ABOUT US:


THE COMPANY:
The “It’s A Habit!” Company, Inc. (IAHC) is a socially conscious startup corporation located in Los Angeles, California that is dedicated to teaching financial literacy and other empowering life skills and habits in a strategic manner (ie. both entertaining and educational) to youths of all ages, with a focus on young children and their families. To achieve this objective, IAHC has spent the last five years developing and testing a children’s character (Sammy), messages, products and services. The result of those efforts is Sammy ... a rabbit with great habits! Simply put, Sammy is a wholesome, positive, multi media, multilingual message machine everyone can be proud to be associated with. Sammy's first and favorite great habit is to save money.

MISSION:
Globally provide children, families and organizations with strategic tools (ie. educational and entertaining) that encourage the multiplication of good habits, especially saving money.
Objective:
The objective of IAHC efforts is to make the American dream accessible to kids no matter who they are, where they come from, or what language they and their parents speak at home.
Slogan:
Changing Lives One Habit and Dime at a Time!

VALUES:
1. Begin Early. IAHC believes that in order to be effective and produce lasting results it is essential to start exposing children to solid financial habits at an early age prior to their forming life long debilitating attitudes and habits toward money. IAHC believes this because: (1) as humans we are creatures of habit; and (2) studies reflect that advertisers are increasingly targeting children at earlier and earlier ages making it more difficult to influence them as they grow older.
2. Entertaining and Educational. IAHC further believes that financial literacy and life skill products and services must be both entertaining and educational if they are going to be effective in today’s media driven environment.
3. Involvement. IAHC believes it’s important to involve and engage parents, educators, partners and especially children in the execution of its mission and creation of its products and services.
4. Emphasize Reading & Writing. Although IAHC’s financial literacy and life skill messages will be delivered in a variety of media, IAHC places special importance on emphasizing to children the importance of reading and writing and using books as often as practical as a delivery mechanism.
5. Support Parents, Educators & Partners. IAHC believes that one of the best ways to help children is by providing parents, educators and partners with effective financial literacy and life skill tools that catalyze thoughtful conversation on the topic of money, saving and habits.
6. The Messages. From every dollar save a dime and saving is a habit are two messages, when practiced, that change and empower lives. IAHC believes people who practice these messages create options and independence in their lives. Furthermore, they are better positioned to go to college, own homes, make investments, start businesses and help others.
7. Reinvestment, Education & Community. IAHC believes that at every stage of growth and development of the company it is critical to actively and tangibly reinvest in education and the community on a local, regional and national level.

HISTORY - It All Began With a Dream
It all began in October 1998 with Sam X Renick's (a.k.a. “Sam, Sam the Money Man”) dream to help kids from every economic, cultural and geographic strata learn to save and read. After having numerous adults share with him their regret for not having started to save or invest earlier in their lives, Sam began writing It’s a Habit, Sammy Rabbit! with assistance from his Financial and Insurance Services partner Alonso Silva Jr. (a.k.a. “Ponchito”). Sam and Alonso later teamed up with illustrator Juan “The Honduran Express” Alvarado and former Disney graphic designer, Carlos Rodriguez to form IAHC.

PEOPLE - Key Personnel
Sam X Renick, Author, Founder & CEO
Sam X Renick graduated from Loyola Marymount University in 1980 with a business degree. He spent the next twelve (12) years working for TRW and SAIC in subcontract and project management where he became intimately familiar with the design and development process. As a result of immediately practicing the “from every dollar save a dime” philosophy, Sam was able to change careers twice, first in 1993 to start his own financial and insurance consulting firm and later to form IAHC in 1998.

Alonso Silva Jr., Board of Directors / Board of Advisors
Alonso Silva Jr. originally met Sam X Renick in 1978 while attending Loyola Marymount University. The two have been friends ever since. Alonso graduated in 1982 with a business degree. He spent the next fifteen (15) years as a Sales Executive in the healthcare industry working with FHP and Blue Shield of California. In 1997 Alonso formed his owned health insurance practice. Later in the same year Alonso and Sam merged their practices and formed SXR Financial & Insurance Consultants. In 1998, Alonso helped Sam start IAHC and develop the company’s first book It’s a Habit, Sammy Rabbit. In 2001 Alonso pursued one of his passions, real estate, and entered the mortgage lending business. In 2003 he received his broker’s license and formed Cal Best Mortgages. Alonso is also active in the community and serves on the Board of Directors of the Salesian Boys & Girls Club.

