What began as a son helping his father rebuild in the Dominican Republic has grown into a movement transforming lives through mindset, financial literacy, and community empowerment
I used to define success by title, income, and status. Like many in finance, I was laser-focused on climbing the ladder fast. But everything changed the moment I saw my father, broke, bedridden, and emotionally empty after major surgery in the Dominican Republic. A man who had once taken care of everyone couldn’t move. That shattered something in me.
I didn’t fly down to throw money at the problem or to play the hero. I went because I couldn’t shake the feeling that he still had something left to build. So, we started with a tiny bodega, then later, a pawnshop. Nothing fancy. Just a way to help him stand up again. The moment that stayed with me most was when he said, “I thought I was finished.”
That one sentence broke me, and rebuilt me
It made me realize that so many people are quietly giving up. Not because they’re lazy or broken. But because no one ever showed them a way forward. The easy thing, especially when it comes to family, is to walk away. To say “they chose their path” and move on. And I’d be lying if I said I didn’t think that, too. My father had left us when I was a child. The resentment could have kept me away. But I couldn’t rest knowing someone I loved was suffering, not because of bad choices, but because life stripped them of their tools.
I had the power to do something. And I’m glad I did. Because what came next changed not just his life, but mine.
Helping him meant risking my career, my finances, and my peace. But it planted the seed for something much bigger: Project Noblitude—a mission to teach financial literacy not as theory, but as a system people can live, breathe, and grow with.
Noblitude is rooted in one truth: mindset comes first. If you don’t believe you can build, no budget will save you. We teach people how to rewire their thinking, then build structure around it—budgeting, credit, multiple income streams, and ownership. We create environments where people can make real financial decisions and see the real-world results of those decisions. That’s how confidence grows—from action, not advice.
The work isn’t just abstract, it’s physical
Today, I’ve inherited farmland in San José de Ocoa, where the people I work with—local farmers—are taught to think like investors. The land is a living classroom. Short-term crops represent fast income. Medium crops teach consistency. Long-term crops are legacy builders. The farmers learn how to think in timelines, manage risks, and—once they’ve rewired their survival mindset—build relationships with banks and start controlling their financial future. It’s agriculture as a metaphor for wealth.
Meanwhile, back in Valiente, Boca Chica, the businesses my father now runs—once the humble steps of a comeback—have attracted new investors into the area. He opens his pawnshop, daily living life with hope for the future. What started with helping one man find dignity again is now a spark for local economic growth. And none of this would be possible without the strategic partnerships behind it. JA Finance Park showed me how simplicity and fun make financial education stick, especially for young minds. Citi’s Community Development team, led by Janet Arias, expanded the mission further. I brought the street perspective—they brought reach. Together, we’re scaling this movement into classrooms, boardrooms, and neighborhoods across the Americas.
The long-term vision is crystal clear: a global blueprint. A system that doesn’t rely on charity, handouts, or politics, but on people. A mindset shift, plus systems anyone can replicate—whether in New York, the DR, or anywhere in the world. I’ve learned this journey is not about saving people. It’s about equipping them to save themselves.
So no, this didn’t start with a social mission. It began with pain. A personal reckoning. And a decision to lean in when it was easier to walk away. From that, Noblitude was born.
It’s not just a project. It’s a movement to build and unify our communities.
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