2024 National Conference Speakers

WIFS is proud to present the dynamic lineup of speakers for our 2024 National Conference.

Meet some of our powerful main stage speakers!

Elyse Archer, She Sells

Meet the Million Dollar You Day 1 (Oct. 14) at 1:30 PM

Everyone has a Million Dollar version of themselves Iying latent inside, waiting to be unleashed.
Yet many financial professionals get stuck at the six or multi six figure mark because it’s comfortable. They never expand their vision to what life would be like if they broke 7 figures or beyond.
In this mind-expanding keynote, Elyse Archer will challenge you to think bigger, and share exactly what she did to scale from six to seven figures in less than a year, all while dealing with major limiting beliefs and self doubt.

Leaving this keynote you will:

  • Understand the 4 Quadrants of Quantum Sales Growth™
  • Learn how to Step into the Identity of a 7 Figure+ Earner, now
  • Learn how to dramatically increase your sales results without working harder or more hours

 

Kellan Brown, FinServ Foundation and Kate Healy, AdvoKate IQ 

Walk over Talk - What Can We Do to Impact the Next Generation of Women Leaders in Financial Services Day 2 (Oct 15) at 8:30 AM

What does change really mean when it comes to women in finance?  When asked the question - what does women in finance mean to you - what emotion comes to light?  Join industry experts, Kate Healy and Kellan Brown on what is unique about the next generation of women leaders and what actions we can take to provide impact and growth for women in Financial Services.

What you'll take away from this session:

  • - From 2010 to now, what growth has actually happened and why haven't we seen more of it
  • - The importance of mentorship and allyship pre-career, mid-career, and post-career
  • - How the FinServ foundation prepares women and financial planning students for the industry but then what
  • - How can YOU be a part of the change

Tanya Geisler, Certified Leadership Coach & TedxWomen Speaker

Becoming ICONIC: From Imposter Complex to Leadership Edge Day 3 (Oct. 16) at 11:40 AM

Join Leadership Coach and Speaker Tanya Geisler in this transformative session where you'll learn to overcome the Imposter Complex and embrace your ICONIC identity. Tanya will guide you through the powerful ICONIC Framework, sharing stories and practical strategies to help you unlock your unique leadership potential.

What You’ll Learn:

  • Unpack the Imposter Complex: Understand the twelve lies that hold you back and how they manifest.
  • Embrace the ICONIC Framework: Dive into actionable steps to shift from self-doubt to confidence.
  • Real-Life Inspiration: Hear inspiring stories of trailblazers  who have successfully navigated this journey.
  • Practical Tools: Gain strategies to optimize your strengths and leverage your leadership edge.


Eszylfie Taylor, Taylor Method

Mind Body Money - Implementing the Total Person Philosophy to Success Day 1 (Oct. 14) at 4:15 PM

Total Person is a Mind, Body, Money presentation that helps you prioritize health just as much as wealth. When you feel better, and have your mind and body in a good state, it creates a positive impact in your life and business. The Total Person presentation uses stories and real life examples to illustrate how success in business or life starts with taking care of your mind and body.

The audience will be inspired and motivated to look at themselves as a whole and be more positive and health conscience. It will translate over to their productivity and general well-being in business and life.

The Total Person Philosophy will help you shift your perception to that of a positive outlook, which serves as the catalyst for success in business and life.

Jasmine Yu, Bryn Mawr Trust

Economy Day 3 (Oct. 16) at 9:50 AM

Jasmine Z. Yu is the Chief Investment Officer at Bryn Mawr Capital Management. With over 20 years of experience in investment management, advisory, and strategy, she is responsible for investment policies, asset allocation, investment solutions, and portfolio management for taxable and tax-exempt clients.

Before joining Bryn Mawr Trust in 2024, Jasmine served as Managing Director and head of Global Manager Research at Bank of New York Mellon. Previously, she held investment management roles at Bank of America Merrill Lynch, Abu Dhabi Investment Council, Fiduciary Trust International and Northern Trust.  

She received her BA degree in English Literature from Zhongshan University, an MBA degree in Financial Management from Pace University, a Master of International Affairs (MIA) degree in International Finance and Business from Columbia University, and her PhD degree in Finance from EDHEC Business School.

Jasmine’s thought leadership is evident in her published works. She is also a frequent speaker at industry conferences and has served as a member of the Advisory Board of the Sub-Advisory Institute at Institutional Investor magazine. Jasmine mentors for the 30% Club Mission Gender Equity Program. In addition to the United States, she has lived and worked in Asia, Europe, and the Middle East.

"By Leaders for Future Leaders" Panel Day 1(Oct. 14) at 3:00 PM

Christy Aleckson, Single Point Financial Advisors

Christina “Christy” Aleckson is the CEO/Founder and Wealth Manager at Single Point Financial Advisors. She is a graduate of Pacific University in Forest Grove, OR with a double major in Business Administration and Political Science, and an MBA earned from George Fox University.

Christy helps individuals, families, and small businesses with financial advice, education, investment management, insurance, and risk management. She has earned several designations including Behavioral Financial Advisor™, the Retirement Income Certified Professional® designation and the Wealth Management Certified Professional® designation.

