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The Youth Advisory Board originated shortly after the opening of Young Americans Bank. Bill Daniels liked having youth involved during the development of the bank and its offerings. He valued their opinions and treated them as knowledgeable and valuable advisors.
Over the next several months, you’ll be introduced to each of this year’s Youth Advisory Board members. They are taking on some new challenges this year, including reviewing and updating the free Money Matters classes offered by the bank, and producing a financial education podcast – by kids for kids! Stay tuned for more about these exciting projects.
Gabe Nagel and Hannah Reyes are Co-Chairs of this year’s Board. Gabe is a senior at East High School where he has served as President of Future Business Leaders of America, President of Model UN Nations, and Co-President of the Sustainability Club. He previously served on the Youth Advisory Board 2019.
Gabe is also an entrepreneur. He has twice been a finalist in the Spotlight on YouthBiz Stars business competition and recently founded a Youth-Led Climate Action Non-Profit called Light CO2 for which he earned a feature in Colorado Chalkbeat as well as 1st place prizes in Advertising and Social Media.
From selling baked goods in 4th grade to pay for booth space at the YouthBiz Marketplace, to winning the Youth Business Pitch Competition at Denver Startup Week in 2021, Gabe is a fierce advocate for youth entrepreneurship and financial literacy.
Gabe’s tenacity and drive are apparent when you look at the list of awards this young man has earned including State FBLA Champion, Model UN Award of Excellence, 1st Place in Constitutional Law at State Competition, and more.
He is excited about the opportunity to apply a creative and ambitious lens to elevate the voices of young people and help them prepare for successful futures.
Hannah, a junior at St. Mary’s Academy, has served as President of her class since her freshman year. She also founded her school’s Speech and Debate team, and is a member of the Leadership Committee for Destination Imagination Colorado
An advocate for entrepreneurship, Hannah testified in front of the Colorado Senate and House of Representative Committees on Business in 2019 to advocate for the SB 101-legalization of minor businesses in Colorado. SB-101 was signed into law by Colorado Governor Jared Polis in April of that year.
Like Gabe, Hannah also runs her own business, HER Designs, which she started 7 years ago. She won the YouthBiz Stars competition for the 12-15 age group in 2019 and her business is still going strong.
With a strong work ethic and outstanding organization and communication skills, Hannah is a committed and enthusiastic leader who cares deeply about growing the financial literacy of children all over Colorado. In addition to wanting to serve the community, she is also actively interested in ways she can help her peers develop the knowledge and skills necessary to ensure long-term financial stability for themselves and their families.
With their passion for learning and leadership, Gabe and Hannah have helped plan a great year.
Join us in welcoming these inspirational teens.
