Isha Patel, a 16-year-old junior at James B. Conant High School, is the author of “Invest-Teen: The Ultimate Teen Investing Guide.”
Courtesy of Isha Patel
Isha Patel is convinced that financial literacy is not just a privilege — it’s an essential life skill.
Currently in her junior year at James B. Conant High School in Hoffman Estates, she wrote “Invest-Teen: The Ultimate Teen Investing Guide,” inspired by her enthusiasm for finance and teaching.
“This journey began early last year when I realized I wanted to delve deeper into investing,” Patel shared, hailing from Elk Grove Village. “I visited the library and borrowed a few books … I was looking for clear investment strategies, but found many of them lacking in depth.”
Noticing that most introductory finance books either oversimplified the topic or made it overly complex, Patel returned to library resources to seek out more advanced works.
“I recognized there was a significant gap in resources for beginner investors,” Patel stated. “As someone who is passionate about economics and business, if I was having trouble grasping these investment concepts, I knew many high school students would also be facing challenges.”
Isha Patel, a 16-year-old junior at James B. Conant High School, authored and self-published “Invest-Teen: The Ultimate Teen Investing Guide.”
Courtesy of Isha Patel
Since childhood, Patel aspired to become an author, illustrator, and educator. Last April, she took strides toward achieving all three by writing and publishing a financial education book tailored for teenagers.
“I aimed to make investing more approachable and easier to grasp for everyone, which motivated me to create ‘Invest-Teen,’” Patel explained.
During the summer of 2024, she immersed herself in learning the basics of business and finance. She then shared a draft of her book with her English teacher for feedback before self-publishing via Amazon Direct Publishing.
The book features an easy-to-follow layout, with text color-coded by difficulty level: beginner, intermediate, and expert. Patel asserts that readers of all ages, regardless of their financial knowledge, can benefit from the content.
Additionally, Patel set an accessible price of $6.99 on Amazon.com, making the book affordable for high school students.
“It costs less than the average Starbucks pink drink,” she remarked. “It’s quite inexpensive, and I consider buying this book itself a valuable investment.”
For those who may still struggle to afford it, Patel provides free ebook copies of “Invest-Teen” along with resources for educators wishing to impart financial education to their students.
Patel is also the CEO of Illuminate Business, a nonprofit focused on helping young people explore opportunities in business and finance careers.
“We offer content related to finance, covering personal finance as well as business career exploration, recognizing that many teenagers are unaware of economic trends and the finance sector in general — our goal is to prepare them for a successful financial future,” Patel explained.
Patel began overseeing the Illuminate Business team as a freshman, which consists of an executive board from the U.S., a board of directors, and a general team — all made up of high school students from across the globe.
“Having a global team enables us to reach a much wider audience,” Patel noted. “We’ve managed to connect with individuals in 41 countries — and I hope to expand even further.”
The Illuminate Business team includes members from India, Canada, and various countries in Europe, South America, and Asia.
Patel emphasized that the team shares informative content about business and finance on social media to engage teens and sends out bimonthly newsletters, reminding subscribers how they can enhance their personal financial skills.
“I enjoy how we’ve utilized their preferred platforms to create something both educational and enjoyable for them,” Patel stated.
Family support has been crucial in Patel’s journey as a young author and entrepreneur.
With one year remaining before her high school graduation, Patel aspires to attend the University of Pennsylvania to study business and finance.
She believes young adults should not feel constrained by their age.
“They often think, ‘I’ll achieve something significant when I’m older,’” she said. “I’m grateful to have found an outlet that allows me to share my passion with the world at a younger age.”
Proceeds from sales of “Invest-Teen” will support Illuminate Business as it seeks to broaden its global impact, she added.
