Mini Money - Colorado Gives Campaign

Lorne Jenkins - Founder, CEO 

Mini Money is a Black-led 501(c)(3) nonprofit closing the racial and economic wealth gap by transforming how underrepresented youth interact with money and entrepreneurship. Our mission is to deliver foundational entrepreneurial education and empower students (ages 12–24) to launch purpose-driven businesses that solve local community problems and build generational wealth.

Traditional financial literacy programs often emphasize budgeting in a vacuum, but for families living paycheck to paycheck, you cannot budget your way out of poverty. Shifting the conversation from financial scarcity to active wealth creation, we guide students through self-discovery, community problem mapping, and provide direct seed funding via our flagship Youth Side Hustle Incubator and proprietary Side Hustle Builder software.

Empowering young entrepreneurs during our Camp Finance summer cohort in North Carolina.

Our experiential programs, like Camp Finance, prove that when youth are given the tools to explore their unique talents, they see business ownership as a legitimate pathway to creating generational wealth. We meet our students directly in their communities to remove the isolation and financial shame often associated with personal finances.

Student founders pitching their validated business models directly to Denver business leaders and mentors at The Launchpad.

Your Colorado Gives Day donations will be deployed directly toward building sustainable operational infrastructure, expanding our incubator program to 5+ sites across the Denver Metro area, and distributing vital seed capital directly into youth-led ventures at our upcoming Launchpad events. Together, we replace financial shame with self-determination, agency, and active wealth creation.