On June 14, 2022, we had the privilege to hear from the first speaker of the 2022 Summer Stock Market Experience (SSME) Speakers’ Series, Mr. Alec Ingold! A motivator, educator, and mentor, he spoke with 50 participants in attendance including youth, parents and CLIMBUSA leaders. He spoke on personal life lessons, answered questions, and provided level-headed messages of being yourself, doing what’s right, and always “looking at the person in the mirror.”
Mr. Ingold spoke about his experience as an NFL player, how he started and, through his words, showed his passion. He came from humble beginnings and now has a social mission to promote financial literacy and foster care. He attended the University of Wisconsin and graduated in December 2018 with a degree in finance, securing a job offer with Oracle Corporation. To most, that would have been awesome! But, he talked about how this was his backup plan. He was able to try out for the NFL and played with the Raiders for three years; today, he is with the Miami Dolphins. He is using his platform of being an NFL player to bring attention to youth and financial principles.
Mr. Ingold dropped gems of insight and motivation. He reassured and validated each youth that if they were focusing on finances at an early age and learning principles early, it would lead to a brighter future, and he spoke on the importance of healthy spending habits and making wise choices. He acknowledged that things may be hard, but staying positive and out of trouble is important and mandatory. He had the room buzzing, and he even stayed a little longer than expected to make sure every question was answered by all youth, parents, and leaders of Climb USA. Everyone was excited, but the football fans were especially saying, "Bro, is an NFL player talking to us about finances!"