast series devoted to supporting the efforts of teachers. Each week we will speak with different teachers & professionals who will share timely tips, resources, and strategies that can be implemented immediately into the classroom. This week we have the pleasure of speaking with Candice Brackeen. 

The Wall Street Journal named Mrs. Brackeen a Top 10 women venture capitalists for 2020. She will share what students and teachers should know about entrepreneurship and venture capitalism and how her firm has been able to have so much success.  

About Candice Matthews Brackeen: Mrs. Brackeen is the Founder and CEO of Lighthouse, the Cincinnati, OH-based portfolio service firm including accelerators Hillman and NewMe, and venture capital fund Lightship, where she serves as Managing Partner. Lighthouse companies work together in support of underrepresented, early-stage, transformational businesses. As CEO of Hillman, the first accelerator in the Midwest to provide support exclusively to this demographic. She has over 15 years of entrepreneurial experience and founded the Cincinnati Chapter of the Black Founders Network (BFN), to address the need for increased diversity and inclusion efforts in the local entrepreneurial ecosystem. She holds a BA in Economics from the University of Cincinnati and was a Hewitt-Kautz Fellow. 

 Additional NGPF Entrepreneurship Resources:

• NGPF Mini-Unit: Entrepreneurship 
• NGPF Podcast: Three entrepreneurial lessons I learned from Rich Barton, the co-founder of Expedia and Zillow 
• NGPF Podcast: Educator Rob Phelan on the joys of entrepreneurship

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About the Authors

Brian Page

Making a difference in the lives of students through financial capability is Brian’s greatest passion. He comes to NGPF after fifteen years of public school teaching where he was the ‘11 Ohio Department of Education recipient of a Milken National Educator Award, the CEE Forbes Award winner, and a Money Magazine/CNN "Money Hero". He served on the working group for President Obama's Advisory Council on Financial Capability. He has private school experience as a Trustee for the Cincinnati Country Day School and was a past Ohio Jump$tart President. Brian holds a BBA and M.Ed. When Brian isn’t working alongside his NGPF teammates he is likely spending time with his wife, three children, and dog; hiking, or watching Ohio State football.

Amanda Volz

Amanda joins the NGPF Team with over 20 years of experience teaching personal finance. During that time, she led her students to hundreds of thousands of dollars in scholarships, won multiple awards, and most importantly, impacted the financial lives of thousands of high school students. Amanda prides herself on being an educational leader and is constantly looking for innovative ways to make the classroom relevant, rigorous, and fun. She is a passionate advocate for financial education and has been a long-time member of the NGPF community. Fun fact - Amanda was NGPF’s first teacher account! When Amanda isn’t working, she enjoys cooking, gardening, and traveling with her husband and two children.