Community involvement is a core value for Christy, and she has served on many boards in the Portland area, and nationally. Christy served ten years on the Board of Directors of Women in Insurance and Financial Services, Portland Metro Chapter ending November 2018. Christy served as the President of WIFS Portland Metro for two years from 2010-2012. She also served on the board of directors for WIFS national organization from 2012-2014, chairing the Marketing and Public Relations committee. She also serves on the Board of Directors for the Pacific University Boxer Club and is a co-founder and board member of the Zimbabwe Rhino Project.

She also mentors several women in her industry, and beyond. Through this involvement and her successful business, she has been recognized for several awards, including: 2014 Portland Business Journal 40 Under 40, 2018 Women in Insurance and Financial Services Woman of the Year (national), 2019 Portland Business Journal Woman of Influence and an annual honoree of the Five Star Wealth Manager recognition since 2012 to now.

Angie Ribuffo, Raion Financial Strategies

Angie Ribuffo, CFP®, RICP®, ChFC®, CDFA®, CLTC®, WMCP® graduated from San Francisco State University with a bachelor's degree in nursing and a minor in theater arts and was commissioned through the Air Force ROTC program. Angie has licenses in life & health and securities licenses in series 6, 63, and 65.

In 2008, she became an independent financial advisor and in 2019, opened Raion Financial Strategies. Raion is a comprehensive financial planning firm focused on preparing clients to meet their self-identified goals.

Angie has written for USA Today, Women in Finance, and the Certified Long-Term Care Digest. She is a recognized speaker and, in October 2022, was selected as the Women in Insurance and Financial Services (WIFS) Woman of the Year (nominated and voted on by her colleagues). Angie was also recognized in May 2022 by InvestmentNews’ Diversity, Equality and Inclusion award as a See It, Be It Role model for her work with women and African American financial professionals. She was also a 2018 Women to Watch. She is a member of the Anchorage Athena Society.

From 2017-2018 she was the national president of WIFS and was the 2019 immediate past president. She also was the 2012 WIFS ANGEL award recipient for leadership and mentoring. From 2012-2023, she has been recognized as a WIFS Circle of Excellence recipient. Angie is a member of the CFP Women’s Initiative Council, and active in The American College of Financial Services as a FinServ Ambassador and the Anchorage Chamber of Commerce, Military Advisory Committee.

Angie is married to her husband of 43 years, Steve, has two adult sons, Stephen and Daniel, a 12-year-old granddaughter, Tahli and 8-year-old grandson, Malcolm and her golden retriever, Abby.

Jennifer Warfield, Lightbulb Moments, LLC

Jennifer Warfield is the Founder of Lightbulb Moments, LLC, a dynamic company dedicated to empowering women through personal and professional growth strategies. With over 30 years of experience in the financial services industry, she specializes in leadership development and career enhancement. Jennifer is an Adjunct Professor for The American College of Financial Services' CLF program and leads Product Strategy at AI startup, Spyglaz AI. A passionate advocate for women's advancement, she volunteers with various organizations, has served on the Board of the Greater PA Chapter since 2016 and was honored as the WIFS National Woman of the Year in 2019. Jennifer resides in Philadelphia with her husband and three cats. 

Becca Foster, Northwestern Mutual: The Striano Financial Group

Meet some of our powerful breakout speakers!

Kristin Andree, Andree Group

Session Title: "You're Not for Everyone! - Target Marketing, Prospecting & Client Engagement in the Modern World Day 3 (Oct. 16) at 8:45 AM

After decades in leadership, Kristin grew tired of building someone else’s dream, feeling unfulfilled, having little control over my schedule, and - most painstakingly - having to continually fit “the mold” in order to scale. It simply was NOT the life she wanted to lead. In 2009, Kristin stepped down from my managing director role at a Fortune 100 financial firm and founded the Andree Group.

This allowed her to combine business strategy expertise, financial acumen, and business development knowledge, with her passion for developing others and championing their growth. Kristin jokingly refers to herself as a “recovering advisor” and gets her energy from helping other advisors and leaders grow THEIR business, THEIR way. Combining an advisor’s unique interests & passions with growth strategies that fit their style, strengths & market are truly what allows their practices to scale.

Lisa Bing, Bing Consulting Group, LLC

Session Title: Discover your hidden powers and THRIVE—Using Influence For Sane Success Day 2 (Oct. 15) at 10:05 AM

Lisa A. Bing is a strategy and leadership expert with a unique profile. Lisa has been dubbed an “avatar of adult learning” which combined with her keen business acumen positions her to both quickly diagnosis business needs and engage clients in their own learning to expand personal capabilities and organizational capacity.  

Lisa has worked across a spectrum of industries and professions as well as with both large and small companies…including religious leaders.  

Lisa simplifies the complex. She is both pragmatic and empathic. She creates just the right balance between people needs and business needs in ways that break down silos, clarifies goals, aligns expectations, and gets everyone rowing in the same direction for faster, better decisions and dramatically improved results. Some of her typical results include reduced labor intensity, coalitions and collaboration, among diverse interests, faster, better decision making and dramatic productivity improvement. 

