ABOUT
MONEY CLUB
ORTUS ACADEMY IS NOW MONEY CLUB
Same Team, Same Mission, More Community.
We are an award-winning financial literacy company based in Baltimore, MD.
helping people power their dreams through financial intelligence.
Our Mission
We believe everyone deserves to live their best financial life. That’s why we’re on a mission to help people power their dreams through financial empowerment.
Our History
The founders met playing Laser Tag (as all great partners do) and discovered a shared dream to help others build better versions of themselves.
Our Team
Money Club is comprised of an award-winning team that has spent their careers as entrepreneurs in education, real estate, lending, and sports.
THE
MONEY CLUB
MISSION
We know money matters.
We believe Financial Intelligence matters more!
Financial Intelligence means understanding more than the mechanics of money. It means understanding the social-emotional aspects of money – how our habits and emotions drive our financial behaviors.
This sort of financial education can inspire and empower people, families, schools, and communities to be better.
We believe that in order to have a whole life, an individual needs to be financially intelligent.
We like to ask deeper questions. The topic of money doesn’t have to be taboo. The more we talk about and understand our habits, behaviors, and mindset, the more we understand our Why and can make Financially Intelligent decisions.
Our beliefs, habits, and decisions around money have a profound impact on our lives.
Money affects our daily lives and plans, including our decisions around where we live, what we can learn, and how comfortable, secure, and free we feel. This varies from person to person of course, but the common thread is the same. Money affects our emotional and physical well-being and plays a large role in our sense of purpose, pride, providing for our family, and productivity. Money is essential to life.
Yet — Money is a topic that the world offers very little wisdom about.
This absence of good guidance leaves us to learn too little too late, or through hardship and struggle, and for money to remain largely taboo, ignored, or unknown.
It is time we change all of that.
This is why we started Money Club — to give growth-minded adults the community, education, and resources to have the best opportunity to navigate their finances as they grow. Our Foundations courses teach the core components to get off to a good start. Our Stability Courses teach those responsible for their financial choices already to get or regain control and then grow. Our Growth courses help those ready for the next step reach new heights in life.
Our social impact is to empower communities through education, one person or group at a time!
THE
MONEY CLUB
HISTORY
It all started with a game of laser tag!
It’s the oldest story in the book: two entrepreneurs meet at a laser tag birthday party, and the next thing you know, they start a company together.
Though whose team won that game of laser tag is still disputed*, it didn’t stop Aaron and Josh from becoming friends. As soon as they started chatting about their experiences as entrepreneurs, sports coaches, and local community involvement, it all clicked into place. They were going to build a company that made learning fun.
Several iterations later, Ortus Academy launched to teach middle and high school students about personal finance. At the urging of their advisors, they expanded their vision to include financial wellness programs for adults.
In January 2020, Aaron and Josh decided to focus exclusively on financial wellness programming for employees. Then the COVID-19 pandemic hit. Aaron and Josh looked around. Kids weren’t freaking out about money – their parents were. They pulled together everything that made young adults fall in love with learning – the process, the methods, and the magic – and began crafting a totally different kind of educational resource for adults.
This was when Ortus Academy officially became Money Club and we transitioned from creating a “revolution” (the meaning of Ortus) to building a community.
*Josh’s team won, no matter what Aaron says.
Financial Wellness For Life
As the global economy fell apart under the weight of the pandemic, the precarious financial state of many American adults became clear: 66% didn’t have $1,000 in emergency savings. But they don’t want to live this way. According to Forbes, financial wellness is the number one benefit employees want from their organizations.
Our mission is to support individuals as they make financial decisions that support their values, goals, and communities. It is our vision that one day, all individuals will have high financial intelligence (a holistic approach to mastering the mechanical, emotional, and cognitive components of finance).
Ortus Academy’s approach to financial wellness is different. Our programs are engaging, interactive, and actionable. They integrate social and emotional learning to support long-term positive behaviors and responsible decision-making. A stepped approach helps participants build knowledge, beginning with the basics of stability to opportunities in investing.
When you consider that 35% of employees say financial stress interferes with work – costing organizations thousands of dollars per employee each year (lost wages, missed days, and 401k enrollment benefits) – financial wellness for life isn’t just good for your employees. It’s good for your entire organization.
