AUSTIN, TX (May 19, 2026) |
Dream Publishing, the publisher behind Start Young and Build Freedom, today announced partnerships with three Washington State credit unions — American Lake Credit Union, evergreenDIRECT Credit Union, and Connection Credit Union — through the CUsUnite CUSO. The partnerships will bring co-branded copies of the book to youth account holders and community programs across the region, providing teens with a practical, story-driven guide to entrepreneurship and financial independence.
The three credit unions joined Dream Publishing's growing network through CUsUnite, a credit union service organization (CUSO) founded on the belief that credit unions do better together. CUsUnite's mission is to build synergies amongst credit unions of all sizes — creating efficiencies through training, network building, and vendor scale — so that smaller institutions can access the same quality of programs and partnerships as the largest players in the industry.
Scott Prior, CEO of Connection CU and co-owner of CUsUnite, championed the Dream Publishing partnership and brought it to the CUSO's network after recognizing the alignment between the book's mission and the communities credit unions exist to serve.
"Small credit unions are the backbone of this movement, but they often face real barriers when it comes to accessing high-quality programs," said Prior. "CUsUnite exists to level that playing field, to create the scale and leverage that lets every credit union, regardless of size, show up fully for their members. Bringing Dream Publishing into our network means our member credit unions can put something genuinely meaningful into the hands of the young people in their communities, without the cost or complexity of going it alone."
JohnPaul McGee, CEO of evergreenDIRECT Credit Union and co-owner of CUsUnite, was also instrumental in bringing the partnership to life and sees it as a natural extension of what the CUSO was built to do.
"This is exactly the kind of opportunity CUsUnite exists to find and deliver," said McGee. "We built this CUSO so credit unions could stop competing on resources and start collaborating on impact. Start Young and Build Freedom is the kind of resource that creates a real, lasting impression on a young person and the fact that it arrives co-branded with their credit union's logo makes that connection even more powerful."
The books will be co-branded with each credit union's logo and distributed through youth account onboarding and community empowerment initiatives across Washington State.
Start Young and Build Freedom is a 240-page illustrated true story following author Simon Komlos from struggling student to entrepreneur and co-founder of Zogo, the financial literacy app that partnered with 300+ credit unions and reached 2 million users. Designed in the style of Diary of a Wimpy Kid and advised by a psychologist specializing in stress and resilience, the book uses entrepreneurship as a vehicle for financial education. It is fully aligned with Jump$tart Coalition National Standards for Personal Financial Education.
"Credit unions have always understood that real financial empowerment starts at the community level," said Simon Komlos, author and founder of Dream Publishing. "What JohnPaul and Scott have built with CUsUnite is a model for what the credit union movement does best — working together to create something bigger than any one institution could on its own. These three partnerships are proof of that."
Kolin McMann, CEO of American Lake Credit Union, joins McGee and Prior in bringing the program to Washington State members. For American Lake, the book represents a tangible way to deepen relationships with families and the next generation, giving young members something meaningful at the moment they open their first account and creating a connection that lasts well beyond it.
