According to the research “Women’s Entrepreneurship,” conducted by the Brazilian Micro and Small Business Support Service (Sebrae) in 2024, more than half (67%) of female entrepreneurs in Brazil have children. They balance the mission of entrepreneurship and generating income with the responsibilities of motherhood, while also taking on another role: inspiring and teaching entrepreneurship to their own children.
Although education is not solely the responsibility of mothers, women who run businesses can include habits in their daily routine to develop adults with money management skills. The family environment is one of the first places where children interact, and it is there that they should feel secure enough to learn about handling money and other topics related to financial health.
“At home is a trusted and comfortable environment to talk about finances while ensuring accuracy in what is being taught. What we observe on social media and TV is a bombardment of misinformation, promoting betting games, easy money schemes, low-investment with unrealistic returns, and reckless spending. This is creating impulsive buyers who easily fall into debt due to easy access to credit, especially through digital banks, with little or no knowledge about investments,” says Vanessa Cristiane Motta de Matos, co-founder of Investeendo.
The entrepreneur is one of the co-founders of this startup that teaches financial and entrepreneurial education to children and adolescents through physical and digital gamification, combining playfulness with lessons on topics such as safe investments, loans, and buying and selling. Recognized for its innovation, Investeendo was created with her daughter, Mariana Motta de Matos, and another partner, Sam Adam Hoffmann, in late 2022. Since then, it has already impacted over 6,000 young people across three Brazilian states using more than 40 digital and physical games and has participated in various initiatives, such as the Shark Tank Brasil program.
Financial lessons during childhood
Although their professional lives only merged in the social business, the lessons on entrepreneurship began much earlier, at home, during Mariana’s adolescence. “From an early age, my mother talked to me and taught me how to earn money, how to spend it, and how much to save so I could buy things I really wanted,” Mariana recounts.
The business administrator recalls that when she started understanding the value of things and wanted to earn her own money, her mother supported her in starting her business at school. “I was underage and couldn’t have a conventional job, so we came up with the idea of selling gourmet brigadeiro candies.I made and sold them during school breaks. On the first day, I sold everything, and the same happened on the second day, so I had to increase production to meet demand. We did cost and profit analyses together, and I wrote down how much I needed to save for my bigger goal. After a few months, I managed to buy my first phone—and the best part: with my own money.’Eu produzia e vendia nos intervalos das aulas. No primeiro dia eu vendi absolutamente tudo, no segundo, tudo também, e tive que começar a aumentar minha produção para dar conta da demanda. Fazíamos juntas análises de custos e lucro e colocava no papel o quanto precisava guardar para o meu objetivo maior. Alguns meses se passaram e consegui comprar meu primeiro celular, e o melhor: com o meu próprio dinheiro”.
Beyond supporting her first business, Vanessa always taught her daughter in a playful and fun way. “As a mother, I’ve always been concerned about teaching Mari financial education from an early age because schools don’t cover it—yet handling money is a certainty in life. When she was little, we had a ‘contract’ on the fridge, simple and easy to follow. It had three columns: one for rewarded actions, one for the value she’d earn, and the third for actions that would make her lose money—like back-talking to her parents.”
Growing up with clarity about her relationship with money, Mariana noticed that other young people her age lacked the same understanding, along with distorted values on the subject. This led her to discuss finances with students in schools in rural Paraná. At one of these events, they met Sam, a public-school teacher, and soon became business partners, aiming to teach financial education in a gamified and engaging way.
Small habits to teach financial concepts at home
Currently, Brazil has over 73 million people in debt, according to a Serasa survey. To ensure young people become financially responsible adults and avoid debt, they must learn early. “For a 4-year-old child, two R$2 bills are worth more than one R$10 bill. They think quantity outweighs face value. So, at the store, parents can ask their child to pick just one thing. Note—this isn’t about money but about their decision-making,” explains Vanessa.
The banker and entrepreneur notes that as children grow, these actions—meant to become routine habits—evolve. “For older kids, it’s important to give them a set amount to spend. Be firm if they want something pricier, and suggest saving for their next shopping trip if they desire a more expensive item.”
Alongside these tips, paid activities are also key teaching tools. “The most important thing is understanding the whole family is responsible for finances. A child shouldn’t work to contribute to income, but they can turn off lights, close taps, take care of toys, and avoid waste. Show them the water bill and explain that saving X reals means an extra monthly movie night—thanks to their help.” Vanessa suggests.
