As a J.P. Morgan Asset & Wealth Management professional, Zarina Yakubova had a front-row seat to what financial literacy actually looks like. She worked alongside ultra-high-net-worth families — people who understood money not as a source of stress, but as a tool they knew how to use. She watched the security they built, the opportunities they created, and the mistakes they effortlessly avoided. 

When her own children were old enough to start building that foundation, she went looking for a program that could give them the same thing. What she found wasn’t quite right — it was not holistic enough and not built around the mindset she knew mattered most. So she created one. Champs Nation was born.

What started as a solution for her own kids has grown into something Bucks County families describe as unlike any other activity. It’s a weekly program where children as young as seven begin to think, speak, and carry themselves with certainty. Not just about money. Confidence. Public speaking. Emotional intelligence. The habits that most adults wish someone had handed them at twelve.

What this Bucks County Parent LOVE Award Means

Each year, the Bucks County Parent team asks readers who they love and why through a ballot that opens in December and runs through Valentine’s Day. Families don’t just vote; they share heartfelt, specific endorsements in their own words. Their stories make the annual LOVE List a sincerely trustworthy collection of referrals because every nomination reflects a real family’s real experience.

Members like Champs Nation also collect endorsements year-round directly on their Bucks County Parent Profile Page. This year, Champs Nation’s nominations were detailed, personal, and enthusiastic, with parents describing exactly how the program changed their child.

Congratulations CHAMPS NATION, Bucks County Parent 2026 LOVE Award Winner – Best Financial Literacy Program

The Gap No One Talks About

Traditional education provides students with academic knowledge and foundational skills. However, there is still a gap in skills required to be successful in the modern world. Many young people still graduate without a strong practical understanding of how money works in everyday life — including topics like building credit, starting and running a business successfully, managing cash flow, budgeting, and understanding the difference between spending and investing. Learning these skills early is important because financial habits, discipline, and mindset are often developed at a young age. The earlier children gain exposure to real-world financial principles, the more confident, responsible, and prepared they become for future opportunities and challenges. 

Zarina noticed this gap long before she left her career at J.P. Morgan. Working inside one of the world’s most prestigious private banks, she watched what financially successful families were able to do. But it was becoming a mom that pushed her to act.

“When my kids started reaching the age where they were ready to absorb real world knowledge, I went looking for a program and couldn’t find one that was truly holistic and profound” she says. “So I built it.”

She had also reached an inflection point in her career. Rather than pursue the path of a private bank advisor — a role that can generate extraordinary income — she chose something different.

“People can become bankers. But I haven’t met anyone yet determined to fill this gap. I took a step back to make two, three, ten steps forward in providing a framework for people leading to bigger opportunities in life — because positive impact has always driven me.”

Zarina Yakubova, Founder, Champs Nation

Champs Nation launched with a simple promise: teach kids the things that matter in a way they can actually absorb, while making it genuinely fun to show up.

What Bucks County Families Are Saying

The families who found Champs Nation don’t have trouble explaining what it does. They have trouble imagining what their kids would be without it.

“Champs Nation meets a need that doesn’t exist in our region — or anywhere that I have seen,” writes parent Rachel E. “The experiences have been incredibly self-empowering to my son. I have learned a great deal, as well.”

Parent Marina K., whose two children have been enrolled for over two years, describes the program as giving kids a foundation “to make wiser choices and plan for a successful future” and notes a confidence gain in public speaking she didn’t fully anticipate when she first signed up.

For parent Ed T., the applied learning stood out most: “Zarina organizes business fairs where students create something to sell, set up their stand, and present what they’ve learned about money and managing it. Confidence, public speaking, and real-world skills — all baked in.”

And student Juliana O. put it plainly: “Champs Nation is honestly one of the best programs out there. Zarina makes financial literacy easy to understand and actually fun. Being part of it has really prepared me for the real world.”

What a Champs First Class Actually Looks Like

Students — called “Champs” by design — don’t walk into a classroom. They walk into something closer to a boardroom for kids.

“I don’t want it to feel like school,” Zarina says. “I’m not your teacher. I’m your best friend.” She builds a comfort zone first — asking questions, listening to interests, giving every child space to arrive as themselves. Then the mindset work begins.

In a single first class, Zarina covers emotional intelligence, ownership of mistakes, and the habits that distinguish people who build financial security from those who spend their lives reacting to money. She introduces real-world leaders, from the creator of Pokémon cards to ten-year-old CEOs, and asks each child: where do you want to be?

“It’s not about numbers,” she explains. “It’s about mindset. Negotiation. Public speaking. How to think like someone who understands value.”

