Introduction and Background
Taryell Simmons: What if the biggest barrier to building wealth isn't how much money you make, but what you were never taught? For generations, many families have been told to work hard, save what you can, and hope for the best. Yet, despite working harder than ever, many still find themselves one emergency away from financial crisis. What if financial education was about changing behaviors, building confidence, and creating systems that build generational wealth? Welcome back to Rise Urban Nation, where we empower Black and Pan-African entrepreneurs and leaders to create lasting impact. I'm your host, Taryell Simmons. Today's guest is on a mission to transform the financial future of underserved communities through the Meant to Prosper Foundation. Please welcome Nesha Brown to the stage.
Nesha Brown: Thank you so much for having me. I am excited to be here with you.
Taryell Simmons: Who is Ms. Brown, and what inspired your passion for financial empowerment?
Nesha Brown: I am originally from Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and currently reside in Tulsa, Oklahoma. I consider myself an accidental entrepreneur whose journey started through lived experience. By the age of nineteen, I lost both of my parents. My mother passed away from ovarian cancer when I was three, and my father was killed in a workplace accident when I was nineteen. Growing up, my survivor benefits were mismanaged due to my father's substance struggles. When he passed, I was left without a safety net and experienced temporary homelessness. That vulnerability pushed me to make an internal vow to unlearn financial illiteracy, educate myself, and change the trajectory for my family.
The Turning Point and Organic Growth
Nesha Brown: I started applying financial techniques to my own life to get out of survival mode. As I learned, I began sharing my journey online. People resonated with my story and began reaching out for budgeting help and consultations. At the time, I was working at Spectrum Cable in Austin, Texas. Within six months, I earned $55,000 through organic coaching and stepped away from my job to pursue entrepreneurship full-time.
Taryell Simmons: When someone first paid you for your advice, did you realize this was your calling?
Nesha Brown: In the beginning, it felt like an experiment because I had no formal business background or systems. When people started sending Cash App payments for consultations, it compounded to $800 a week. That experience taught me the value of community and that people buy from those they know, like, and trust. As the volume grew, I had to learn business fundamentals, set up merchant processing for recurring subscriptions, and establish a real operational foundation.
Breaking Generational Financial Cycles
Taryell Simmons: What were some of the biggest lessons you learned about money growing up?
Nesha Brown: Growing up, predatory lending and high interest rates were normalized. I remember a family member proudly saying she did not care about credit because she could still buy the same car, even if she had to pay more. I realized that scarcity mindset was backwards. I did not want to pay more; I wanted to pay less and build wealth. We also had rent-to-own trucks coming to repossess furniture. Breaking that cycle meant realizing that predatory loans keep communities in poverty and shifting from an impulse mindset to delayed gratification.
Taryell Simmons: How do financial habits shape long-term success?
Nesha Brown: The way you do anything is how you do everything. It starts with personal accountability. Early in my journey, I printed out three months of bank statements and used highlighters to categorize needs versus wants. When you calculate how much goes toward impulse spending, you face reality. Whatever habits you build in your personal life directly transfer to how you manage your business.
The Meant to Prosper Foundation and Community Impact
Taryell Simmons: Tell us about the Meant to Prosper Foundation and how you move people from intention to action.
Nesha Brown: Originally founded as Conqueror Consulting Group, it evolved into the Meant to Prosper Foundation. One of our core initiatives is the Community Savings Program, a ten-week cohort that helps individuals establish financial safety nets. Through partnerships with institutions like Louisiana State University and Chase Bank, we worked with unbanked and underbanked individuals to save a minimum $500 buffer. Research demonstrates that having $249 to $750 in savings significantly reduces evictions and utility cutoffs. Once participants build that safety net, they can activate pathways toward homeownership, workforce advancement, and upward mobility.
Fintech Innovation and PurposeMint
Taryell Simmons: Why do people often struggle to stay consistent with saving?
Nesha Brown: Surveys from our focus groups showed that lack of discipline and constant access to transfer funds between checking and savings were the biggest hurdles. To solve this, we are developing PurposeMint, a fintech platform that helps users build daily micro-habits alongside their financial goals to develop long-term consistency.
Advice for Entrepreneurs and Long-Term Success
Taryell Simmons: What financial advice would you give to entrepreneurs balancing a nine-to-five and a growing business?
Nesha Brown: Do not rush to quit your job immediately. Treat your nine-to-five as your first investor and allow that income to fund your business while you pace yourself. Rome was built by laying a brick every day. Additionally, every entrepreneur must practice consistent bookkeeping. Free tools like Wave allow you to organize expenses early so that you understand your cash flow before outsourcing.
Taryell Simmons: When people hear the term financial freedom, what do you hope they understand?
Nesha Brown: Financial freedom is completely possible, but external results require internal transformation. Everything starts with your mindset, your beliefs, and your willingness to unlearn old habits. Old keys will not unlock new doors.
Taryell Simmons: Where can our listeners connect with you and support your work?
Nesha Brown: You can visit my personal website at https://neshabrown.com, follow me on LinkedIn as Nisha Brown, and support our nonprofit initiatives at https://minttoprosper.org.
