Fisk University team wins $40,000 for credit education app in Experian IYKYK Pitch Competition
L-R Remilekun Ore, Fisk University; Michele Bodda, Experian President of Employer Services, Verification Solutions and Housing; Destiny Marshall, Fisk University; Wil Lewis, Experian's Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, Belonging and Talent Acquisition Officer; Ansana Regmi, Fisk University; and Sovit Lekhak, Fisk University. (Photo: Business Wire)
A team of four students from Fisk University has won the 2025 IYKYK Pitch Competition, securing a $40,000 scholarship for their financial literacy initiative, FinLit HQ.
Sponsored by Experian and HomeFree-USA, the competition challenged students to develop innovative solutions to improve credit education among young people.
The Fisk University team, known as Team FinLit, consisted of Ansana Regmi, Destiny Marshall, Remilekun Ore, and Sovit Lekhak. Their winning proposal introduced FinLit HQ, a platform designed to integrate financial education into the daily lives of teenagers through interactive gaming experiences. The initiative aims to help young people develop financial habits early and prepare for real-world financial decisions.
Approach to credit education
The proposed platform, FinLit HQ, introduces a gaming-based financial literacy experience, allowing users to navigate financial scenarios. Initially designed for teenagers, the program progresses to more complex financial tasks as users approach adulthood. Scenarios include budgeting for college expenses, managing rental payments, financing a vehicle, and planning for homeownership.
The app is also designed to integrate with Experian services such as SmartMoney, Experian Boost, and Experian Go, allowing users to build and track their credit scores as they engage with the platform.
Ansana Remi, a junior computer science major and team captain, stated:
“We realize there’s a knowledge gap within the younger generation about credit. You don’t give someone a car and ask them to drive on the road without any practice. You shouldn’t push young people into the financial world without any education. One small mistake can impact you for years and that’s why FinLitHQ is for users starting as young as 13.”
Addressing credit invisibility
The #IYKYK Pitch Competition is part of Experian’s B.A.L.L. for Life initiative, which aims to make credit education a standard part of financial learning. The issue of credit invisibility, where individuals lack a credit report or credit score, affects 40% of consumers under 25. The problem is more pronounced among communities of color, impacting 28% of Black consumers and 26% of Hispanic consumers, compared to 16% of White and Asian consumers.
The competition was the final stage of the Experian Credit Academy, an educational program created for the Center for Financial Advancement (CFA). Five hundred students from 16 Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) participated in training sessions led by Experian credit education experts. Finalist teams from Bowie State University and Talladega College also presented their ideas at Experian’s North America headquarters, each receiving a $10,000 scholarship.
Raudy Perez, Senior Director of External Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Partnerships at Experian North America, commented:
"We are thrilled to see students fully embrace the pitch competition challenge. Their deep connection bridging the gap in credit education knowledge, and passion for sharing what they’re learning with their communities are inspiring. At Experian, our goal is to make credit education not only informative but also fun, exciting, and culturally relevant. Seeing the enthusiasm and dedication from these students reaffirms our commitment to this mission with HomeFree-USA and the Center for Financial Advancement.”
said LuWanna Williams, University Director for the Center of Financial Advancement, added:
"Education is designed for students, yet their voices can sometimes be missing from the process. Experian’s #IYKYK Pitch Competition allows students to take what they've learned and apply it to real-life scenarios. Learning by doing is powerful, and in this experience, students deepen their understanding of credit and financial literacy by actively engaging with the material and sharing their knowledge with others.”
