Financial Literacy Workshop Series
The Financial Literacy Workshop Series comprised training sessions designed for employees who were unfamiliar with basic finance topics. They covered essential subjects such as taxes, investing basics, equity, cryptocurrencies, and personal loans. Most of these sessions were released in conjunction with a product launch at M1, equipping employees with the knowledge to better understand their organization.
These workshops were designed in a different style than the other trainings I built. They had a more cartoonish vibe and heavily featured animations. Working on these projects significantly contributed to my advanced knowledge in animation mapping and PowerPoint.
Scroll down or click on each title to learn more about the specific workshops:
Intro to Investing
The PowerPoint training for "Intro to Investing" is an engaging and informative resource designed to equip beginners with basic knowledge and skills needed to navigate the world of investments. With clear explanations, interactive animations, and practical examples, this training empowers employees to understand the basics of investing.
Project Overview
Process
I started this project by gathering information on the basics of investing. This included stocks, bonds, ETFs, markets, and mutual funds. I mapped out how I wanted the powerpoint to be laid out and created a reference deck. The reference deck had all of the topics and content that I wanted to use mapped out slide by slide. I then started working on building the training.
For each slide, I referred to the reference deck to determine the content I wanted, and then I brainstormed how to present the information in a visually appealing and interactive manner. I used Canva to design graphics and employed animation mapping in PowerPoint to illustrate the information. After completing all the slides, I created a script to explain the topics while learners watched the animated content. Once the training was finished, I conducted a few test runs with members of the People team and incorporated their feedback to make the necessary changes. Then, I scheduled the workshop to go live company-wide.
Result
This project was an overall success. I recorded the training and uploaded it to the internal wiki, where it currently receives approximately 10 views per month from new employees and those who wish to refresh their knowledge.
Audience
All employees who wanted to understand investing basics
Tools Used
Microsoft PowerPoint, Canva
Time Spent
About 3 weeks from project start to launch
All About Taxes
The PowerPoint training for "All About Taxes" is an engaging and informative resource designed to equip beginners with basic knowledge and skills needed to understand how taxes work. With clear explanations, interactive animations, and practical examples, this training empowers employees to understand the basics of taxes and how to best prepare.
Project Overview
I started this project by gathering as much information as possible on taxes. My research spanned various resources. I first consulted with a member of the broker team and inquired about the most relevant information to include in this training. After they provided the necessary topics, I began conducting outside research. While gathering information, I used a reference deck to storyboard how I wanted the content to be structured. I had bi-weekly meetings with the Subject Matter Expert from the Broker team to verify the accuracy of the information I was collecting and to fill in any gaps.
Once I completed the reference deck and had all the topics and content I wanted to use mapped out slide by slide, I started building the training. For each slide, I referred to the reference deck to determine the content I wanted, and then I brainstormed how to present the information in a visually appealing and interactive way. I used Canva to design graphics and animation mapping in PowerPoint to animate the information.
Process
After I completed all of the slides, I went through and created a script so I could explain the topics as learners watched the animated content. Once this training was completed, I ran a few test runs with members of the People team and took their feedback to make the necessary changes. I then scheduled the workshop to go live company-wide.
This project was an overall success. I facilitated the training over Zoom for the entire company and sought additional ways to engage the audience in a remote setting. To enhance the learners' understanding, I requested that someone from the People team provide definitions in the Zoom chat as I covered the topics. I also ensured that the Subject Matter Expert was present on the call to answer questions asked in the chat, and we allocated 15 minutes at the end of the call for a Q&A session. In addition to the main training, I designed a one-page guide that outlined all the definitions and essential content in the order I discussed them, which I distributed to all employees prior to the training.
I recorded the training and uploaded it to the internal wiki, where it currently receives approximately 7 views per month from new employees and those looking to refresh their knowledge.
Result
Audience
All employees who wanted to understand the basics of taxes
Tools Used
Microsoft PowerPoint, Canva
Time Spent
About 4 weeks from project start to launch
Employee Equity Training
Project Overview
The PowerPoint training for "Employee Equity Training" is an engaging and informative resource designed to equip beginners with basic knowledge and skills needed to understand how equity works. With clear explanations, interactive animations, and practical examples, this training empowers employees to understand the basics of equity, how it works, and what it personally means for them.
Process
I started this project by gathering as much information as possible on company equity. I didn't have prior knowledge of this subject, so I knew I had a lot of research to do.
My research spanned various resources. Initially, I consulted with the CFO to gain a foundational understanding of M1's equity agreement. When I began the project, I had expected to meet regularly with the Finance team to gather content and design an interactive deck, similar to the process of building previous trainings. However, in this case, the Subject Matter Expert was the CFO, so I knew I needed to take a different approach. Instead, I relied heavily on outside research to teach myself the basics of equity and its logistical aspects, considering the information shared by the CFO as a starting point.
As I gathered information, I used a reference deck to storyboard how I wanted the content to be structured. Once I completed the reference deck, I scheduled a meeting with the CFO to verify the accuracy of the information, seek clarification on topics I had questions about, and fill in any gaps.
Once I completed the reference deck and had all the topics and content I wanted to use mapped out slide by slide, I began working on building the training. For each slide, I referred to the reference deck to determine the content I wanted, and then I brainstormed how to present the information in a visually appealing and interactive manner. I used Canva to design graphics and employed animation mapping in PowerPoint to animate the information.
After I completed all of the slides, I went through and created a script so I could explain the topics as learners watched the animated content. Once this training was completed, I ran a few test runs with members of the People team and took their feedback to make the necessary changes. I then scheduled the workshop to go live company-wide.
