Fuel Financial Literacy
Blaze Group facilitates business finance programming for entrepreneurial ecosystems, nonprofits, and grassroots organizations. We are committed to closing economic opportunity gaps for Black women entrepreneurs and BIPOC communities.
Our frameworks introduce participants to core financial concepts and terminology. Our world-class programs provide students with a solid understanding of financial statements, cash flow management, financial analysis, and high-stakes decision-making.
Blaze Group Programs
Choose one of our market-tested, highly rated programs or request that we design a custom one!
01
Blaze Business
Intensive™️
Framework for developing sustainable, cash flow positive models. Students increase their mastery of budgeting, cash flow projections, break-even analysis, and more!
03
Work-From-Abroad (WFA) Immersion Week™️
Programming for successfully running a location-independent business. Through this framework, students experience what it's like to successfully lead from abroad.
02
From Corporate to Entrepreneurship: Transition Planning™️
Tangible strategies for beginning entrepreneurship with purpose and precision. Perfect for individuals in the idea stage.
04
Equitable Finance: Inclusive FinTech Design™️
A year-long training program aiding fintech founders, workforce, and partners in designing equitable solutions that flatten the learning curve for un-/underbanked users.
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Strengthen financial leadership for emerging entrepreneurs in your community
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Increase the sustainability of women-owned and Black-owned businesses
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Augment your existing ecosystem with deep financial knowledge and seasoned experience
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Stimulate economic activity in your community that benefits the lives and livelihoods of local citizens
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Gain a partner that is focused on long-term building
Meet The Facilitator:
Casey Ariel Thobias
Casey Ariel Thobias has a deep passion for educating emerging leaders in the principles of business finance. Casey graduated magna cum laude with a B.S. in Corporate Finance from the University of South Carolina. She is the Founder and CEO of Blaze Group, a financial education and consulting firm closing gender and racial wealth gaps in entrepreneurship.
Casey Ariel started her career working within the Chief Financial Officer division of Bank of America at their Charlotte headquarters. She skillfully worked across the disciplines of global liquidity risk management, interest rate risk management, and enterprise stress testing before joining the Global Corporate & Investment Banking division to structure multi-billion dollar loans for utility companies. Casey relocated from the Charlotte office to the San Francisco office where she structured deals for large technology companies.
Due to Casey Ariel's extraordinary skill in education and mentorship, she served as the core credit risk program instructor for global hires of Bank of America's Global Wholesale Credit division - training incoming credit analysts from the United States, Europe, Asia, South America, and beyond.
Upon leaving Corporate America to embark on entrepreneurship, Casey Ariel offered global management consulting services. Notably, she served as the fractional Chief Credit Officer of Hello Tractor, Inc. - designing a first-of-its-kind tractor financing solution and deploying more than $10MM in capital to un-/underbanked entrepreneurs across Nigeria, Uganda, and Kenya. Today, Casey Ariel proudly serves on the Advisory Board of Kiva US.
The Perfect Partner
Partner with Blaze Group
Looking for a seasoned knowledge partner that offers culturally relevant business finance education to small businesses that generate less than $3MM in annual sales?
Look no further than Blaze Group! We can support cohort sizes as small as 10-15 students or as large as 200. Our business finance programs will seamlessly augment your existing ecosystem, creating a well-rounded experience that closes economic opportunity gaps for marginalized entrepreneurs.
Jasmine P, Kentucky
“I love that the homework is broken up into bite sized chunks that never felt overwhelming."
Kesha J, New Mexico
"It was very helpful. I walked away with a clear idea of how to move forward in my business"
Michelle T, New Jersey
“Coming from someone who doesn’t take many courses, this is one I needed.”
The Sobering Statistics
Black women entrepreneurs and diverse leaders can't afford not to understand how to raise capital, run profitable businesses, and drive long-term sustainability.
42%
The percentage of net new women-owned businesses created by Black women each day in the United States.
American Express Research
92%
The gap that the median Black woman has in net wealth ownership relative to a single White male.
Goldman Sachs
70%
The percentage of Black children that are likely to fall out of the middle class by the time they are 40 years old.
McKinsey & Company
Sharpen Financial Acumen
Strengthen the Black Dollar
Passion-Fueled Ventures
$520Bn
Added annual revenue of Black women-owned firms if parity were achieved with White women-owned firms.
American Express Research
41%
The percentage of Black women-owned businesses generating less than $5,000 in annual revenue in 2023.
Blaze Group Research
73%
The percentage of Black women entrepreneurs who are also balancing the demands of motherhood.
Blaze Group Research