The Great Moneyverse: From Pocket Money Lessons to a Global Financial Literacy Game

Drawing on early practical experience, Moneyverse founder Tanja Kulisch-Ziemens is reshaping financial literacy through a structured, game-based approach. By combining play, technology, and strategic thinking, her platform helps children and adults worldwide build confidence, curiosity, and long-term financial capability.

For many entrepreneurs, the seeds of their future business are sown early; sometimes in ways that feel almost accidental, yet deeply formative. For Tanja Kulisch-Ziemens, founder of  The Great Moneyverse, it all began not in a boardroom or on a trading floor, but at the family kitchen table with pocket money, newspapers, and a keen sense of curiosity.

Early Lessons at the Kitchen Table

Growing up in a household where finance wasn’t just a career but a lived practice, Tanja and her siblings were introduced to the world of money at an unusually young age. Her father, a CEO who frequently travelled for work, made sure that financial education wasn’t abstract; it was hands-on, playful, and deeply engaging. “We always had to deal with our pocket money properly,” Tanja recalls. “When I was nine, we received our first money to invest in shares and bonds.”

The process was simple but revolutionary for a child: each weekend, her father would return with the newspaper, hand over the weekend allowance, and guide the children through investment options. It wasn’t about giving them the answers; it was about creating a framework for curiosity, observation, and independent decision-making. Each sibling chose investments, tracked their performance, and compared outcomes. Why did one portfolio outperform another? What could be learned from different strategies? The discussions that followed weren’t just lessons in finance but exercises in critical thinking, responsibility, and the joy of discovery.

This early exposure gave Tanja an intuitive understanding of financial systems and an appreciation for experimentation. Far beyond simple mathematics, she also learned cause and effect, risk and reward, patience and reflection. “We had to write down exactly what we bought and then compare the prices the next week,” she explains. “It was fascinating to see how different choices led to different outcomes, and my father would discuss with us why this happened.” Even as a child, Tanja was learning the fundamentals of portfolio management, risk assessment, and strategic thinking; lessons that few people get to experience in an accessible way.

These early experiences not only developed financial competence but fostered joy. The excitement of choosing an investment, the anticipation of seeing it grow, and the playful competition among siblings created a formative blend of learning and fun. Financial literacy, in this context, was not dry or intimidating. It was a game, a challenge, and an adventure rolled into one. For Tanja, these childhood moments became the foundation for a lifelong passion: understanding money not as a source of anxiety but as a tool for empowerment and independence. 

From Childhood Curiosity to The Great Moneyverse

Fast forward to today, and Tanja’s childhood lessons have evolved into The Great Moneyverse, a platform dedicated to making finance accessible, practical, and engaging for a broader audience. Drawing on her professional experience in banking and finance, Tanja recognised a gap in society: many people struggle with financial literacy, feel intimidated by complex systems, or are simply unsure where to start. This fear often stems from childhood, when children aren’t taught the value of money or come to see maths and finance as scary, boring subjects.

The Great Moneyverse is a revolutionary new gaming platform focused on equipping children with the skills they need to make healthy financial decisions in the future. Here, curiosity, experimentation, and fun are at the centre, echoing the playful yet instructive approach of Tanja’s own upbringing. Currently in the development stage, the game has the potential to become a global player in educational gaming, with significant benefits for society as a whole.

Players are encouraged to engage with money proactively rather than passively, to experiment safely, and to reflect on their decisions. Just as her father guided her through the nuances of investment choices, the game provides tools, advice, and interactive learning opportunities that demystify financial decision-making. For Tanja, it’s about giving others the same sense of empowerment, confidence, and even joy that she experienced as a child handling her first investment portfolio.

Structure, Freedom, and Ownership

Another striking aspect of Tanja’s story is the interplay between childhood structure and creative freedom. While her father provided guidance and frameworks, he also allowed room for individual decision-making and mistakes. This mix of mentorship and autonomy is central to The Great Moneyverse’s approach. Users are encouraged to explore, make choices, and learn from outcomes, fostering not only knowledge but a sense of ownership over financial decisions.

The lessons extend beyond numbers. For Tanja, early financial literacy nurtured skills that have shaped her career and entrepreneurial journey: analytical thinking, patience, resilience, and strategic planning.

 “Looking back, those early experiences gave me more than financial knowledge. They taught me discipline and curiosity, as well as the confidence to experiment and experience the potential consequences of my decisions. I learned that there is always a solution when something goes wrong. It was also very helpful that our father always brought context in terms of the role of banks and the different types of financial instruments available”she notes. 

It’s this combination of practical skill and intrinsic motivation that fuels The Great Moneyverse’s mission today: to empower individuals with the tools and understanding necessary for financial health.

Tanja also highlights the importance of integrating play into learning. The excitement of tracking investments, comparing results, and discussing outcomes wasn’t a chore but a joyful experience that made learning stick. In a world where financial education can often feel dry, complicated, or intimidating, her approach underscores a critical principle: learning is most effective when it’s engaging, relatable, and connected to real-life experiences.

The ripple effects of this approach are profound. By making financial literacy accessible and enjoyable, The Great Moneyverse is helping people build confidence, reduce financial stress, and develop a mindset that embraces experimentation rather than fear. Whether it’s understanding the basics of investing, managing budgets, or exploring advanced financial tools, the platform reflects the same curiosity, joy, and empowerment that Tanja experienced decades earlier.

Challenges, Persistence, and a Global Vision

Like any new enterprise, there have been valuable lessons learned along the way. Finding a developer with the skills and experience needed to build a complex financial game on a global scale — and make it fun — hasn’t been easy. It took persistence and determination, but the team is now coming together, and early feedback from children and parents using the alpha version of the game has been overwhelmingly positive.

The Great Moneyverse now operates with a small but global team, bringing together diverse skills and perspectives across borders. The company is currently undergoing a restructuring process and evaluating strategic partnerships in order to enter the market and optimise its strategic gaming platform, allowing for further scalability and growth. 

The international scope not only reflects the universal need for financial literacy but also emphasises collaboration, adaptability, and the ability to navigate complexity; qualities Tanja has valued since her own early learning days.

Outside of work, Tanja spends hours outdoors, keeping fit, and being in nature. She and her family have many pets, and she loves spending time with animals, finding their playful curiosity inspirational. “They make me laugh every day and really help me unwind after a busy day at work. They never take life too seriously, and that’s a good rule to live by.”

Tanja’s story illustrates that the seeds of innovation are often planted in simple family moments, guided by a parent willing to teach with patience and playfulness. The message is clear: learning about money is fundamental to success later in life, but it shouldn’t feel like a chore or be reserved for a privileged few. Instead, it should be an adventure, accessible to all, and rooted in empowerment rather than anxiety. At its heart lies a simple yet powerful truth: when curiosity and joy are nurtured, we can not only understand the world better, but help transform it.