ABOUT
US:
THE COMPANY:
The “It’s A Habit!” Company, Inc. (IAHC) is a socially
conscious micro-enterprise 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 developed and tested a children’s character
(Sammy Rabbit), 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, One Mind, and One 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 - Founders
Sam X Renick, Author, Founder & CEO
Sam X Renick has been a SOURCE and FORCE for early financial education since 1998. He is a former financial adviser turned award wining author, song writer, social entrepreneur, and founder of the Los Angeles based It's a Habit Company. Sam and his main character, the lovable "Sammy Rabbit" are recognized internationally for their passion and dedication to helping youth and their families learn about great financial habits.
Sam has personally read "Sammy Rabbit" stories and sang his songs inspiring great money habits and the dreams of over 250,000 children in 8 countries and 40 states.
Both Sam and those who have used his stories and songs to deliver financial education have garnered media attention and earned multiple awards including the Institute for Financial Literacy Children Book of the Year Award and the California Jump$tart Coalition Leadership Award.
For his contributions and innovations to both financial and general literacy, in April 2009, Loyola Marymount University, inducted Sam onto its Entrepreneurs Wall of Honor.
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.
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.
KEY PEOPLE AND ADVISORS
Michael L. Chindamo - Director of Business Development
For more than 30 years, Michael Chindamo has managed his clients' financial portfolios, created business succession plans, and expertly crafted financial strategies for families and their businesses. Michael is a founder of Fautores Family Offices, where he serves as the Managing Director of the firm's Family Office services. Michael is a Certified Financial Planner Certificant(TM), an Accredited Investment Fiduciary(TM), and a Certified Succession Planner(TM).
Michael has diverse and substantial experience in the financial management industry. From founding a nationally renowned multi-family office firm in New Jersey that specialized in professional athlete management and family enterprises, to serving as owner and president of a property restoration franchise that developed a specialization in historic properties, Michael has developed multiple areas of expertise that give him a rare and unique perspective, allowing him to provide world-class counsel and advocacy to his clients.
Michael has turned around more than thirty businesses throughout his career, and he introduced multiple mergers and acquisitions and investment banking opportunities to some of the major wire houses he worked for in the 1980s. Moreover, Michael has hands-on experience advising financial service providers and independent RIAs, construction trades, indoor air quality (IAQ) businesses, HVAC, health spa companies, music and related artists, franchisees, and family and children's financial education firms.
Uniquely, Michael invented the FFA Journal in 2002. The "Journal" is a unique software application that organizes one's financial documents and records, family memories, and other important family data that can be recorded with music, animation, writing, and film.
Michael has a very special interest in financial education for children.
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.
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.
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