Bios

Jason Alderman
Jason Alderman is a senior director at Visa Inc. and runs the company’s global financial literacy initiative, which includes the award-winning Practical Money Skills for Life and What’s My Score? programs. As part of his work at Visa, Mr. Alderman writes a weekly personal finance column that is carried in over 500 community newspapers throughout the U.S.

Prior to joining Visa at the start of 2006, Mr. Alderman handled communications for Pacific Gas and Electric Company, one of America's largest utilities. Mr. Alderman’s career also included service as a Congressional staffer in Washington, D.C. on the House Appropriations Committee and as the legislative director for the late Rep. Sidney Yates of Illinois. In that post, he helped oversee the multi-billion dollar budgets for the U.S. Department of the Interior and the Smithsonian Institution.

Mr. Alderman sits on the board of the JumpStart Coalition for Personal Financial Literacy and is the founder of the Bay Area Center for Voting Research.

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Lisa Gallimore Withers
Lisa is the national trainer for Visa’s Practical Money Skills for Life Program. She travels the country speaking to educators, administrators, and students about financial literacy and the educational resources available through the program.

She has recently spoken to student groups at the University of Washington, University of South Florida, and Texas A&M to promote financial literacy on college campuses. Lisa has also delivered the Practical Money Skills program for organizations and associations including: California School to Career Academy, Future Business Leaders of America Regional and State Conferences, Wisconsin Financial Institute, and the Kansas Business Leaders Association.

Variny Yim
Variny Yim is an independent communications and financial education consultant. Currently, she works as: a Financial Literacy Trainer for Visa, Inc.; the Regional Director of Western States for the Jump$tart Coalition for Personal Financial Literacy; and a blogger for the Practical Money Skills for Life website. Previously, Variny was Director of the American Savings Education Council (ASEC) in Washington, DC. She also collaborated on a book entitled, The Teen Girl's Gotta-Have-It Guide to Money, with Jessica Blatt Press. Variny began her career as a print and broadcast journalist at USA WEEKEND, USA TODAY, and NBC. Later, she did public relations for high-profile companies such as Maxis/Electronic Arts, Starbucks Coffee Company, 24 Hour Fitness, Kodak.com, and Monsanto.