Alumni Profile: Genevieve Ryan Bellaire

Getting Real with Genevieve Ryan Bellaire ’03

FOUNDER OF:

After graduating from Norwood in 2003, Genevieve Ryan Bellaire continued her education at Georgetown Visitation, Princeton University, and Georgetown University. With an academic resume like that, one would think she would be ready to conquer the world. She was—and she wasn’t. While she felt prepared to tackle the challenges of her first real job, she stumbled when it came to real life responsibilities like budgeting, bank accounts, leases, insurance, retirement savings, and taxes. Interestingly, it was Genevieve’s lack of preparation that led to a career pivot and the creation of realworld, an online program that provides tools, resources, and a comprehensive course to prepare college seniors and recent graduates for life after school.

What was the catalyst for creating realworld?

I failed at entering the “real world.” I was 26 when I graduated from a JD/MBA program at Georgetown University and realized when I stepped in the door of my first employer that I had no idea what I was doing. There was paperwork to fill out, accounts to set up, and decisions to make, but unlike most major life moments, there was no orientation for the real world.

I’m the oldest child in my family, so I didn’t have someone giving me the “play-by-play” for becoming a grownup, and I made all sorts of avoidable mistakes around my finances, health care, and living situation. Besides asking my parents and friends what to do, I looked for a platform that had trustworthy and relatable information about how to navigate this life moment, and I found there really wasn’t anything out there. Realworld is just that—a one-stop shop for navigating the real world. We’re on a mission to simplify adulthood and to help young people make smarter real world decisions when they are starting out.

Feedback so far?

It’s been terrific! We’re really lucky to work with colleges across the country to help teach these skills to students. We’ve grown rapidly over the last year, and we’re excited to reach even more students across the nation.

Greatest challenge so far?

Deciding how to focus our time. The real world is so complex, and there’s so much we can help with, so we have to be very purposeful with which subject areas we cover and how we decide to best bring that information to our users.

What advice do you have for future entrepreneurs?

Solve a problem that you actually care deeply about. Starting a business is challenging, and ultimately what will keep you going during the ups and down is your drive to fix a real problem out there. Your solution might change 100 times, but as long as you have a clear understanding of the problem you’re chasing and a vision of how the future would be di erent if you solved it, challenges won’t seem quite as insurmountable.

If you were teaching a life skills class at Norwood, what would you focus on?

I would start with the basics of personal finance. Finances are at the foundation of so many real world decisions. Having a solid understanding of things like credit, budgeting, and debt will help you make smarter, more informed choices when starting out in life.

How can Norwood help its students be real world ready?

Teach them these life skills! Even a high-level overview of topics like budgeting, health care, taxes, and insurance at a young age will help make these concepts less “scary” in the long term and prompt students to recognize the need to become informed about these topics as they grow older.

Favorite Norwood memories?

The traditions and the people. I loved being part of school plays, the Christmas pageant, and Spirit Days. I’m still very close with my Norwood friends—nearly a dozen of them attended my wedding last May! We all still make a point to get together whenever we can. How many other friends from elementary and middle school can say that?!

In what ways did Norwood prepare you to be high school ready?

Norwood gave me deep confidence in myself, and a mindset that valued creativity and authenticity. In high school, there is so much pressure to act like everyone else, and I think that training made me feel very comfortable being myself. I also felt very ready to take on some tough classes!

What can we find you doing when you’re not working?

I love spending time with my family and friends and exploring New York. Whether it’s a picnic in Central Park, riding bikes along the West Side Highway, trying out a new restaurant, or cruising around the amazing neighborhoods, it’s a one-of-a-kind place!

Norwood’s life skills curriculum covers these “real life” topics, along with many others...

n Time management n Goal setting n Study skills n Using a planner n School-life balance n Interviewing skills n Healthy eating n Personal safety n Importance of sleep & relaxation