Result
This project was an extreme success. I facilitated the training over Zoom company-wide and I looked for additional ways to make the content engaging in a remote space. To further the learners’ understanding, I requested that someone from the People team send definitions in the Zoom chat as I spoke about the topics. I also ensured that I had the Subject Matter Expert on the call to answer questions that were asked in chat and I made sure that we left 15 minutes at the end of the call for a Q&A session. In addition to the main training, I also designed a one page guide that mapped out all of the definitions and important content in the order that I spoke about them and circulated it to all employees prior to the training.
I recorded the training and uploaded it onto the internal wiki. It is one of the most requested and watched trainings and it currently gets approximately 30 views per month by new employees and employees who would like to refresh their knowledge.
Audience
All employees who wanted to understand company equity
Tools Used
Microsoft PowerPoint, Canva
Time Spent
About 6 weeks from project start to launch
Cryptocurrency Literacy
The PowerPoint training for 'Cryptocurrency Literacy' is an engaging and informative resource designed to equip beginners with basic knowledge and skills needed to understand cryptocurrency. With clear explanations, interactive animations, and practical examples, this training empowers employees to understand the basics of crypto, how it got started, and how it will look at M1. This project was released alongside the launch of cryptocurrency on M1’s platform, equipping M1 employees with the information they need to understand the organization and further drive the company’s mission.
Project Overview
This project was a bit different from the previous Financial Literacy Workshops. Over the summer, I managed a team member from a different department and coached her in developing this workshop. I began by meeting with her and explaining the process I had followed in the past. I aimed to provide her with the freedom to build this training independently but also offered as many resources as I could for her to use if needed. I identified a Subject Matter Expert in crypto and oversaw the bi-weekly meetings that my direct report had with them.
Process
Once she had gathered all the content she intended to use, I reviewed it for accuracy, conducted some additional research to clarify a few topics, and then allowed her to proceed with building the workshop. While she was building it, we had frequent meetings where I provided design tips and used my expertise to ensure that the training was designed to facilitate effective learning. I coached her on designing graphics, maintaining layout consistency, and applying various design principles. Additionally, I provided guidance on using PowerPoint's animation feature to animate information and enhance its visual appeal for the learners.
After the slides her completed, we discussed the facilitation basics and I volunteered to co-facilitate. Together, we went through each slide and created a script, so we could explain the topics as learners watched the animated content. Once this training was completed, we ran a few test runs with members of the People team and took their feedback to make the necessary changes. I then scheduled the workshop to go live company-wide.
This project was an overall success. It was facilitated over Zoom for the entire company, and I explored additional ways to make the content engaging in a remote setting. To enhance learners' understanding, I requested that someone from the People team provide definitions in the Zoom chat as I discussed the topics. I also ensured that the Subject Matter Expert was present on the call to answer questions asked in the chat, and we allocated 15 minutes at the end of the call for a Q&A session. In addition to the main training, I designed a one-page guide that outlined all the definitions and important content in the order we discussed them, which I distributed to all employees prior to the training.
I recorded the training and uploaded it to the internal wiki, where it currently receives approximately 4 views per month from new employees and those looking to refresh their knowledge.
Result
Audience
All employees who wanted to further their cryptocurrency knowledge
Tools Used
Microsoft PowerPoint, Canva
Time Spent
About 6 weeks from project start to launch
Intro to Personal Loans
Project Overview
The PowerPoint training,'Intro to Personal Loans' is an engaging and informative resource designed to equip beginners with basic knowledge and skills needed to understand the basics of personal loans. With clear explanations, interactive animations, and practical examples, this training empowers employees to understand the basics of personal loans. This project was released alongside the launch of personal loans on M1’s platform, equipping M1 employees with the information they need to understand the organization, the products, and further drive the company’s mission.
Process
I began this project by gathering as much information as possible on taxes. My research extended across various resources. Initially, I consulted with a member of the Ops team to identify the most relevant information to include in this training. Once they provided the necessary topics, I began conducting external research. As I collected information, I used a reference deck to storyboard how I wanted the content to be organized. I also had bi-weekly meetings with the Subject Matter Expert from the Ops team to verify the accuracy of the information I was gathering and to address any gaps.
Once I had completed the reference deck and mapped out all the topics and content slide by slide, I began building the training.
For each slide, I used the reference deck to determine the desired content and then brainstormed how to present the information in a visually appealing and interactive manner. I employed Canva to design graphics and utilized animation mapping in PowerPoint to animate the information, creating visual representations for the content I was explaining.
After I completed all of the slides, I went through each slide and created a script so I could explain the topics as learners watched the animated content. Once this training was completed, I ran a few test runs with members of the People team and took their feedback to make the necessary changes. I then scheduled the workshop to go live company-wide.
Result
This project was definitely a success. I facilitated the training company-wide over Zoom and I looked for additional ways to make the content engaging in a remote space. To further the learners’ understanding, I requested that someone from the People team send definitions in the Zoom chat as I spoke about the topics. I also ensured that I had the Subject Matter Expert on the call to answer questions that were asked in chat and I made sure that we left 15 minutes at the end of the call for a Q&A session. In addition to the main training, I also designed a one page guide that mapped out all of the definitions and important content in the order that I spoke about it and circulated that to all employees prior to the training.
I recorded the training and uploaded it onto the internal wiki and it currently has about 7 views per month by new employees and employees who would like to refresh their knowledge.
Audience
All employees who wanted to understand how personal loans work
Tools Used
Microsoft PowerPoint, Canva
Time Spent
About 5 weeks from project start to launch