Dubbo, NSW
Financial Education Onlinekirellanova started in 2018 when two friends realized they weren't alone in struggling with monthly budgets. What began as casual conversations about overspending turned into a mission to help everyday Australians build confidence with their finances.
Seven years of learning what actually works when teaching people about money management.
Leith and Saskia ran their first budgeting workshop from a community centre in Dubbo. Twelve people showed up, mostly friends and neighbors. The feedback? Everyone wished they'd learned this stuff years earlier. That response convinced us we were onto something worth pursuing.
When COVID hit, we had to pivot fast. We rebuilt our entire program for remote learning in three weeks. Honestly, it was chaotic. But the shift opened doors we hadn't expected—suddenly we could reach people across regional NSW who'd never had access to this kind of education before.
After hearing countless stories about theory not matching reality, we developed practical simulation exercises. Students now work through actual scenarios—unexpected car repairs, fluctuating income, family emergencies. It's messier than textbook examples, but that's exactly the point.
We partnered with twelve regional community centers across NSW to offer in-person support alongside our online programs. Some concepts just click better when you can ask questions face-to-face, and we wanted to make sure that option existed for everyone.
This year we're focusing on specialized programs for different life stages—young families, career transitions, pre-retirement planning. Because the budget challenges you face at 25 look completely different from the ones at 55. Our autumn 2025 program launches in September.
Real people working through actual financial obstacles, not polished success stories.
Marcus arrived with three maxed cards and no clear picture of where his money actually went each month. We started simple—just tracking expenses for two weeks without judgment. The patterns that emerged surprised him more than anything we could have told him.
Six months later, he'd paid off one card completely and understood his spending triggers well enough to catch problems early.
Jenna's irregular income made traditional budgeting feel impossible. Some months she'd earn double her average, others barely half. We worked on building a different system—one that smoothed out those peaks and valleys instead of fighting against them.
The breakthrough came when she shifted to percentage-based allocation rather than fixed amounts. Now the variation doesn't throw everything off.
The Thornton family came to us after years of fighting about money. Both partners had completely different approaches, and their kids were picking up the tension. We helped them develop a system where individual priorities had space within shared goals. It wasn't about who was right—it was about finding a framework they could both actually live with.
They still don't agree on everything, but they've got a method for navigating disagreements that doesn't derail their entire financial plan.
The people behind kirellanova and where we're headed next.
Leith spent a decade as a high school math teacher before co-founding kirellanova. He got frustrated watching students master complex equations but graduate without understanding basic financial concepts. His teaching background shapes how we structure every program—breaking down complicated ideas into manageable steps that actually stick.
Saskia's background is in community development work across regional Australia. She's seen firsthand how limited access to financial education creates ripple effects through entire communities. At kirellanova, she focuses on making our content relevant to real-life situations—because textbook scenarios rarely match what people actually face with their money.
We're expanding our specialized programs throughout 2025 and 2026, with a particular focus on helping people navigate major life transitions. Career changes, starting families, approaching retirement—these moments often trigger financial stress because your old systems stop working. Our goal is to provide practical support when people need it most, not just general advice that sounds good but doesn't fit real circumstances. If you're interested in upcoming programs, reach out and we'll keep you informed as new sessions open.
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