Sharon Lechter
Founder, Pay Your Family First
International Board of Directors

A life-long education advocate, Sharon Lechter is the founder of Pay Your Family First, an umbrella financial education organization, and YouthPreneur, an innovative new way to spark the entrepreneurial spirit in our children.

Sharon helps shape the state of financial literacy through her appointment to the President's Advisory Council on Financial Literacy. She and the 18 other members of the council were selectively appointed by President Bush for their expertise in financial education and are responsible to the President for creating interesting and innovative ways to influence financial education.

Sharon is an entrepreneur, author, philanthropist, educator, international speaker, licensed CPA and mother. She has been a pioneer in developing new technologies to bring education into children's lives in ways that are innovative, challenging and fun, and remains committed to education - particularly financial literacy.

"Our current educational system has not been able to keep pace with the global and technological changes in the world today," Sharon says. "We must teach our young people the skills - both scholastic and financial - that they need to, not only survive, but flourish in the world."

Sharon travels nationally and internationally to speak on a range of topics from educating children and adults on taking control of their personal finances to the entrepreneurial business strategies she used in building international success.

Sharon is known world-wide as the co-author of the international best-selling book Rich Dad, Poor Dad and the Rich Dad series of books published through 2007. With two partners she built the Rich Dad Company into an international success reaching millions of people through financial education.

In 2007, Sharon left the managerial board of The Rich Dad Company to pursue focused work on financial education for children and families. A committed philanthropist, Sharon also gives back to world communities as both a volunteer and benefactor. She is a member of the Business Advisory Council for the Attorney General of the State of Arizona. She has served on the Dean's Council 100 of the W.P. Carey School of Business at Arizona State University and as a member of the advisory Board of the Spirit of Enterprise at the W.P. Carey School of Business. Sharon serves on the National board of Women's Presidents Organization and serves on the national board of Childhelp, a national organization founded to prevent and treat child abuse.