Stephone Coward is inspired by the #BankBlack movement, Black Wall Street, and a San Francisco banking desert

Name: Stephone M. Coward II

Age: 36

Neighborhood: Dallas-Fort Worth

Occupation: Co-founder of BankBlackUSA, a mobile app and grassroots collective borne from the #BankBlack movement that is focused on building awareness, resiliency and wealth for Black communities in America. Former banker for nearly two decades with several banks including Capital One, Citi, & JP Morgan Chase. Also featured in Forbes.

Where do you bank? 

I bank with OneUnited, Citizens Trust, and USAA.

Why did you choose those banks?   

I chose both OneUnited and Citizens Trust because they are both Black-owned banks, and I believe in the need for Black-owned banks to exist and thrive. I chose USAA years ago when I was just starting out because I come from a military family and they offer great perks for family members of those who have served.

What’s the top thing you need in a bank? 

Mobile banking.

Describe what you do in your job, in one sentence. 

I write about why #BankingBlack matters, create content and data visualizations for the BankBlackUSA app, and manage projects across various other side hustles (always building, always learning).   

What’s a piece of money advice you live by? Create a routine of saving, even if it's as small as a penny, so that it eventually becomes second nature.

Are you a finance person? 

Well, I’ve worked in banking for most of my life, but I personally don’t consider myself a finance person. I’m not a fan of math, but I’m good at it. Imagine that. LOL.

What’s a finance person, anyway? 

RIGHT?!

What was the name of the first bank you ever had an account with? 

It was a small-town bank that doesn't exist anymore. I wish I could remember its name.

Do you remember anything from going to the bank as a kid? 

I remember how kind the bankers were and how they remembered our names, even mine as a kid. Maybe that influenced my decision to spend the last 17 years in the industry.

Tell us about a neighborhood that’s special to you, and why it’s special. 

I’ve got two. One is the Greenwood District in Tulsa, Oklahoma, which was a historic freedom colony where Black Wall Street was located. Greenwood inspired the design of BankBlackUSA. The second is the Bayview-Hunters Point community in San Francisco. It’s an African-American historical district that has become a banking desert. I’m working with others to court a Black-owned bank, credit union or financial empowerment center there. 

What’s the last thing you used cash for? 

Probably as a gift during the Christmas holidays. 

Cash, card, or Venmo? 

Card, without question. 

What finance-related article, book, or movie has made an impression on you?

The Color of Money, by Mehrsa Baradaran. 

If you were the professor of an economics class, what would your course be called? 

Navigating the Law of Diminishing Returns through Supply and Demand.

What does wealth mean to you? 

When your monthly obligations to survive are fulfilled with ease and you can be a blessing to others and pursue things you are passionate about. 

Can you give a recent example of how you used your money to make a difference? 

I’ve been providing some angel funding to the work of up-and-coming entrepreneurs in the Dallas-Fort Worth area that are doing some amazing work. 

What will you do with all the bank interest you’ll earn in the next year? 

Ha! Bank interest? What's that? Interest rates are SO LOW. I’ll put whatever I get into building BankBlackUSA and its new sister nonprofit, The COWRIE Initiative. 

Finish these sentences:

Money_

…is a tool, not the world.

Banks _

… have a lot of opportunity and work to do in the innovation department.

Mighty _

…Deposits is doing a GREAT JOB! 

(Aww, shucks.)

What’s a dream you have for the world? 

For us all to do business in a way that does not compromise the ability of the next generation to thrive. 

Others answering 21 questions with Mighty