Without bitterness or animosity, Brian tells the story of how he used the events that led to the lowest point in his life to propel him to unimaginable success and happiness. Brian Bean is an award-winning teacher with over 15 years of classroom experience, an entrepreneur who built a business with a national impact in education and a successful exit, and an engaging public speaker. After being victimized by a Ponzi scheme, he developed a game-changing teaching model for personal finance that students can relate to and internalize. The Real-World Classroom is an innovative approach combining a robust simulation and curriculum, providing an engaging financial literacy application component for any course. Brian has presented the model at conferences and workshops across the country, including SXSW Education's Next Stage and keynote addresses for Business Professionals of America and the Jump$tart National Educator Conference. In addition, he has been featured in podcasts, blogs, articles, and many other forums as an education innovator. He expects to complete a doctorate at Vanderbilt's prestigious Peabody College of Education in 2023. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx