Today we’d like to introduce you to Sabrina Lewis.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
My story is one of service, perseverance, and a deep commitment to helping others create greater opportunities for themselves and their families.
I am originally from Wichita Falls, Texas, and I am the third of nine children. At the age of 13, I was adopted by my grandparents. My early experiences taught me the importance of resilience, education, and having people who believe in your potential. Those experiences continue to shape how I lead and why I am so passionate about helping people move beyond challenging circumstances.
My leadership journey began while attending Lamar University, where I studied sociology and served as Student Body President. After leaving college in 2015, I joined the United States Navy and proudly served until 2022. My military experience strengthened my discipline, adaptability, and commitment to service. I later completed my degree in sociology at Lamar University, which further shaped my understanding of how social systems, financial resources, education, and opportunity affect individuals and communities.
Professionally, I bring a combined 15 years of experience in finance, program development, process improvement, and strategic planning. From 2021 to 2024, I led a municipal government citywide initiative focused on increasing access to safe and affordable banking services and financial empowerment for Houston residents. During my first full year of leadership, the initiative expanded access to banking resources and financial education to well over 500,000 residents.
Today, I serve as the CEO and President of Houston Money Week. Under my three years of leadership, Houston Money Week entered its first year as a freestanding nonprofit after operating as a community initiative since 2008. This transition marked a major milestone in the organization’s history and created new opportunities for us to expand our programs, partnerships, and impact throughout the Greater Houston area.
I also serve as the Financial Literacy Specialist for Texas Southern University, where I design and strategically implement financial literacy programming for students, faculty, staff, and the broader community. Through this role, I work to position financial education as a tool for personal empowerment, institutional impact, and community transformation.
Outside of my professional work, I have also used pageantry and writing as platforms for service and advocacy. I was crowned Ms. Black Texas USA 2020 and represented Texas at the Miss Black USA national pageant in Washington, D.C. There, I made history by receiving the most awards during the national competition, including Ms. Community Service, Ms. Congeniality, and Second Runner-Up for Ms. Black USA 2021.
I am also the author of $1.50 Love Letter to My Nieces, an ode to young Black women that encourages them to recognize their worth, embrace their voices, and understand that money is a tool—not a measure of their value.
My work has been recognized through honors such as the 2025 MLK Legacy Builder Award, the 2025 Waymaker Award, and recognition as one of Houston’s Raw, Real, and Authentic Women.
Although I am proud of these accomplishments, what matters most to me is the opportunity to serve as a source of hope, strategy, and financial empowerment for others. I firmly believe that money is a tool, and only through the proper use, maintenance, and understanding of that tool can people stop working solely for money and begin having their money work for them.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
It has not always been a smooth road for me. One of my greatest struggles has been recognizing that I cannot do everything and that being praised for doing everything is not necessarily an accomplishment. In fact, it can become a restriction that prevents others from developing, contributing, and progressing.
As previously mentioned, I was raised by my grandparents and grew up with six younger siblings. That experience placed a great deal of responsibility on me at an early age. I became so much to so many people that constantly taking care of others became a way of life for me.
When you do everything for everyone for so long, you can begin to believe that this is simply the way you are supposed to live. However, I eventually realized that doing everything for others can limit not only your own purpose and talents, but also the purpose, growth, and talents of the people around you. Sometimes, helping people means giving them the space to learn, lead, make decisions, and grow for themselves.
There was also a time in my life when I did not fully understand who I was supposed to be or what I was supposed to do. During that period, I was brave and wise enough to walk away from everything that no longer aligned with me. That decision ultimately led me to become the woman and leader I am today.
Today, one of my biggest challenges is continuing to find balance and learning to use the word “no” more often than “yes.” Every yes may be connected to a new opportunity, but it is also connected to less time—less time to rest, reflect, build relationships, and simply be a person.
I am learning that balance is not about doing everything well. It is about understanding what is truly mine to carry, creating space for others to contribute, and protecting the time I need to remain whole.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
My work sits at the intersection of financial education, strategic planning, program development, and community impact. My goal is to take complex financial information and transform it into practical, relatable, and accessible education that people can apply to their everyday lives.
Today, I serve as the CEO and President of Houston Money Week, where I lead the organization’s strategy, programming, partnerships, fundraising, operations, and long-term growth. Houston Money Week brings for profit, nonprofit organizations, educational institutions, government agencies, and community leaders together to provide free financial education, resources, and opportunities throughout the Greater Houston area.
I also serve as the Financial Literacy Integration Specialist for Texas Southern University. In this role, I design and strategically implement financial literacy programming that supports students, faculty, staff, and members of the broader community. My work goes beyond simply teaching people how to budget or save. I help individuals understand how finances connect to education, health, civic engagement, housing, career development, public policy, and their overall quality of life.
I am most well-known for helping transition our original 100 Teens initiative into the Every Teen Program and for leading Houston Money Week’s annual Essay Contest.
