Mia Vellon ’22, founder of Iridescent Money, wasn’t even out of her teens when she learned some hard lessons about the importance of good personal financial management. Now she is on a mission to empower others to handle their money wisely.
Mia Vellon ’22 is on a mission to empower others to handle their money wisely.
“I always drifted toward the sciences and math and was sure I wanted to pursue a STEM field, but I didn’t want to leave New Jersey,” she says. “Return on investment was high on my list of requirements as well, and Stevens has a great reputation in that regard. Also, I knew the Hoboken location would be a perfect fit for me.”
In a tragic turn of events, Vellon lost her parents just before she began her first semester at Stevens. Not only was she unprepared to confront the reality of managing her own finances, she learned that her parents had not planned very well for the future.
“I no longer knew if it would be possible for me to attend Stevens, or to live on campus as I had hoped,” she says. “The staff at Stevens was so helpful, steering me toward the additional resources that I needed.”
While pursuing her degree in applied mathematics, Vellon worked part-time in the university’s Center for Innovation in Engineering and Science Education (CIESE), supporting the Center’s programs for local high schools. She built career experience through internships, first at Shutterstock and then at Accenture, a global management consulting firm. She also earned academic recognition as an HSF Scholar and a HITEC Scholar.
Vellon joined Accenture full-time after graduation, first as an analyst, rising quickly to senior analyst. She was named a management consultant in 2025. "I support Accenture's insurance clients as they undergo major data transformations by utilizing my organizational and project management skills,” she explains.
Vellon is happy with her job but felt that something was missing. “I wanted do something that helped people in a more direct way,” she says. “I wondered if my passion for personal financial management might be useful to others.”
She signed up to volunteer with Covenant House New Jersey, providing financial literacy education to the organization’s clients — homeless and trafficked youth. For Vellon, it is a deeply gratifying experience and one that she plans to continue.
She began to notice, however, that even the successful college graduates in her circle seemed to lack knowledge and direction when it came to personal financial management. The idea for Iridescent Money was born.
“My clients are young people who are earning money and don’t know how to take care of it, and how to make it grow.” she says. “I focus on the emotional aspects of managing finances. Every client is different, with unique goals, experiences and beliefs that impact how they view and handle money.”
Vellon is bringing her special approach, combining mindfulness and practicality, to the Stevens community as well. Last fall she led a money management workshop as part of the 2025 Stevens Leadership Conference, and in 2026 she will host a series of webinars for alumni that will take place on the StevensConnects platform.
“It is so rewarding to see people taking steps to make their long-term financial situation better,” she says. “Even small shifts, like opening a high-yield savings account and starting an emergency fund, can have a big impact on your future.”
