By George Khalaf Executive Director, Fool Community Foundation
I recently had a conversation at the dinner table that perfectly captures why we do what we do at the Foundation. It started with a simple observation…
“He teaches financial literacy through rock concerts,” I said at a recent dinner with my family.
My son put his fork down. “Wait. Rock and financial literacy?”
I know. I had the same reaction.
Gooding founded a nonprofit called Funding the Future. His band, Gooding, rolls into high schools, plays a legit rock show, and then while the kids are still buzzing, he talks to them about money. Credit scores. Compound interest. Why that 700% interest rate on a payday loan is designed to trap you. He’s done over 800 shows and reached more than 300,000 students.
David Gardner invited him on the Rule Breaker Investing podcast, and I got to co-host the conversation. What struck me wasn’t just Gooding’s energy. It was how aligned his approach is with what we’re trying to do at the Fool Community Foundation.
What He’s Seeing Out There
Gooding shared some stories I haven’t been able to shake.
Kids asking for food backstage because they don’t have any at home. A teenager with “valuable” tattooed on their arm because nobody had ever told them they mattered. Same-day lenders running ads in high school newspapers.
“Most people are good. Most people are trying. They just need someone to show them the basics.”
That line keeps rattling around in my head. Because he’s right. And because closing that gap is the whole reason the Fool Community Foundation exists.
Why We Built the Freedometer
At the Foundation, we started from a simple question: how do we help young people actually understand investing? Not just hear about it. Understand it.
Here’s the problem. Teachers are pressed for time. They’re looking for Advil to fix an immediate pain point. Financial literacy too often gets treated like a vitamin. A nice-to-have. Something that can wait.
But it can’t wait. Not when there are predatory lenders circling these kids before they even graduate.
The answer wasn’t a textbook.
We built the Freedometer. It’s an interactive tool that teaches investing through simulations and real-world scenarios. Students can explore how their choices connect to building long-term wealth. We’re still early, with the first few modules live, but teachers are already telling us it’s one of the few tools that gets students genuinely engaged.
Through a partnership with Next Gen Personal Finance, we’re getting it into high school classrooms across the country. NGPF has an incredible network of educators, and together we’re reaching students who might otherwise never learn this stuff.
We Can’t Do This Alone
Something Gooding, David, and I all agreed on: no single organization is going to solve this. These problems are too big. They invite partnerships.
I told Gooding I have this dream: his band comes in and opens the door, gets kids fired up. Then teachers follow up with the Freedometer. Music lights the spark. The tool keeps them learning.
He didn’t hesitate.
“Let’s make it work.”
I love that. No red tape. No committees. Just people who care about the same thing figuring out how to do it better together.
There’s a hunger out there for real human connection. For someone who actually cares. That’s what Gooding gives those kids in 90 minutes. That’s what we’re trying to build into every tool we make.
What You Can Do
David says it all the time: the earlier someone learns about investing, the more powerful time becomes. A 16-year-old who understands how compounding works has a 50-year head start.
If you know a teacher looking for something that actually works, point them to the Freedometer. If you know a school that could use it, connect us.
And if you want to help us reach more classrooms, we’d be grateful for your support.
“Save a little bit of everything you make. It might not seem cool now, but down the road, you’re going to be glad you did.”
Fool on.
