Aaliyah Duah

Aaliyah Duah is a 20-year-old recent HBCU graduate who founded Financial Revolution, a company dedicated to financial literacy. She is also a published author, an investor, and a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. She has received numerous awards, including HBCU Entrepreneur of the Year, and is being recognized by McDonald's as a 2023 McDonald's Black & Positively Golden Change Leader. Aaliyah is passionate about promoting financial empowerment and making financial education accessible for all. 

Growing up in Brooklyn, New York City, Aaliyah witnessed firsthand the negative impact that poor financial decisions can have on individuals and communities. But it was during the pandemic that she had a revelation, realizing that she had been valuing materialistic things over what truly matters. 

From that moment on, Aaliyah knew she wanted to start a financial revolution in the Black community, and she has been working tirelessly to achieve that goal ever since. 

As a sophomore in college, Aaliyah published her first book, The Blueprint for Investing, which provides readers with a step-by-step guide to investing in the stock market. In just two weeks, she was able to break statistics and sell over 100 copies. She has also developed a financial literacy game called “Rap Cards,” which uses rap lyrics to teach young people about money management. Aaliyah has a financial planner called “The Billion Dollar Plan,” which helps individuals map out their financial goals. 

In addition to her entrepreneurial endeavors, Aaliyah is also deeply committed to community service. As Vice President of the Student Government Association at VSU, she advocated for an annual funded trip to Ghana, West Africa for students and faculty to learn about their African history. Aaliyah has also hosted numerous back-to-school drives, free events, and webinars. 

McDonald’s has recognized Aaliyah’s work by selecting her as one of the 2023 Black & Positively Golden Change Leaders. Each change leader receives a $20,000 grant to use for their business and a media campaign that exposes their platform. Aaliyah plans on using these resources to continue developing creative and fun ways for people of color of all ages to become financially literate through music, films, courses, books, podcasts, and many more.