EarnNest

Help kids understand financial concepts before they handle real money. Learn with Raven through lessons, games, and AI guidance.

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Inspiration

We kept noticing that most kids’ finance apps are essentially digital piggy banks with a parent dashboard. Apps like Greenlight and BusyKid focus on managing money kids already have, tracking allowances, controlling spending, and monitoring transactions.

But none of them actually focus on teaching kids what money means.

We all remembered being teenagers and realizing we had no idea what a credit score was, why saving mattered, or how interest works. Those concepts only became important once real financial decisions were already happening.

That felt like a fixable problem.

So we asked: what if financial literacy worked like Duolingo, taught through small lessons, simple concepts, and habits built over time?

What it does

Our app is a financial literacy learning app designed for kids aged 9–12 that helps them build smart money habits in a fun and interactive way.

Kids learn important concepts like saving, budgeting, and making good spending choices through short lessons with our friendly mascot, Raven, who guides them through conversations and activities.

EarnNest also includes an AI assistant that can answer questions and help kids plan and reach their financial goals.

In Parent Mode, parents can view their child’s progress, approve goal requests, and assign chores or tasks, making it easy for families to connect real-world earning and saving with what kids learn in the app.

How we built it

Tech Stack:

  • next.js
  • typescript
  • firebase for authentication, database and APIs
  • Gemini API for AI features
  • CSS for styling

All illustrations were sketched in Procreate, then finalized into vector drawings in Adobe Illustrator.

UX/UI design for the app was planned and built in FigJam and Figma.

Challenges we ran into

The biggest challenge was scope.

Our team started with many ideas including a daily streaks system, an in-app shop system, and a full parent reporting dashboard. As the project progressed, we had to narrow our focus and cut several features to ensure we could deliver a working product within the hackathon time frame.

Another challenge was coordinating work across design and development under tight time constraints. Splitting tasks required constant communication and quick hand-offs between teammates.

Accomplishments that we're proud of

We're proud of how we were able to create a functional and visually appealing product within the span of 23 hours, running purely on sugar, caffeine, and adrenaline. Since many of our team members were first time hackathon participants, this was a huge accomplishment.

What we learned

One of the biggest lessons from this project was the importance of prioritizing a clear MVP.

At the beginning, it was easy to focus on ambitious features. But as time progressed, we learned to focus on the core experience that best demonstrated the idea.

We also learned how important communication is when working under tight deadlines. Frequent check-ins and quick adjustments helped keep the project moving forward.

What's next for EarnNest

A few more learning modules were planned but ultimately cut due to time constraints. Moving forward, we would like to add more engaging modules that teach kids more complex concepts like how investing and the credit system works.

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