John Ulzheimer
John Ulzheimer is a nationally recognized expert in credit reporting, credit scoring and identity theft. Over the past decade he has been quoted thousands of times by the print and online media and has appeared in hundreds of television and radio segments across the larger media outlets.
John is the only recognized credit expert who actually comes from the credit industry. He has written four books on the topic of consumer credit.
Gigi Ligons
Gigi Ligons, a Senior Consultant and subject matter expert in the FICO Scores group, works with lenders and industry professionals to help them understand, evaluate, and use FICO® Scores. Within the team, Gigi’s key areas of focus include delivering FICO® Score trainings and deploying FICO® Score solutions, services, and education for over 120 mid-tier clients.
Gigi brings to the team over 13 years’ experience in financial services from institutions including MetLife, Bank of America, Wachovia, First Union, and Washington Mutual along with an entrepreneurial acumen from her experience consulting with organizations and business leaders throughout the U.S.
She has a Bachelor of Science in Business Management, a Master of Business Administration, and considers herself a lifelong learner consistently looking for opportunities to learn something new.
Jenelle Dito
Jenelle Dito is a Senior Director in the Scores group and is responsible for the FICO® Score Open Access program, providing support to clients with their planning and implementation of the program. Over her years at FICO, Jenelle has become passionate about consumer financial literacy and developing tools to help individuals reach their goals.
Elaine Cozart
Elaine Cozart, a Client Engagement Consultant and program manager for the FICO® Score Open Access for Credit and Financial Counselors program, works with counselors and lenders to share FICO® Scores with their customers and clients. Within the team, Elaine’s key areas of focus include delivering FICO® Score training and deploying the FICO® Score Open Access program to financial services companies, non-profits, and government agencies.
Ms. Cozart brings expertise in account management and customer service, with many years of experience delivering and supporting technologies for financial services organizations. Her passion is helping others. During her career, she provided educational services to hundreds of students through her own in-home tutoring agency, as well as served on the board of an all-volunteer education foundation whose mission was to raise money for additional teachers.Elaine has a Bachelor of Science in Business Management and continues to seek out new opportunities to learn, both personally and professionally.
Dr. Teresa R. Martin, Esq.
An attorney for women real estate entrepreneurs and a profit acceleration strategist for business leaders, Teresa leverages her decades of experience as a business and investment consultant; business owner; partner; entrepreneur; real estate investor; and legal advisor, to help women business owners grow and scale their small businesses with innovative legal and consulting services that are focused on increasing their returns in their businesses.
Whether you want to build business credit, grow business income, or master your assets, Teresa helps crystalize your vision and shape existing businesses into highly successful ventures with a profitable built-in exit strategy.
Bonnie Canty, Esq.
Bonnie teaches extensively for the National Association of Certified Credit Counselors. Bonnie currently serves on the Board of Directors of the Society of Financial and Career Counseling Professionals and has been a Certified Financial Counselor for almost two decades.
Bonnie Canty is an attorney licensed in 5 states: Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, New Jersey, and New York. She obtained her Juris Doctorate degree from Hofstra School of Law. Bonnie Canty operates a general law practice law through her firm, ABC Law, PLLC. She has also been a Certified Financial Counselor for almost two decades. Bonnie Canty is the former Executive Director of DMCC, a not-for-profit 501c3 credit counseling company. She taught a legal secretary class at Florida Atlantic University and has been hired by several businesses and organizations to do training, coaching, and consulting. Bonnie Canty is currently serving on the Board of Directors of the Society of Financial and Career Counseling Professionals.
JB McGinnis
Major (Ret) J.B. McGinnis is a man of many accomplishments, with a career spanning over 25 years of service in the U.S. Army as an Engineer Officer.
With a Master of Arts degree in Human Resource Management from Wayland Baptist University, Major McGinnis has become a renowned financial literacy expert, traveling across the country conducting over 350 seminars that have helped individuals and organizations navigate their credit and debt management solutions.
His expertise in financial literacy led him to become the Greeks Learning to Avoiding Debt (GLAD) Chairman for Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity Inc, where he has provided financial literacy training to over 200 Undergraduate Chapters.
Major McGinnis's financial acumen has allowed him to achieve financial independence and retire at the age of 44. He is happily married to the intelligent and beautiful Attorney Mel B McGinnis, and they reside in Cedar Hill, Texas. Major McGinnis's vast accomplishments make him a dynamic and inspirational figure in the world of finance and entrepreneurship.
Nancy Boutot
Nancy Boutot is a Manager of Financial Empowerment at National Disability Institute (NDI). Nancy provides training on Social Security work incentives, benefits planning and work supports and other asset development strategies to empower individuals with disabilities and their families to maximize their financial capabilities.
She is a national speaker, advocate, and champion of disability rights. Nancy has her Master of Science in Psychiatric Rehabilitation.
She is a certified Community Partner Work Incentives Coordinator (CPWIC) through Virginia Commonwealth University’s National Training Center and a Certified Financial Counselor through the National Association of Certified Credit Counselors.
Tish Boyd
Tish Boyd is the owner of Beyond $avvy Consumers-a financial empowerment consultancy firm whose mission is to bridge the economic wealth divide by providing trauma-informed, motivational financial empowerment to underserved people, including system-impacted people, with an asset-building focus.
