When she was graduating from college,  Alexa von Tobel realized she had received no guidance on personal finance. Her personal experience inspired her to start a company when she was just 25, with the hopes that she could make personal investing and budgeting approachable. The online financial planning company LearnVest has now brought financial planning to thousands of Americans, making it more accessible and affordable than ever before.

Forbes calls her a “personal finance guru,” Fortune has named her as a “Most Powerful Women Entrepreneur,” and Marie Claire Magazine chose her as one of 18 Women Changing the World.

As an inaugural member of the Presidential Ambassadors for Global Entrepreneurship (PAGE) initiative, von Tobel believes that “if you can teach people that they can believe in themselves and take their little seed of an idea and feed it properly, that not only can we change the economy, the country, but maybe even the globe.”

Cosmopolitan says that “When you talk to her, it’s a bit like talking to a Roman candle, just fully on fire, and all sorts of interesting colors are coming out of her.”

With a palpable enthusiasm for encouraging others to follow their passions, von Tobel shared her experiences and expertise at the inaugural Young African Leaders Initiative (YALI) Summit. Launched in 2014, YALI is a signature effort that connects young African leaders to leadership training opportunities at some of America’s top universities to help expand their skills and knowledge so they can foster entrepreneurial change in their communities and countries.

From LearnVest to PAGE, Alexa von Tobel is determined to not only enable more people to take control of their finances but empower others to create something they are passionate about.

In two weeks, she will join Secretary Pritzker at the Global Entrepreneurship Summit in Morocco to share her knowledge and experience to help develop the next generation of entrepreneurs.

About PAGE:

Established by the Department of Commerce, the Presidential Ambassadors for Global Entrepreneurship (PAGE) is a group of successful American businesspeople eager to share their knowledge and experience to help develop the next generation of entrepreneurs at home and abroad.  Members have agreed to participate in an ongoing dialogue with policy makers globally, acting as goodwill ambassadors in discussions about how to create an environment where creativity, innovation, and entrepreneurship can grow and thrive.  They will also participate in outreach and mentorship activities to help promote start-up culture, and energize their own personal and professional networks to challenge and inspire budding entrepreneurs and raise awareness of the many resources available to them.

Alexa von Tobel in Her Own Words:

The stats are pretty overwhelming: Money is the number one thing people worry about. 76% of Americans live paycheck to paycheck. The majority of people feel out of control financially. And it’s no wonder, given that most high schools, colleges and graduate schools do not teach us the basics of personal finance. Most of us learn about money (if we learn anything at all) from our parents. But the reality is that most of them did not have any formal financial education either, so we are all playing a bit of a guessing game. When I was graduating from college and headed to a job on Wall Street, I realized I had tons of questions about handling my money.

What goes into my credit score? Should I get a Roth or a Traditional IRA? It was that moment of uncertainty—and the realization that I was not alone—that inspired the foundation of LearnVest.

So, I created a detailed business plan, and when it won a startup competition, I took a huge leap. I dropped out of Harvard Business School during the heart of the Recession in 2008. Armed with my plan and lasting on my emergency savings, I set out with a mission to empower people nationwide to take control of their finances.

Since then, LearnVest has found tremendous support from both investors and clients. We’ve built a program for your money, leveraging an inspiring team of planners and innovative technology. Our goal is to make financial planning affordable, accessible and even delightful. Over time, we have raised over $73 million in funding from some of the leading venture investors (like Accel Partners), and we have the capital to invest in our mission at full steam ahead.

One of the best parts of this journey has been talking to people across the country and hearing their concerns and questions firsthand. We’re building a business, but it’s personal. Money is incredibly emotional, and beyond that, it is still a taboo subject. Through LearnVest, we have been able to start a dialogue and disrupt a service that was traditionally reserved for those who already had millions. At its core, money is not something to be worshipped, but it is a tool we need to know how to use effectively.

I will be the first person to tell you that being an entrepreneur is a challenge each and every day. One of my mentors told me that if you knew what it took, you’d never get started. But I fundamentally believe that the risk is worthwhile. When you believe in what you’re doing, it inspires you to get out of bed every day ready to take action and make a difference.