Building Financial Confidence One Person at a Time
Back in 2019, we started with a simple observation: too many people felt overwhelmed by basic money decisions. Not because they weren't smart enough — but because nobody ever taught them the fundamentals in a way that actually made sense.
What began as weekend workshops in Windsor has grown into something we're genuinely proud of. We've helped over 3,400 Canadians develop practical budget skills that stick.
Where This Actually Started
Our founder, Ryleigh Pemberton, spent fifteen years as a credit counselor. She kept seeing the same pattern: people came in stressed about debt, but the real issue was that nobody had ever shown them how to track spending or plan ahead.
The breaking point came during a session with a young couple who'd accumulated ,000 in credit card debt — not from reckless spending, but from not understanding how interest worked or how to set up a basic monthly budget.
That's when Ryleigh realized something needed to change. Financial education shouldn't require a finance degree to understand. It should be practical, approachable, and focused on real-world application.
So she left her corporate position and started hosting free community workshops. The response was immediate. People were hungry for this kind of straightforward financial guidance.
The People Behind mavivelinevian
We're a small team that genuinely cares about making financial literacy accessible. No corporate jargon, no pressure tactics — just real people who remember what it felt like to be confused about money matters.
Ryleigh Pemberton
Founder & Lead EducatorFormer credit counselor turned educator. Ryleigh has a gift for breaking down complex financial concepts into digestible pieces. She's developed our entire curriculum based on questions real people actually ask.
Dashiell Koh
Program CoordinatorDashiell manages our learning programs and student support. Before joining mavivelinevian in 2022, he worked in adult education for over a decade. He's the one who makes sure every participant gets personalized attention.
How We've Evolved
We've learned a lot over the past six years. Here are some of the moments that shaped who we are today.
Community Workshops Begin
Started with free weekend sessions at local community centers. Twenty-three people showed up to that first workshop — we expected maybe five. That told us we were onto something.
Structured Programs Launch
Developed our eight-week Budget Foundations course after participants kept asking for more in-depth training. We moved beyond basic workshops into comprehensive skill-building programs.
Expanded Across Ontario
Partnered with community organizations in Toronto, Ottawa, and Hamilton to bring our programs to more Canadians. This year marked our 3,000th program participant.
New Learning Formats
Introduced flexible evening sessions and weekend intensives to accommodate different schedules. Our fall 2025 program starts in September with enhanced one-on-one support options.
Program Participants
Workshop Sessions
Years Teaching