A few years ago, Teri Ijeoma sat in her car in the parking lot of an elementary school, bracing herself for another long day as an assistant principal. Exhaustion and monotony had drained her passion for education, and she yearned for more. She dreamed of travelling the world, living on her terms, and achieving financial freedom her job couldn’t provide. When a close friend passed away unexpectedly, it was the wake-up call she needed. Eventually, Teri quit her job-betting on herself and her love for trading.
Today, Teri Ijeoma is a multi-millionaire stock trader and entrepreneur with a global following. Through her course, Trade and Travel, she has taught over 40,000 students how to trade stocks, empowering them to take control of their financial futures, just as she did.
“If money is just sitting in a savings account, then it is not growing,” Teri Ijeoma says.
Teri transforms lives through trading
Born and raised in Dallas, Texas, Teri initially planned on studying physics after graduating third in high school and earning a place at MIT. But to everyone’s surprise, she pivoted to business management and landed an internship at Morgan Stanley, where she got her first taste of the financial markets.
Even then, Teri’s heart wasn’t entirely in finance. She was drawn to education and wanted to impact people’s lives directly. Over the years, she worked for Teach For America and other educational institutions, eventually becoming an assistant principal. Yet, she still wanted more.
While Teri interned at Morgan Stanley, she learned the fundamentals of the stock market. Over the years, she deepened her knowledge through books, courses, and hands-on experience. When she decided to leave her career in education, she set a goal to make $300 a day trading stocks to fund her dream of travelling the world.
“I hope to change the narrative that investing is just for retirement and help people to use the stock market to supplement their income and improve their current lifestyle.” She told About Her Culture.
By mid-2017, she was living that dream, exploring Asia and Oceania while documenting her travels on social media. Her adventures piqued the curiosity of friends and family, who wanted to know how she could sponsor such a lifestyle. That was when Teri decided to teach others how to trade.
Leveraging her background in education, she created her first course, which has since evolved into a thriving business that is helping thousands build financial freedom.
“Trading has changed my life, because not only have I been able to reach great success, but I am helping others and hopefully inspiring them, so they know they can have this too,” she said.
As a woman of colour excelling in the predominantly white, male-dominated world of stock trading, Teri Ijeoma challenges stereotypes and creates opportunities for marginalised communities. Her work addresses systemic wealth gaps and disparities in the financial markets by equipping people with the knowledge and tools to succeed. She is proving that economic freedom is attainable for anyone willing to learn.
