Contributor

Neale Godfrey

The financial voice for Baby Boomers, Millennials, and their offspring

Neale S. Godfrey is an acknowledged expert on family and children’s finances with over 30 years in the financial field. Neale began her career with The Chase Manhattan Bank, joining as one of the first female executives, and later became President of The First Women’s Bank and founder of The First Children’s Bank. In 1989, Neale formed her own company, Children’s Financial Network, Inc., whose mission is to educate children and their parents about money. She is the author of 27 books that deal with money, life skills, and value issues, and has been honored with a #1 New York Times Best Seller, Money Doesn’t Grow on Trees: A Parent’s Guide to Raising Financially Responsible Children. Neale was the first to develop money curricula for children and young adults Pre-K through High School, entitled The One and Only Common Sense/Cents Series, as well as a CD-ROM called MoneyTown. She currently has three iOS video gaming apps, GreenStreets: Unleash The Loot! and GreenStreets: Shmootz Happens!, which both hit #1 in the Educational Gaming Category; as well as her latest app, GreenStreets: Heifer International, a wonderful collaboration with Heifer International teaching kids and parents how to connect the virtual and real worlds. Neale has served as a National Spokesperson for such companies as: Aetna, Microsoft, Coca-Cola, and Fidelity, while appearing as a financial expert on programs, such as; The Oprah Winfrey Show, Good Morning America, and The Today Show as well as in the PBS special Your Money, Your Children, Your Life. Neale was also a former Nationally Syndicated Columnist for the Associated Press. Neale has served on White House and Governor’s Task Forces, as well as on the Board of Directors of The NY Board of Trade, UNICEF, University of Charleston, Morris County Chamber of Commerce, UN Women, and YPO. She also serves on NJ’s State Employment and Training Commission Council on Gender Parity in Labor and Education as well as NJ’s Science and Technology Workforce Subcommittee. Neale helped found a YPO global entity called RISE, an international social and ecological movement and incorporated into WorldMerit (WM). WM connects Millennials in 160 countries to address global issues. She is also a faculty member of the Entrepreneurship Bootcamp for Veterans with Disabilities (EBV) and VWise, Veteran Women Igniting the Spirit of Entrepreneurship, operated by The Institute For Veterans and Military Families, The Whitman School of Management, Syracuse University. Neale has been earned with recognition from the White House via her program, LIFE, INC: The Ultimate Career Guide for Young People, formerly sponsored by Deloitte Foundation. Neale has a B.S., cum laude, from The School of International Service, The American University. Neale has been honored with awards such as “Woman of the Year,” “Banker of the Year,” “Child Advocate of the Year,” and the Femme Award from the United Nations. Neale was recognized as one of New Jersey’s “50 Best Women in Business,” was National Winner of w2wlink’s Ascendancy Awards for Business Women, and has been awarded Garden State Woman of the Year for 2011. She was the recipient of UNCF’s Outstanding Community Service Award in 2012 and received the 2013 Women of Influence Award from the Commerce and Industry Association of New Jersey. Also in 2013, Neale was extremely honored to graduate from The National Security Seminar at the U.S. Army War College. In 2014, Neale was awarded the Muriel Siebert Lifetime Achievement Award for her pioneering work on financial literacy in New Jersey. She currently serves on the Board of Advisors of DriveWealth, a mobile and global full carrying broker-dealer for retail investors, providing a low-cost, easy-to-use investing platform to individuals worldwide. She is also an Executive in Residence at the Columbia Graduate School of Business and is a weekly Contributor for Forbes.com. Despite these achievements, what her kids really think is cool is that she was a question on Jeopardy! and an answer in The New York Times crossword puzzle!