Our Founder
J. Chuchi Arevalo, CFA, CFE
Founder and CEO
Chuchi founded SPARK business academy in 2015 with the mission to empower students of all ages with essential financial literacy skills and an entrepreneurial mindset.
SPARK is the financial literacy partner at over 250 public and private schools, including many of the top schools in the country and outside of the US, as well as youth organizations like Girl Scouts and Jack and Jill. SPARK also partners with employers and provides financial wellness services empowering employees to reduce financial anxiety and take control of their finances.
Before launching SPARK, Chuchi enjoyed a successful career in finance as a Director at PwC’s Financial Services Advisory practice, where he managed large-scale, multi-million dollar engagements at some of the most prominent global banks and led numerous corporate training programs for staff. Chuchi was a key member of the September 11 Victim Compensation Fund (VCF), which awarded over $7 billon to victims of the 9/11 terrorist attacks. Chuchi also gained experience in M&A and antitrust matters as an Associate at Economists Incorporated.
Chuchi earned an MBA with an emphasis in finance from the Georgetown University McDonough School of Business and a BA (Hons) degree in Economics from the University of West London, England. Chuchi is a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) charterholder and a Certified Fraud Examiner (CFE).
Chuchi serves as Board member and Treasurer at Empowering Enrichment, a non-profit with the mission to provide scholarships to low-income students for enrichment programs.