Venture Valley Business Simulation by Money Confidence Project to Impact more than 1 Million American Students with Financial and Entrepreneurial Skills by 2030

Venture Valley Brings Financial Confidence to A Quarter of a Million Students in 2026 Across 135+ Schools and Through Interactive Game Events and Strategic Partnerships

PASADENA, Calif., April 2, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- In recognition of Financial Literacy Month, Venture Valley, a business simulation video game, today announced a bold national goal to educate and empower more than 1 million American students with financial literacy, financial confidence, and hands-on financial education by 2030.

In 2026 alone, Venture Valley will reach more than 220,000 college students across 135+ colleges and through interactive game competitions, campus events, and strategic partnerships with leading universities (Rio Hondo, Wichita State University, HBCU institutions and more), organizations (Gamma Phi Beta), and corporate partners (TD Bank).

Venture Valley is an interactive business simulation video game that makes financial education practical and relevant through online play, live competitions, and campus activations. Students don't just study financial concepts — they learn by doing, building critical life and business skills by growing and running virtual companies, making decisions, and seeing the outcomes in real-time, without taking the real-world risks. They gain hands-on experience with budgeting, pricing, sales, payroll, loans, investments, and more, reinforcing financial knowledge and confidence that extends far beyond the classroom.

"Venture Valley gives students a rare opportunity to experience finance and entrepreneurship in a hands-on way," said Stephanie Couch, Executive Director, Lemelson-MIT Program. "For our young inventors, learning basic business skills is a great way for them to possibly take their projects further. Venture Valley complements our invention education programs as it makes essential business skills—like budgeting, product pricing, sales, and more -- interactive and engaging, thus providing financial education that is practical, fun, and relevant for today's students."

The Venture Valley game has also been validated by independent research and third-party studies, including player surveys that have found 85% of participants gained a better understanding of business and entrepreneurship by playing Venture Valley, and 83% reported increased knowledge of financial decision-making. Venture Valley has also won more than 12 awards for innovation and effectiveness, including the prestigious Anthem Awards, Webby Awards, Money Awareness and Inclusion Awards, and multiple awards from Tech & Learning.

"Financial literacy helps every learner succeed," said Beth Harris, Managing Director of Venture Valley. "Our mission is to build financial confidence through interactive, experiential education. When students experience finance and entrepreneurship in a hands-on, fun, and competitive environment, the learning sticks."

2026 University & Partner Activations

Venture Valley's 2026 impact will be driven by expanded partnerships and on-campus events, including collaborations with:

• Rio Hondo College — bringing financial literacy gaming experiences to the school's faculty to empower them to engage its 20,000+ students through cross-institution collaboration.
  
  
• Gamma Phi Beta — a women's organization with 16,867 active collegiate members across 133 colleges that will be represented at its annual Convention in Summer 2026.
  
  
• TD Bank U.S. – partnering on financial education activations at academic institutions within the bank's footprint, including Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs).

Along with its 273,000 registered players, Venture Valley will reach students at scale — combining large-campus events, sorority networks, HBCU festivals, and national entrepreneurship pipelines to drive measurable financial knowledge growth.

During Financial Literacy Month, Venture Valley reaffirms its mission: financial literacy to help every learner succeed.

About Venture Valley
Venture Valley is an interactive business simulation game designed to make financial education engaging, accessible, and impactful for college students. Through live competitions and university partnerships, Venture Valley helps students experience finance and entrepreneurship hands-on — learning by doing while building lifelong financial confidence. A product of the Money Confidence Project, Venture Valley is a free (no in-app purchases or ads) PC and mobile (iOS and Android) game. https://venturevalleygame.com

About Money Confidence Project:

The Money Confidence Project is a 501(c)(3) public charity dedicated to helping people develop the mindset, skills and habits needed to take control of their financial futures. The organization collaborates with corporations, universities, and philanthropic partners to distribute its award-winning Million Stories video library, Venture Valley video game, and Groove personal finance app. 

Media Contacts:

Susan Lusty, Lori Mezoff
[email protected] 

SOURCE Money Confidence Project