Neale S. Godfrey

Neale S. Godfrey is an acknowledged expert on family and children’s finances who has been in the financial field for more than 30 years. Neale became one of the first female executives at The Chase Manhattan Bank. Later, she became the president of The First Women’s Bank and founder of The First Children’s Bank.

In 1989, Neale formed her own company, Children’s Financial Network, Inc., whose mission is to educate children and their parents about money. Neale is the author of 27 books that deal with money, life skills, and value issues, and has been honored with a #1 New York Times Best Seller, Money Doesn’t Grow on Trees: A Parent’s Guide to Raising Financially Responsible Children.

Neale was the first to develop money curriculum for children, entitled The One and Only Common Sense/Cents Series and a CD-ROM called Money Town, and has curricula, Pre-K through High School. Neale was also a former Nationally Syndicated Columnist for the Associated Press. Two of her iOS video gaming apps, GreenStreets: Unleash The Loot! and GreenStreets: Shmootz Happens! both hit #1 in the Educational Gaming Category! Her latest app is GreenStreets: Heifer International, a wonderful collaboration with Heifer International teaching kids and parents how to connect the virtual and real worlds.

Neale’s LIFE, INC: The Ultimate Career Guide for Young People, is sponsored by Deloitte Foundation. This program serves over 500,000 middle and high school students. LIFE, Inc. also serves 200,000 youth of U.S. Military Personnel. The LIFE, Inc. video and program received the Mercury© Communications Award.

Neale’s, ECO-Effect®: The Greening of Money, combines ECOnomics and ECOlogy to show adults and children how they can save money while also saving the environment. This Financial Literacy and STEM program consists of a book, web site, blog, lessons for school, lessons for home, games and activities to link parents, children, businesses, schools, communities . . . and the world so that together we can raise our consciousness and change habits.

Neale has served as a National Spokesperson for such companies as: Aetna, Microsoft, Coca-Cola, Fidelity, Quaker Oats, Nuveen and AOL-Time Warner. She is a professional speaker for both domestic and international audiences. Neale has often appeared as a financial expert on programs like The Oprah Winfrey Show, Good Morning America, The Today Show, CNBC, CNN, etc. She also starred in the PBS special Your Money, Your Children, Your Life. She is also a regular contributor to The Huffington Post, among other sites.

Neale has been honored with awards such as “Woman of the Year,” “Banker of the Year,” “Child Advocate of the Year,” and the Femme Award from the United Nations. Neale was recognized as one of New Jersey’s “50 Best Women in Business,” was National Winner of w2wlink’s Ascendancy Awards for Business Women, and has been awarded Garden State Woman of the Year for 2011. She was the recipient of UNCF’s Outstanding Community Service Award in 2012 and received the 2013 Women of Influence Award from the Commerce and Industry Association of New Jersey. Also in 2013, Neale was extremely honored to graduate from The National Security Seminar at the U.S. Army War College. Despite these achievements, what her kids really think is cool is that she was a question on Jeopardy! and an answer in The New York Times crossword puzzle!

Neale has served on White House and Governor’s Task Forces, as well as on the Board of Directors of The NY Board of Trade, UNICEF, University of Charleston, Morris County Chamber of Commerce, and YPO. Currently, she is on the Board of Directors of U.S. National Committee for UN Women. She also serves on NJ’s State Employment and Training Commission Council on Gender Parity in Labor and Education as well as NJ’s Science and Technology Workforce Subcommittee. Neale represents North America on a YPO Global Taskforce called RISE, which is creating an international ecological movement, and serves on the Advisory Board for environmental sustainability, Applied Sustainability Center at the Sam M. Walton School of Business, University of Arkansas. She is also a faculty member of the Entrepreneurship Bootcamp for Veterans with Disabilities (EBV). Neale has been honored with a recognition from the White House via her program, LIFE, Inc., sponsored by Deloitte Foundation.