Profile: Krupali Patel

“My grandfather prepared free meals every day for thousands of people. My family was very good at giving,” Krupali Patel said as she reflected on her money story. Having grown up in Zambia, Krupali was aware of two starkly different worlds from an early age. Her father, who had started with nothing, became quite successful. So, the family never wanted for anything. At the same time, she saw children walking to school barefoot because their parents could not afford shoes. While she was blessed with an excellent education, Krupali knew that many of those children would never have the same opportunity. As a result, she grew up with a consciousness about how to spend money and with a commitment to serve.

That desire took Krupali to the United States where she attended college, then medical school and residency. Having witnessed people dying from easily treatable diseases, Krupali knew that she wanted to work among the poor who suffer under deplorable health conditions and medical systems. She also knew – or thought she knew – that the way to financial freedom was to work hard, save your money in a bank, and spend it wisely. That was the case until she participated in the Financial Courage course that is a collaboration of Invest for Better and the Women’s Money Lab.

In her words, the course was a “godsend.” She always wanted to make a difference in the world through good works, but had no idea that it was possible to do so with her money. Before joining Invest for Better, Krupali had never talked about money. She hadn’t thought about where she kept it or that there were ways to invest it for positive change. “Through the courses I have taken at Invest for Better, I realized this was a possibility. I realized I can do this. And, I realized that I am not alone. A lot of women are doing this.” In addition to the Financial Courage course, Krupali also participated in two Deep Dives. “This experience gave me so much hope and made me feel so much more confident. I can’t believe it has been less than a year since I started. I have grown so much!”

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