The Every Teen Program has served students since the 2023–2024 school year and was developed to provide young people with more comprehensive support than financial education alone. Its core pillars include financial literacy, access to identification and financial institutions, postsecondary and workforce readiness, civic engagement, and individualized support that helps students overcome barriers to opportunity.
Through our school-based programming, we have helped students obtain state identification, open bank accounts, register to vote, understand financial systems, and prepare for life after high school. At one participating school, approximately 70 students were identified as needing additional support, and 15 completed the full process during the program’s initial implementation. During another pilot, we served 68 students, helped 60 obtain identification, supported 20 students in opening bank accounts, registered 23 students to vote, and helped 20 become first-time voters.
These outcomes are important to me because they represent more than numbers. A state ID can help a young person apply for employment, enroll in college, open a bank account, access public services, travel, or participate in elections. A bank account can provide a safer place to manage money and create a connection to the financial system. Financial education can help students recognize predatory practices, understand credit, plan for their goals, and make informed decisions before costly mistakes occur.
Our annual Essay Contest is another initiative I am especially proud of. The contest creates an opportunity for middle school students, high school students, college students, adults, and seniors to reflect on how financial issues affect their lives and communities. Participants are encouraged to connect money to broader topics such as health, education, housing, family, civic engagement, and economic opportunity.
The contest also allows Houston Money Week to recognize voices that may not always be included in traditional financial conversations. In addition to providing financial awards, it gives participants an opportunity to share their experiences, strengthen their writing, think critically about financial issues, and offer solutions that may benefit their families and communities. In 2026, we received more than 70 submissions across the contest’s age categories.
I am known for building programs, partnerships, and processes that turn ideas into measurable community impact. I have a unique ability to see both the larger vision and the detailed steps required to make that vision successful. Whether I am developing a financial education initiative, establishing a strategic partnership, strengthening an organization’s internal processes, or designing programming for students and families, I focus on creating solutions that are practical, sustainable, and responsive to the people being served.
One of the accomplishments I am most proud of is leading Houston Money Week into its first year as a freestanding nonprofit after it operated as a community initiative beginning in 2008. This was a major milestone in the organization’s history and required strategic planning, organizational restructuring, relationship-building, and a clear vision for its future. I am proud that we are creating a stronger foundation that will allow the organization to expand its reach, deepen its impact, and continue serving the Greater Houston community for years to come.
I am also proud of the work I led from 2021 to 2024 through a citywide municipal initiative focused on safe and affordable banking access, financial education, and financial empowerment. During my first full year of leadership, the initiative helped connect well over 500,000 Houston residents to financial education, banking resources, and opportunities designed to strengthen their financial well-being.
What sets me apart is that I do not view financial literacy as a stand-alone subject. Money touches nearly every part of a person’s life. Financial decisions are influenced by family, education, health, employment, public policy, access to resources, and lived experiences. Because of my background in sociology, military service, finance, community leadership, and program development, I am able to approach financial education from both a human and strategic perspective.
I also bring my own lived experiences into this work. I understand what it means to navigate challenges, carry significant responsibility, and build opportunities that may not have existed before. That allows me to connect with people authentically while also creating the systems, partnerships, and strategies needed to produce lasting results.
Ultimately, I am most proud of helping people recognize that their current circumstances do not have to determine their future. I want people to understand that money is a tool—not a measure of their intelligence, worth, or potential. With the proper knowledge, management, and understanding of that tool, individuals can move beyond working only for money and begin positioning their money to work for them.
What does success mean to you?
I have always been fascinated by the word success. When I was younger, I believed success was about being recognized as someone who had accomplished something finishing first, completing a major goal, or having other people acknowledge what I had achieved. I was so connected to that idea that many of my usernames included phrases like “Key to Success.”
Today, my definition of success is rooted more deeply in courage.
Maya Angelou taught that courage is the most important of all virtues because, without it, we cannot consistently practice any other virtue. That message resonates with me because nearly everything meaningful I have accomplished required me to first have the courage to begin.
Success is having the courage to pursue an idea even when I do not know exactly how it will turn out. It is having the courage to enter spaces where something similar may already exist while still believing there is room for my voice, my vision, and the way I am called to serve.
Success is having the courage to pivot when something no longer aligns with my purpose. It is raising my standards for myself, even when I may be the only person who fully understands the vision or can see the finish line.
It is also having the courage to rest without feeling guilty, to ask for help, to make the difficult request, and to delegate instead of believing I must carry everything myself. Sometimes courage looks like bringing people together and giving direction. Other times, it looks like saying no, setting a boundary, or simply giving myself permission to be a person.
To me, success is having the courage to pursue excellence, remain open to growth, and show up intentionally in every moment even when showing up looks different than I originally imagined.
Pricing:
- Membership 100
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Contact Info:
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