Who We Are

Jeff is an adjunct professor of economics whose research focuses on economic development, rural agriculture and gender. Jeff’s interest in financial literacy came about through reading the latest research papers in economics by authors such as Veronica Frisancho, Annamaria Lusardi, and others on the financial literacy gap between men and women. Jeff is passionate about motivating social change using a scientific approach, with decisions backed by peer-reviewed research. Jeff teaches econometrics, economic development, and microeconomics. He has consulted on research projects for the International Food Policy Research Institute, the World Bank, and the International Monetary Fund. Jeff grew up in D.C. where he lives with his partner, Leslie, and their dog, Timea. A fun fact about Jeff is that as part of a high school summer program he studied marine biology, and subtropical zone ecology, as well as environmental philosophy for a summer on Sanibel Island, Florida.

Leslie is a software quality engineer who loves testing and fixing bugs. Leslie was inspired to join this non-profit because they wanted to apply their technical skills to helping people. Leslie is also a fervent social justice advocate, who believes financial literacy is a skill that is critical for everyone, especially in today’s economic climate. They envision the Dollar Scholars project franchising learning content, and expanding financial inclusion to allow people to contribute their skills to a good cause. Leslie is from Mexico City, Mexico, and when they are not working, Leslie loves dancing and listening to music by Shakira and Radiohead. Leslie's day job is at The Chronicle of Higher Education, an independent journal on higher education. They are based in D.C., where they live with their partner and their golden retriever named Timea, who is lovely and very playful.

Grezzia Moscoso-Joyo is a senior and first-generation college student at American University studying Economics and Mathematics with a minor in Entrepreneurship. Her passion for community empowerment and economic development led her to join Dollar Scholars in 2024, where she continues to advocate for and serve her immigrant community in DC through financial education.
As a Peruvian immigrant and Washingtonian, Grezzia hopes to help Latino and immigrant-owned businesses grow and build their own success stories while currently working alongside her mom, Laura Joyo, on her own export retail business, JOYO USA LLC. Through her work at Dollar Scholars and beyond, Grezzia aims to expand economic opportunities for immigrant families and underserved communities in DC and her native Peru.

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Outside of school and work, Grezzia enjoys playing volleyball on weekends and watching slice-of-life Asian dramas. She loves stationery, making flower bouquets, and listening to her Spotify playlists 24/7. She also enjoys discovering books through her favorite shows—her favorite read so far is Unreasonable Hospitality by Will Guidara, which she discovered through The Bear.

Dr. Rodney Ndum is a finance professor at the University of Central Florida, where he teaches investments and corporate finance. He believes that financial literacy is as fundamental a skill as basic math and reading. Dr. Ndum completed his PhD in finance at Florida State University, and his JD at Syracuse University. He is passionate about all aspects of finance, including consumer finance, corporate finance, and asset pricing. Dr. Ndum has a particular interest in scams, and will work together with Dollar Scholars to help develop critical thinking of our beneficiaries around financial scams. His goal is to assist the Dollar Scholars project in promoting social change, and to help it Dollar Scholars expand beyond D.C. Dr. Ndum, who grew up in Central Florida, is a massive movie buff!

Soham Suryavanshi is an entrepreneur and technology strategist with experience across startups, enterprise technology, and AI. He is passionate about financial inclusion, consumer protection, and using technology to make financial knowledge more accessible and actionable. Through Dollar Scholars, Soham hopes to contribute to building practical tools that help people make better financial decisions and protect themselves from financial scams. He is also deeply interested in technology, entrepreneurship, and the intersection of finance and human behavior.