Is money an objective yardstick, a tool to compare the needs of one person to the wants of another, as economists say? 

Or as psychologists say is it more of an inkblot for longings and fears, a way to compensate for the unconditional love they never received from a parent or that security blanket they never had as a child?

Whatever the role of money, when it comes to investing, should we see it scarce or easy to earn? A precious commodity that must be hoarded, or manna meant to make life more delicious, like a delicious dessert? 

In Session Three Launchpadders dug deeply into questions like these are they crafted Investing in My Future manifestos and money autobiographies with:

• A financial origin story: how they learned about money and who taught them;
• Favorite money myths and cautionary tales;
• Investment heroes and villains;  and 
• Personal investment principles/

The writing challenges complemented the Investing in My Future Quest to explore how to invest, and whether the pursuit of money would lead to a prosperous life or if the love of money would corrupt absolutely, including:

• The risks and rewards of various types of investments;
• The pros and cons of different investment strategies;
• Choices between financial times horizons;
• Tradeoffs between cash, risk or time more important, as well as the impacts of inflation, taxes and fees.
• Whether to put all of your financial eggs in a few excellent baskets or spread them out, in case you are wrong and whether it is possible to predict market moves.

At the Investing in My Future Exhibition, Launchpadders offered their money autobiographies; revealed age-old investing principles and pitched investment products and strategies to visitors, all to see who would invest real money alongside them.

The grand finale was a complex, real-world simulation where adults and Launchpadders competed over an accelerated twenty-year investment horizon.