How Diversity Enhances Financial Services

In this episode of our Shares podcast, Lindsey Lewis, MBA, CFP®, ChFC® welcomes the creators of the SER Latin@ Summit – Anna N’Jie-Konte and Vanessa Martinez – for a conversation about how their event brings financial professionals from the Latino community together, and how cultural mores and understanding can be used to bridge divides between advisors and clients.

Anna N’Jie-Konte, MBA, CFP® is the CEO of Poder Wealth Advisors. She helps women entrepreneurs and those who inherit wealth to create an aligned life where their wealth, legacy, and philanthropic plans are rooted in their values. She is also the founder of Financial Powerhouse: The Club, an innovative community to teach women the skills they need to grow, enjoy and preserve their wealth. Having spent her childhood watching the strong women around her live lives dictated by their bank balances, she’s on a mission to rewrite the money stories of women of color. A proud first-generation American with roots in Puerto Rico and the Gambia, N’Jie-Konte is a 3x winner of Investopedia’s “Top 100 Influential Financial Advisors” and has been named “10 Young Advisors to Watch” by Financial Advisor Magazine. She has been featured in well-known publications such as Bloomberg, CNBC, VICE News, The New York Times, Financial Planning, RIA Intel, Think Advisor, and Next Advisor.

Vanessa Martinez is a managing partner at Expressive Wealth. With 15+ years of wealth management expertise, she is dedicated to aligning your financial goals with holistic well-being. She traveled abroad for her undergrad and earned her BBA in Guatemala, C.A. Returning to Chicago, she received her MBA in finance at North Park University while gaining insights from her time at JPMorgan Chase. Her commitment to comprehensive client wealth advisory led her to earn FINRA Series 6, 7, 63, and 65 certifications. In 2020, she co-authored her first book, Family Value at Risk: Inclusive Communication to Pass on Your Family’s Wealth and Legacy. As a female advisor, Vanessa has been recognized by both Barron’s and Forbes and has been a guest on CNBC Power Lunch, Yahoo Finance, Bloomberg, and many industry podcasts.

Any views or opinions expressed in this podcast are the hosts’ and guests' own and do not necessarily represent those of The American College of Financial Services.

More From The College

Learn About Our Conference of African American Financial Professionals CAAFP
Visit Our Center for Economic Empowerment and Equality
See More From Our Center for Women in Financial Services
More on Our Know Yourself, Grow Your Wealth® Program