We were lucky to catch up with Somya Munjal recently and have shared our conversation below.

Somya, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today What do you think Corporate America gets wrong in your industry? Any stories or anecdotes that illustrate why this matters?

America was essentially built on East India Company policies, which is modern-day Corporate America. It’s about extracting value and having the top always win. This eventually creates immense inequality, distrust, and unrest. It’s not sustainable, and it’s not helpful for humanity. Youthful Savings aims to rebuild the economy through a bottom-up, community-based approach that brings democratic economics to life. If we didn’t have Corporate America on one side, we wouldn’t be working hard to build something different on the other. In a way, it’s our greatest inspiration for what not to do!

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I started Youthful Savings while working in institutional finance in Washington, DC. I whistle blew on a corporation and landed at a family office with extreme wealth, helping the wealthy become wealthier. I knew that finance, at its core, did just that – help rich people get richer. I wanted to recreate the system so all could win, and Youthful Savings was born. I also understood that sometimes change happens between the common folk versus those running policy/government. I wanted to unite the youth and give them a new economic system. Fast forward a decade, and we have an EdTech, The Learning Marketplace, and an e-commerce platform, Youthful Savings Marketplace, that allows youth to learn and earn. As youth buy and sell to each other, 10% goes to our Community Investment Fund, and youth can apply for capital from that fund. The more youth buy and sell, the more capital is available to their generation. We also effectively take youth off the status quo debt economy and create “kind capitalism through bottom-up economics.”

Youthful Savings isn’t just a company; it’s a mission to make the world kinder and more inclusive. I want the youth to create a peaceful and prosperous world for all. I hope I get to see that in my lifetime.

Can you open up about how you funded your business?

I knew what Youthful Savings attempted to do was going against the current financial system. Therefore, I couldn’t get funded by the same players. As a result, I started another profitable business to self-fund Youthful Savings as much as possible. We now have plans to go public so the community can fund it, and we can indeed be a public company that serves the people.

What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?

I think I continue learning that the youth have a lot of power. When they unite, the world can truly change. In this world, you often feel that those with power are the adults, but I keep unlearning that and realizing that the youth are some of the most influential people on the planet – especially when organized well!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.youthfulsavings.com
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@YouthfulSavings8
• Other: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cFlCRykZ5Po&t=9s