She actively works at the intersection of organizational development, dei and criminal justice, and economic empowerment. Tish has provided training and coaching nationally on specific evidence-based frameworks that support enhanced service delivery, and advances equity within colleges, correctional departments, and private organizations nationwide.
She has also trained human resource managers on the importance, and added value, of hiring system- impacted people. A certified evidence-based practitioner by the Joyfields Institute, a financial health counselor certified by the National Association of Certified Credit Counselors, and a member of the Association for Financial Counseling and Planning Education (AFCPE), Tish is currently studying to become a certified diversity, equity and inclusion executive.
Louis DeNicola
Louis DeNicola is a freelance writer who specializes in consumer credit, finance, and fraud. He's a regular contributor for Experian, FICO, and USAToday, and works with various lenders, publishers, Fortune 500s, and FinTech startups. Outside of work, you can often find Louis at his local climbing gym or cooking up a storm in the kitchen.
Coach William Moore
Coach William D. Moore specializes in addressing negative money behaviors, implementing sound financial strategies and brings over 20 years of experience as a certified credit counselor, strategist, and coach to his client.
As a Certified Credit Counselor, he is on a mission to spread financial literacy amongst his clients by providing them with professional and sound counsel needed to help them get out of financial difficulties and become financially empowered. He holds his client’s hands and takes them through the process needed to enhance their skills, knowledge, and abilities necessary to help clients stay out of financial debt problems.
His utmost integrity and strong code of ethics stem from his 17 years of service in the U.S. Army National Guard with a retired rank of Major and his certification from the National Association of Certified Credit Counselors (NACCC).
William understands that being good with money isn’t enough, so after obtaining a certification in credit counseling, he joined the Society of Financial & Career Consulting Professionals and US Black Chambers Inc to help his clients balance both their personal and business finances more effectively.
Christopher Thomas
Christopher Thomas is a self-made entrepreneur with businesses centered around real estate. His company's vision statement is “Helping motivated people achieve their real estate goals”. He is most known for assisting first-time buyers in the Rochester community. He works tirelessly to make sure they have the opportunity to own a home regardless of their current or past situation. He also works extensively with investors motivated to improve their community and make an income simultaneously.
Christopher bought his first home at 18 and has been passionate about real estate since then. He opened an independently owned real estate brokerage in 2008 which continues to grow year after year and is known as one of the best brokerages in Rochester. He credits business success to being innovative, creatively using technology, and wanting to help as many people as possible.
Future ventures for Mr. Thomas include building and developing homes and communities specifically targeted at improving the lives of lower-income individuals in Rochester and other similar cities.
Timothy Sanders
Tim Sanders is a credit education expert and credit repair specialist who has been in the industry for over 7 years. Tim is a native Floridian and a graduate of the University of Central Florida.
After suffering from several financial hardships during the 2008 financial crisis, Tim was able to repair his credit and get back on his feet. Motivated by a desire to help family and friends experiencing the same struggles, Tim founded CREDIT REPAIR OF FLORIDA, a credit service organization, located in Central Florida that educates and helps individuals with damaged credit improve their credit and leverage to reach their financial goals.
Tim has been able to help thousands of his clients obtain personal, business financing and approval for things that would have been very difficult to obtain with a low credit score. Credit Repair of Florida has also been able to help many homebuying professionals improve their bottom line by helping convert many of their turn down clients into more qualified homebuying prospects.
Tim is also a published author and teaches credit education to legal professionals as a member of the faculty at Lorman Career Services and LawPracticeCLE.
Saloam Bey
Kerri Cook
Kerri Cook is a certified Financial Counselor for the Financial Empowerment Center (FEC) in Gaithersburg, Maryland, which is a collaboration between Housing Initiative Partnership (HIP) and the City of Gaithersburg.
Through the FEC, Kerri helps improve the financial stability of residents of the City of Gaithersburg by providing them with high-quality, one-on-one financial education and coaching. Counseling services are available free of charge regardless of income or age. Everyone’s financial goals are different, and Kerri works to create a plan that will help clients meet their unique goals and needs.
Kerri brings more than 15 years of teaching, financial education, and program
management experience to HIP. She earned her bachelor’s degree in English from James Madison University, in Harrisonburg, VA, and her Master of Social Work from Jose State University.
Sarah Brady
Sarah Brady is a personal finance writer and regular contributor to Forbes Advisor, USA Today's Blueprint, FORTUNE and more.
She's written finance content for Investopedia, Experian, AARP, and her work has been syndicated by Yahoo!News and MSN. Prior to freelance writing, Sarah was a HUD-Certified Housing Counselor and NFCC-Certified Credit Counselor.
Curtis Chambers
Curtis has worked as a Financial Coach in the Greater Boston area since 2017. He prides himself on delivering culturally proficient financial coaching and education practices to his client partners. He has also volunteered as a Financial Coach for local non-profits and in the community-at-large. Curtis currently facilitates personal finance courses via the trauma of money method.
Prior to becoming a Coach, he provided in-home therapy in the Greater Boston area through a renowned nonprofit organization. Through this work, the links between financial and mental wellness became crystallized for him.
Alan Silverberg
