Opportunity Knock$

Photo (L-R): Opportunity Coaches Jean Chatzky, Louis Barajas, and Patrice Washington

Courtesy of APT

Meet six families who are paired with renowned financial experts to help them take control of their finances.

At a time when more than 60% of Americans are living paycheck-to-paycheck, a lack of knowledge on financial resources and strategy continually prevents many families and individuals from identifying ways to break free from financial hardship.  Opportunity Knock$, a 13-part series premiering Thursday, October 27, 2022 at 9:30 p.m. on WXXI-TV, will show six families a different way forward by pairing them with renowned financial experts to take control of their finances by providing them - and viewers - with actionable advice, tools and community resources.

The families, whose paths to financial hardships include relatable experiences such as reliance on credit and medical debt will each be paired with one of series’ three Opportunity Coaches: Jean Chatzky, TODAY’s financial editor and AARP Financial Ambassador; Louis Barajas, the first Latino to serve as a Director on the Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards; and Patrice Washington, “America’s Money Maven” and host of the Redefining Wealth podcast.  The series is hosted by Ronaldo Hardy, Co-owner/Chief Diversity & Inclusion Officer at CU Strategic Planning Tacoma, WA.

These coaches will work with the families to understand their unique financial goals and challenges, advise them on best practices and connect them with nonprofits, financial coaches, Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFIs) and not-for-profit credit unions in their own communities.  Viewers will also be able to locate these valuable resources in their hometowns and nationally via the online Opportunity Finder. This unique database is actively seeking nonprofits, CDFIs and Minority Depository Institutions (MDIs) for inclusion.

Opportunity Knock$ is distributed to PBS stations nationally by American Public Television (APT) and presenting station WXXI Public Media. The show is part of the Opportunity Initiative funded by the nonprofit, National Council For Financial Opportunities. Additional funding is provided by Balance and Callahan and Associates.  The series is executive produced by Brian Spoor, Jamie Strayer, and Jenn George Hunter.