Lourdes de la Mata Little: Gears Junior Achievement to build youth financial literacy

Lourdes de la Mata Little helped lead Goodwill of South Florida for 23 years. Working as the non-profit’s chief marketing officer, she reversed the “rags to riches” trope, anticipating the increasing appreciation for thrift shopping and creating a cohesive brand from a previously fragmented portfolio of businesses.

As a Miami native whose family hails from Cuban and Spain, Ms. Little’s long-standing community relationships position her for her latest role at Junior Achievement of Greater Miami. This year, the local chapter of the worldwide non-profit youth organization announced the appointment of Ms. Little as CEO and president 

Drawing on over two decades in mission-driven communications, Ms. Little aims to bring Junior Achievement’s (JA) financial literacy curriculum to more students in grades K-12 and develop the future leaders of Miami. She is heading an effort to raise awareness of the resources JA Miami has to offer, especially to the tech and STEM companies that have relocated to the area. 

As CEO and president, her duties also include overseeing the organizations array of programs including the JA Company Program, the Stock Market Challenge and the Student Managed Investment Fund, which are geared to teach students how to run a business and wisely invest profits in the stock market. JA Miami reaches over 35,000 students in the county school system annually through lessons in financial literacy, work and career readiness and entrepreneurship. 

Ms. Little is a founding member of Chief, a global networking group for executive women, showcasing her commitment to advancing women’s leadership in the corporate world. Her skill set extends to filmmaking, where she served as executive producer of an award-winning documentary, For Once In My Life, about the Spirit of Goodwill band, which celebrates the talents of musicians with disabilities.

Ms. Little spoke with Miami Today reporter Genevieve Bowen.  

Miami Today publishes a Book of Leaders every year. This book is a compilation of all The Achievers profiled in every edition.

The information in this book is available nowhere else – the stories of the women and men who are shaping the development of Greater Miami.