Making ‘money moves’ and exploring financial literacy

SUNY Old Westbury is equipping students, faculty and staff with the tools they need to make smart “money moves” through FLOW, Financial Literacy at Old Westbury.

The spring 2026 financial literacy conference, titled “Money Moves: Building Wealth, Confidence, and Community,” sought to make financial knowledge accessible, actionable and equitable. Hosted by the Center for Student Leadership and Involvement, Student Government Association and the Office of Institutional Advancement and made possible through support from M&T Bank, the event was designed to prepare attendees for their financial futures through a series of speakers and discussions.

“Providing our community with opportunities to learn about financial literacy equips individuals with the knowledge and skills to make informed financial decisions, build long-term stability, and reduce economic disparities,” said Paul Ferrante, director for the Center for Student Leadership and Involvement. “It empowers participants to take control of their financial futures with confidence.”

The event kicked off with keynote speaker Rahkim Sabree, an award-winning financial therapist, accredited financial counselor and author of “Overcoming Financial Trauma.” His expertise and personal experiences brought a dynamic perspective to the community. Sabree’s interactive approach involved the audience in his presentation through prompts and questions geared to create a safe space, help audience members introspect and define financial trauma. Sabree used anecdotes and examples to explain how the environments and variables in one’s life can ultimately influence the financial situations they find themselves in.

“Financial trauma is not a personal issue, it’s a societal one,” Sabree said. “Because many times, we’re combating a societal harm. This is not an issue of morality. This is not an issue of your personal failure. It is your abnormal response to an abnormal situation.”

Zechariah Davis ‘27, a student double-majoring in Politics, Economics and Law and Religion and Philosophy and minoring in Pre-Law, was an engaged audience member.

“I think my biggest takeaway is that trauma shows up differently and it does affect our financial decisions,” he said. “I think I’m going to take more time to give careful thought to the decisions that I’m making.” He specifically noted the importance of Sabree’s framework called “The Three E’s” that are tools to shape financial thinking: exposure, education and execution.

During the conference, attendees engaged in a networking fair and breakout sessions that they selected based on their interests. SUNY Old Westbury welcomed FourLeaf Federal Credit Union, Northwestern Mutual, Voya Financial, and New York Life to present during these sessions. Trivonne Gilliam, training and development consultant and life insurance broker, Rob Madden, financial advisor, and Marissa Hoffmann, assistant professor in Old Westbury’s Accounting, Taxation and Business Law department also presented.

The closing panel discussion titled “Money and Machines: How AI is Transforming Financial Literacy and Decision-Making" raised contemporary conversations as the panelists explored the use of AI in financial planning, data privacy and ethical considerations and AI literacy in financial education programs. They also highlighted the importance of retaining critical thinking despite being in an era of AI. Mollie Barnett, founder of State & Signal, Michael Strahl, founder of UStaff 360 Staffing Solutions and Daniel Nelson, finance educator, founder and AI consultant, sat on the panel moderated by Damani Strachan ‘26, accounting student and chief financial officer of SGA.

Strachan left the panel with new perspectives and specifically valued an insight from Nelson.

“He says all the time, ‘it’s a 90/90 split,’” Strachan explained. "So, AI does 90 percent of the work and you spend 90 percent of your time doing 10 percent of the work. That’s how it’s going to operate in the future where we save so much time so we can focus on what matters and have a greater output and use AI as a leverage.”

About SUNY Old Westbury

The State University of New York at Old Westbury is a public liberal arts university serving nearly 5,000 students. The university offers more than 40 undergraduate degree programs across liberal arts and professional disciplines and 16 graduate programs in fields including business, data science, health care management, and mental health counseling. SUNY Old Westbury prepares students for careers through education, research, and community engagement

About M&T Bank

M&T Bank provides banking products and services in 12 states across the eastern U.S. from Maine to Virginia and Washington, D.C. Trust-related services are provided in select markets in the U.S. and abroad by M&T's Wilmington Trust-affiliated companies and by M&T Bank. For more information on M&T Bank, visit the bank's website.