MEET OUR TEAM
A few key facts...
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I love being outdoors, hiking, canoeing, taking long walks and exploring Oakland and San Francisco, among others
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I love spending time with friends and family, especially when we eat and drink
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I love reading
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I volunteer to help survivors of domestic violence rebuild their finances
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As mentioned, I love to bake and cook, trying new recipes and going creatively rogue in the kitchen - and I mean rogue!
Ella, Founder + CEO
My passion is making financial planning an approachable and enjoyable experience.
I became a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ to help people find solutions for their financial needs but soon realized that traditional financial planning was designed for a male head of household with a certain amount of wealth. Since I am most passionate about equality for women and the LGBTQ community, I realized that I needed additional skills to make financial planning meet our specific needs. So, I became a Certified Professional Co-Active Coach (CPCC) which allows me and my clients to go deeper to explore and clarify their individual values and goals. Once we’ve figured out what their ideal life looks like and what is really important to them, we can create a financial plan designed for them.
Anyone who knows me knows of my deep love of pastries. I started my career as a pastry chef, fully embracing my creativity, a love of science and math, and delight in creating delicious concoctions. I loved this career, until one day I had an epiphany: My love of numbers and baking science acumen could be used in better ways to help the world. Turns out I like baking more as a hobby than as a career. No more petit fours!
I returned to college as a women studies major determined to help women realize their potential and gain equality. Upon self-reflection I realized that I had a lot of passion but lacked any real skills to make the change in the world that I sought to make. Around this time my grandfather died, and I started helping my grandmother with her finances. We sought out information and together we came up with a financial plan for her new life alone. Helping my grandmother become financially independent was exactly the type of impact I wanted to have on other women’s lives. My career path was born.
A few key facts...
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I live in a dream beach location
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I love paddle boarding and kayaking
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I have four published novels
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I work closely with survivors of domestic violence to help them escape their current situation and rebuild their lives
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Unlike Ella, I hate to cook, and I studiously avoid the kitchen whenever possible
Erin, Operations Manager
Like Ella, I didn’t start out in finance. In fact, I’m an English and Communication double major—about as far from finance as one can get. However, my editorial skills
landed me on the radar of a social justice investing firm. Once they realized I could provide a wide variety of support to their operations and strategy teams, they brought me onboard as a full-time team member. While there, I learned a great deal about financial planning and social justice investing, and I ended up discovering my niche.
In 2020, I joined Ella Financial Advisors in the role of operations manager. As a trained editor, I’m skilled at seeing both the big picture and the smallest moving parts, traits that come in handy in my position. I am responsible for handling macro items like company process as well as micro items like detailed account documents.
I have passion for providing solid service to our clients and for making the internal processes of our firm run smoothly.
I am proud to be part of Ella Financial Advising because our company provides values-based planning and coaching to those interested in making social, climate, and economic change in the world.
A few key facts...
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I’m an illustrator and love to draw and paint
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I play the accordion
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I’m obsessed with Klezmer and Balkan music
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I’m in a band with my husband, called “Zla Vila”
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I’m a huge fan of permaculture gardening
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I love to do Improv at BATS
Nicolette, Philanthropic Consultant
My journey of learning what it means to use money as a tool for good began when I received an inheritance as a young woman. At the time I considered myself an artist and socialist so the inheritance created a life, status and societal change for me that was uncomfortable, to say the least, but I saw an opportunity.
I started studying financial planning while working with the other trustees and turned a previously underperforming, unethical investment portfolio into something 100% green, screened, and carbon neutral. It was a major personal accomplishment, but just the beginning of my journey.
I discovered my passion for philanthropy when I was given the opportunity to serve on the board of the Ann and Gordon Getty Foundation. As board chair I researched charities and helped make decisions around our budget and allocation of grants.
In 2021 I joined Ella Financial Advising in the role of Philanthropic Consultant. I do what I love - helping people figure out how to use their money to make the maximum possible impact in the charitable areas they value most.