Parent Yelena S. describes what that looks like from the outside: “Children just gravitate to her. They learn so much and can’t wait for class each week. We can’t say enough good things.”

Parent Haneen D. echoes that: “My kids already feel like business owners. She’s not only teaching them how to succeed later in life — she’s building their confidence in the moment.”

“Programs are designed for them to succeed not only in the future, but in the present — to become successful individuals, not just successful adults someday.”

— Zarina Yakubova, Founder, Champs Nation

The Champs Nation Business Fair: Where Learning Goes Live

Champs Nation holds business fairs at least once a year, where Champs bring real products to a real marketplace, and sell to real customers. The range of what Champs bring is remarkable: 3D-printed gadgets, handmade jewelry, original artwork, crepes from a family with a food truck background, STEM robotics, slime, homemade ice cream (which sold out entirely last year), and — potentially — a live horse photo booth.

Each business fair builds on the last. In the first fair, the goal is simple: show up and don’t hide. In the second, make at least a dollar in profit. By this fair, Champs are expected to double their earnings, refine their marketing, and bring customers to their booth — not just wait for them.

“If each of you brings 25 people and they spend just $5 to $10, you’re looking at $250 in revenue,” Zarina tells her Champs. “We’re talking about real math now.”

At the end of the fair, Champs can win awards voted on by visitors — for best customer communication, best presentation, and most profit earned. Certificates and prizes are given not to rank children, but to honor specific skills.

More Than a Class: Who Champs Nation Serves

Champs Nation offers weekly, in-person classes for children starting around age seven, with group sizes intentionally kept small so every child gets real attention. Classes are available in the Richboro/Southampton/Newtown area. Zarina serves as an inspirational speaker for children and adults on various topics including mindset, the importance of financial success, as well as values. Zarina works with homeschooling families and groups who need scheduling flexibility.

But Champs Nation has grown well beyond its original format. The program now reaches a wide range of students and communities:

• School classrooms across the region, including Council Rock High School finance honors classes and Hillcrest Elementary School
• Girl Scout and Boy Scout troops earning financial literacy badges
• Summer camps seeking on-site enrichment programming
• A growing adult program — which enrolled about 50 participants within its first few months, drawn by the same word-of-mouth reputation that parents had been building for years

The adult program is co-developed with a seasoned real estate investor and multi-business entrepreneur. It focuses on the practical financial and business knowledge most people wish they’d had earlier: taxes, credit, business structure, and how to move from employee to entrepreneur. Zarina recently held a graduation dinner for her first adult cohort. “What they said was so sincere,” she reflects. “I wish everyone could have heard it.”

The Credentials Behind the Curriculum

Zarina holds a certification from the National Financial Educators Council and a certificate in Entrepreneurship Essentials from Harvard University. Her 14 years at J.P.  Morgan Asset & Wealth Management — one of the country’s most prestigious private banking divisions — gave her a front-row view of what financially sophisticated families do differently. In addition, she has experience from a wide range of leadership roles, including Global & NAMR Chair of Sage BRG organization at J.P. Morgan, serving over 7,000 members globally, as well as being part of the Women & Wealth Committee leadership team in Private Bank. That’s the knowledge she’s now made accessible to every family, regardless of their starting point.

She also actively applies that educational philosophy in her classroom. Champs are encouraged to use the latest technologies and resources available, for example using AI tools as time-saving resources and to enhance ideas or projects.

What Champs Nation Looks Like in Five Years

Zarina has a clear vision: make Champs Nation accessible to as many communities as possible, in the U.S. and eventually internationally. That means scholarships and grants for families who can’t afford the program. More speakers. More events. A facility that functions as a one-stop shop for families who want to raise financially capable, entrepreneurially minded kids.

“While I appreciate schools, the environment we are creating at Champs Nation is unlike a traditional school/classroom environment,” she says. “I want them to feel like business owners and confident leaders. They speak up, brainstorm, solve problems, set goals, and while keeping a fun atmosphere, they learn to be intentional about each day.” And if this year’s LOVE Award nominations are any indication, that’s exactly what Bucks County families are walking away feeling.

Looking for a Financial Literacy Program for Kids in Bucks County?

If you’re searching for a program that builds real confidence, real skills, and a real sense of what’s possible, Champs Nation is enrolling new students in Bucks County now. First-time families can attend an introductory group class for free.

Visit champsnation.com to learn more about available classes, upcoming events, and how to get started.

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Champs Nation will hold several upcoming events for Bucks County community member to get involved with their programs. For more upcoming introductory classes, please visit Champs Nation’s events page.

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Photos courtesy of Champs Nation, as seen in the Best for Families Guide.

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