Costa Mesa, Calif. – For the second consecutive year, a four-student team from Fisk University took the top prize in the 2026 #IYKYK Pitch Competition (If You Know, You Know) for their idea to amplify Experian’s Big Financial Friend campaign, sponsored by Experian and HomeFree-USA.
Nicknamed Team F2, Hannah Daniel, Habeebah Dawodu, Remi Adeshina, and Kanchan Thapa earned a $40,000 prize for their presentation, “FinCheck.” A social-first campaign inspired by the viral “fit check” trend, the campaign invites Gen Z users to post regular “fin check” videos to normalize discussions around financial health, making it as routine and shareable as personal style. In addition, on-campus and social-media influencer activations will amplify awareness around basic financial wellness services, such as credit locking, FICO Score simulations and subscription cancellation. A team from Fisk University also won the 2025 competition.
“We came into this competition and said we’re going to put our best foot forward, we’re going to get up here, have fun and we’re going to leave a lasting impact. This is just beyond words,” said Hannah Daniel, biology and business administration, major from Fisk University and captain of Team F2.
The #IYKYK Pitch Competition, powered by Experian’s B.A.L.L. for Life initiative, challenged students to develop a bold, culturally relevant campaign that builds on Experian’s concept of being a “Big Financial Friend” (BFF) to their peers and communities. Generation Z consumers carry an average $94,101 in personal debt, the highest compared to other generations.
The competition was the culmination of the Experian Credit Academy created for the Center for Financial Advancement® (CFA). For the first time, the National Urban League’s network of schools joined the academy and competition. More than 300 students from 22 Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and Minority Serving Institutions came together in live sessions with Experian credit education experts and self-paced modules. Finalists from Alabama State University and Grambling State University also presented their ideas live at Experian’s North America headquarters and each team received a $10,000 prize.
“Experian’s Credit Academy and #IYKYK Pitch Competition aims to modernize and normalize the conversation around money and credit in a fun and culturally relevant way for young adults. Our partnerships with HomeFree-USA, CFA and the National Urban League are essential in helping us reach and empower the next generation of leaders. We were inspired to see how these scholars lean into the learning and proactively share their knowledge as BFFs for their peers and communities,” said Raudy Perez, Senior Director of External Inclusion and Belonging Partnerships for Experian North America.
“Experian’s #IYKYK Pitch Competition gives students the chance to turn knowledge into action. When students connect classroom learning to real‑life financial scenarios, their understanding of credit and financial literacy deepens in powerful ways. Exploring how they can become Big Financial Friends for their peers and communities inspires them to become confident advocates who share what they’ve learned,” said LuWanna Williams, Ed.D., University Director for the Center for Financial Advancement®.
