Summary
- Created a non-profit company, called Kidz Count that promotes financial literacy and entrepreneurship among youth in the Fort Lauderdale, Florida, community and across the country.
- Enables youth to become innovators so that they can adapt to change and make a positive impact in the world.
- Teaches kids financial literacy, so they won't make the same mistakes their parents did.
Integrity Taxes and Accounting, Inc., has been in business for more than a decade. Samantha Porter wanted to create a company that would maximize results and meet customers' needs. With so many people not having the opportunity to learn healthy financial habits, she knew the field of finance was the route to go. Integrity Taxes and Accounting has helped hundreds of customers with their tax return preparation and financial planning. The company started off with 20 clients; today they are up to 400 customers and counting.
Mrs. Porter's innovation has made a difference in so many people’s lives -- it's a small business doing big things in the community. She believes that you increase success when you create a “culture of giving.” So she decided to create a program that uses her knowledge and her company's resources to help youth learn financial literacy. She explains, “We realize no one is teaching our kids about youth financial literacy, how to cultivate their ideas, because so many of us have shunned them away with their business ideas.”
Innovation
Kidz Count helps youth through early financial education that enables them to make a lifetime of smart decisions through programs like:
- Workshops -- single- and multi-day savings workshops.
- Financial Fit Kidz -- annual event that teaches youth how to create a relationship with money, develop their entrepreneurship skills, and establish a healthy lifestyle.
- Next Biz Kid Competition -- provides youth with entrepreneurship opportunities.
- Winter Moneyland/Toys for Tots -- teaches kids the basics of money management while providing donations to families in need.
- An annual program in which kids ages 10-17 have an opportunity to pitch their innovations. The grand prize winner gets a $1000 grant to help kick-start their business.
- An online program called “Money Masters Kids Club” for youth who are not able to physically attend the in-house programs. This program has been beneficial by providing families with financial literacy in their homes.
Inspiration
- Samantha Porter, CEO of Integrity Taxes and Accounting, believes that we must invest in youth because they are our future leaders. Thus, she wants to continue to inspire them to become great innovators.
- She believes that our kids are the key to creating sustainability, and works to help them build new, healthy patterns of money management.
Overall impact
- More than 1,000 kids have gained from the Kidz Count program.
- Mrs. Porter has mentored over 2,500 youths to date.
- The company's customers show their support by becoming a part of the sustainable movement. Thus, she’s getting everyone involved in creating a sustainable community.
- Kids learn about money management and how they can use their resources to make a positive impact on the environment.
- One young lady started a lemonade business, making thousands of dollars in profit through the Kidz Count program.
- Through Kidz Count, Mrs. Porter teaches kids “preventive action” so they won’t make the same financial mistakes their parents did.
Business benefit
- In the decade since its creation, Integrity Taxes and Accounting has experienced continuous financial growth.
- The company started off with 20 clients, today they are up to 400 customers and counting.
- The company has helped hundreds of customers with their tax return preparation and financial planning.
- The more Samantha Porter gives to the community, the more her company experiences financial growth.
Social and environmental benefit
- Build relationships and help the community realize the importance of “youth and money” and “youth and business.”
- Inspiring our youth to become great future innovators.
- Teaching our youth about the challenges we face, including hunger and poverty, and how their innovative solutions can make this world more sustainable.
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Interview
Samantha Porter,
CEO
Business information
Integrity Taxes and Accounting, Inc.
Fort Lauderdale,
FL,
US
Year Founded:
2006
Number of Employees:
2 to 10
Samantha Porter promotes financial literacy and helps families “put their money on a mission.” Her mission has had a great impact by helping youths and their families become financially fit to create a better quality of life for the community.
With over 10 years of experience in the financial field, Samantha uses her knowledge to promote financial literacy so youth won’t make the same mistakes adults are making. She created a company called Kidz Count because she believes that when you help youth to develop a healthy relationship with money, it will create robust sustainability. She is committed to her work and community involvement and devoted to her husband and three kids.
