Pockets Change: Flipping the Script on Finance Through Hip Hop
At Calling Up Justice, we believe in the power of art, education, and collective care to transform communities. That’s why we are proud to uplift and support Pockets Change, an innovative organization that blends financial education with Hip Hop culture to empower generations. Claudia Alick, Executive Producer of Calling Up Justice, is honored to serve on the board of this groundbreaking organization.
Who is Pocket Change
Founded in 2009, Pockets Change has been reimagining what financial education can look like. What began as a movement to make money conversations real and relatable has grown into a hybrid model (s-corp and nonprofit 501(c)3) reaching thousands of students, families, and educators nationwide.
Founded by Pamala
The nonprofit Pockets Change Community exists to build multigenerational financial well-being through Hip Hop pedagogy and neuroscience. At the core of its mission is addressing systemic issues of educational inequity and the racial wealth divide. By combining arts-based learning with healing-centered financial education, Pockets Change connects money management with self-care, identity, and social justice.
Every year, Pockets Change reaches 3,500+ students and families directly and extends its impact to more than 80,000 learners through educator professional development. Their work has been celebrated by the National Jump$tart Coalition, Sony Create Action, and featured by Forbes, CNBC, Cheddar News, Teach for America, and more.
Why Hip Hop?
Hip Hop is more than music—it’s a pedagogy, a way of seeing ourselves and the world around us. By pairing Hip Hop’s rhythms and storytelling power with financial concepts, Pockets Change creates a unique learning model that makes money management personal, accessible, and culturally relevant.
Through workshops, curriculum, and creative activities—like the freestyle-based Battle for the End of the Line—learners of all ages discover how to connect financial habits with identity, values, and advocacy. Their 5 Steps to Building Financial Resilience Framework emphasizes self-awareness, systems literacy, habit-building, advocacy, and values-driven action.
Hip Hop FinFest: Where Art and Finance Collide
One of Pockets Change’s signature programs is the annual Hip Hop FinFest—a national youth music competition and community celebration that turns money conversations into cultural moments.
Each year, FinFest invites young artists to write and perform original Hip Hop tracks about money, identity, and justice. The top finalists receive cash prizes, professional gear (including SONY’s “Studio in a Backpack”), and mentorship from Hip Hop legends. The winners even get the chance to perform live at the FinFest concert in New York City.
The 2025 theme, “When Money Makes Change,” emphasizes financial advocacy. The program equips youth to understand financial systems, speak up against exploitation, and use art as a tool for empowerment. More than a contest, Hip Hop FinFest is a platform for youth voices on one of the most crucial topics of our time: money.
Why It Matters
Financial literacy alone isn’t enough—Pockets Change goes further, cultivating financial resilience that uplifts families and communities across generations. As one participant shared:
“This workshop was so powerful. It wasn’t just about learning facts and figures. It was about connecting with our own experiences and understanding how systemic racism plays out in our lives.”
Through Hip Hop, learners gain not only tools for money management but also confidence, agency, and the ability to shape a just economic future.
The Founders
Pockets Change is led by a team of visionary founders who each bring unique expertise and lived experience to the work. Andrea Ferrero (Executive Director) grounds the organization in education and curriculum design, drawing from her experience as a teacher and program developer. Pamela Capalad, a Certified Financial Planner™, has dedicated her career to creating safe, affirming financial spaces for communities of color, helping people move beyond shame into financial empowerment. And Brian “Dyalekt” Kushner, an emcee, playwright, and pedagogy innovator, has spent decades using Hip Hop to connect people with their identities, creativity, and power.
Calling Up Justice is especially proud to celebrate the leadership of Pam and Dyalekt, long-time friends and collaborators with our practice. Their partnership, both in life and in the work of Pockets Change, exemplifies the deep interweaving of art, justice, and economic liberation. Together, they have built creative pathways for communities of color to take ownership of financial narratives, transform systemic inequities, and use culture as a tool for resilience and joy.
Calling Up Justice’s Commitment
Calling Up Justice is proud to support Pockets Change and amplify their mission. Together, we believe in building ecosystems where art, education, and justice intersect. Claudia Alick’s role on the board reflects our deep commitment to ensuring that communities—especially youth, families, and educators of color—have access to tools that nurture resilience, joy, and economic justice.
Learn more, get involved, or register for Hip Hop FinFest 2025: Pockets Change Website