BC Business
Salimova helps women aged 25-32 be more financially literate
Founder and CEO, In Her Wallet
Life Story: Sofiia Salimova’s financial literacy journey started early—that’s what happens when you make a solo move from Russia to Canada at 17 years old. Budgeting her own savings and expenses was made a little easier thanks to her education (she studied finance and economics at UBC) and post-grad job (she worked in wealth management at Canaccord Genuity Corp.), but she recognized that most women aren’t so well-prepared.
“I realized that if you don’t have a background in finance, you’re left on your own,” says Salimova. She set out to create an accessible educational resource for young women—something between the credible-but-boring articles and cool-but-questionable TikTok content out there. She launched In Her Wallet, a weekly finance podcast geared toward women ages 25 to 32, in 2022. Besides the standard TFSA talk, In Her Wallet tackles topics like burnout, pre-nuptial agreements and how the mental load of household chores can affect finances. The podcast gives voice to the gender gap and offers solutions for modern problems. “For me, financial education is the cornerstone of building a successful life,” says Salimova. “It’s the foundation of everything else—your health, the time you have to spend with your family, any dreams you are fulfilling… that often comes down to your financial abilities.”
Bottom Line: In Her Wallet kicked off its third season in February. In addition to producing the podcast as a free resource, Salimova—an accredited investment representative—is launching a self-paced learning platform and offers one-on-one money coaching sessions for clients. “I’m providing a non-judgmental space that will empower women to take stock in the next phase of their financial journey,” says Salimova. Oh, and she can do so in three languages: she’s fluent in Russian, English and Mandarin.