Juan Alvarado, Illustrator
Juan Alvarado is a student at Pasadena’s Art Center College of Design. He is a self-taught artist and has been practicing his craft since the age of six. Juan was selected to illustrate Sammy as a result of having had his character artwork overwhelmingly chosen by children from a sampling of several artists.
www.junduras.com

Carlos Rodriguez, Graphic Design
Carlos Rodriguez is a graduate of Pasadena Art Center College of Design and spent six (6) years with Disney designing graphics, supporting product development, product displays and branding before establishing his own graphic design firm, Alto Studios.

Mark Celio, Marketing
Mark is a recent graduate and Ignatian Award winner from Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles. Mark has a passion for social entrepreneurialism.

BOARD OF ADVISIORS
Dr. David Choi - Business and Finance
Dr. Choi is a recognized management educator in the field of Entrepreneurial Management, Venture Financing and Strategy. He is an experienced business professional with a solid track record of success with large multi-national corporations and entrepreneurial ventures. He has an expertise in evaluating investment opportunities and developing innovative business and marketing strategies. He is also the founding member of the Global Leradership Institute at the Harvard Business School.

Dr. Candace Poindexter - Child Development and Education
Dr. Poindexter is a child development and literacy expert and a full time education professor.

Tom Phillips, Business - Sales and Distribution
Tom has over 25 years of national retail distritubtion experience and was the  key figure in the conceptualization, development & growth of a $700M retail distribution company.

Mercedes Cerros – Education
Mercedes is a consultant for Early Head Start Programs within the Division of Head Start State Preschool for the Los Angeles County Office of Education (LACOE), where she also previously served as Assistant Principal in the Division of Juvenile Court & Community Schools. Over the last ten years, she has worked as an elementary, middle and high school teacher for LACOE, Glendale and Los Angeles Unified School Districts and was twice named teacher of the year.

Eddie Chan – Business
Eddie is a graduate of business from Loyola Marymount University and a Financial Advisor with UBS PaineWebber in Beverly Hills. His background includes trust and estate planning, wealth transfer and business succession planning. Eddie actively participates in causes specifically geared towards children and serves on the Board of Directors for Kids with a Cause.

Victor Gonzalez - Entertainment
Victor Gonzalez is a native of Los Angeles and a graduate of Cal State Los Angeles, where he studied marketing and photography and caught the show business bug. He has spent the last 18 years working on a variety of television shows that have included programs such as Alf, Rosanne, Home Improvement, the George Lopez Show and Reba. He began his career working as a cameraman and worked his way to becoming an independent producer/director of sitcoms, commercials, PSA's and other informative television as well as work as a creative consultant. Victor has helped IAHC direct and create stories, music and various video productions over the last 4 years.

Mary Norris – Education
Mary is a native Californian, born in Glendale and a graduate of Whittier College. She has 33 years of experience in teaching and administration of elementary, intermediate and adults in the Montebello Unified School District. Presently Mary is Principal of Potrero Heights Elementary School. The school has achieved academic success through implementing the California State Standards and has been a Title I Achieving School for two successive years.

Greg Renick – Public Relations
Greg Renick is a native of Los Angeles and a graduate of St. Mary's College of California. His background includes three years as a reporter for the Pomona-Progress Bulletin and more than 17 years on the public affairs staffs of the California Museum of Science and Industry and the California Office of Emergency Services. Greg has helped IAHC with story writing and editing, and has advised IAHC on public relations matters over the last four years.

Monique Renick – Education
Monique is a substitute teacher for The Los Angeles Unified School District. She has been instrumental in the development of curricula that correlates with education standards.

 

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