One client, a commercial real estate CEO says, “Everything Lisa tells us to do works!"

Julie Johnson, XY Communications

Session Title: Cultivating Cooperation to Bring in Assents - Getting COI Relationships to Work Day 2 (Oct. 15) at 2:20 PM

Marc Kiner, Premier Social Security

Session Title: Situational Social Security Day 2 (Oct. 15) at 3:20 PM

Marc is currently part owner and President with Premier Social Security Consulting. Marc is also a certified instructor for the National Social Security Advisor Certificate program. Marc created and developed the National Social Security Advisor certificate program with his partner, Jim. Marc has over 30 years’ experience in public accounting. 

Marc recently sold his CPA practice to concentrate on Social Security. Marc obtained his Bachelor of Science Degree in Accounting and Finance and a Master’s Degree from the University of Cincinnati. He is licensed to practice as a CPA in the State of Ohio. Marc is the President of Premier Social Security Consulting LLC and the President and on the board of National Social Security Association, LLC. 

Marc is a supporter of Crayons to Computers, a free store for teachers. Marc lives in Cincinnati and has two sons, Jeremy, 33 and Aaron 28.

Paul Kingsman, Ash Brokerage

Session Title: Referral Language that Works in the Real World Day 2 (Oct. 15) at 10:05 AM

Jody Krausman, The American College

Session Title: Empathy and Expertise: A Guide for Supporting Widows in their Financial Journey Day 2 (Oct. 15) at 2:20 PM

Jodi G. Krausman, PhD, CPA, CFP®, PMP®, serves as the program director for the Master of Science in Financial Planning (MSFP) program and Assistant Professor at The American College of Financial Services. With a multifaceted career spanning various roles in both corporate and entrepreneurial environments, she brings a wealth of experience to her current role.

Before joining The American College, Dr. Krausman held key positions, including regional controller, chief of staff, business initiatives manager, and financial consultant at a Fortune 500 financial institution and an insurance brokerage firm. Founding her own CPA firm provided her with a platform to deliver exceptional financial services and strategic guidance, ultimately sparking her passion for financial planning. She joined Money Concepts and started helping individuals, families, and business owners navigate their financial journeys. She is passionate about financial literacy, financial planning, and empowering others toward financial well-being.

Dr. Krausman entered the academic arena over 20 years ago, teaching graduate and undergraduate students at Walsh College and as a course associate at Columbia University in their Master of Professional Studies in Wealth Management program. Committed to fostering the growth of current and future financial advisors, she invests her efforts in empowering the next generation of professionals.

Her academic journey culminated in a PhD in Personal Financial Planning from Kansas State University, complemented by a master's degree in accounting and information systems from Walsh College and a bachelor's degree in computer-based information systems from the same institution. She has earned the CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ designation, a CPA license in the State of Michigan, and a Project Management Professional (PMP®) designation from the Project Management Institute.

Driven by a passion for research and innovation, Dr. Krausman focuses on developing solutions that help individuals, families, and business owners achieve financial empowerment and improve overall well-being. Her work has been published in various academic and industry journals. Her research team won the Best Paper Award at the 2021 Journal of Financial Therapy Conference. Her research areas of interest include financial literacy, financial behaviors, retirement, and women in transition.

Bronwyn L. Martin, NAIFA

Session Title: Servant Leadership is the Cornerstone of My Practice and I am Thriving! Day 2 (Oct. 15) at 10:05 AM

 

 

Chelsea Laub, Evoke EQ

Session Title: Mastering Motivation Day 2 (Oct. 15) at 3:20 PM

Chelsea Laub is a consultant and managing partner with Evoke EQ, blending a robust background in Financial Services with a fervent passion for emotional intelligence and personal growth. As an Accredited Enneagram Practitioner and founder of Mingle, Chelsea has influenced thousands of people globally in her work with everyone from entrepreneurs to Fortune 500 companies in finance, healthcare, technology, and more. 

With a career shaped by strategic insights and a commitment to helping others thrive, Chelsea brings a unique approach to understanding and leveraging motivation. Her work focuses on integrating the Enneagram framework with actionable strategies to enhance self awareness, integrity, curiosity, and connection to achieve greater trust, collaboration, and success.

Driven by the motto "Professional development is personal," Chelsea is dedicated to helping individuals and organizations realize their potential through a blend of innovation and practicality.

Mary McDirmid, All Needs Planning

Session Title: Special Needs Financial Planning - How is this Different Day 2 (Oct. 15) at 10:05 AM

Christina (Tina) Spenzos, Penn Mutual Life Insurance

Session Title: Unlock Your Entrepreneurial Potential: Building a Business Owner Mindset Day 3 (Oct. 16) at 8:45 AM

Christina (Tina) Spenzos is currently a Practice Development Director with The Penn Mutual Life Insurance Company. With an extensive tenure in the financial services industry, she works with advisors and field leadership to develop all facets of their business through comprehensive strategic planning and business development. Prior to Penn, Tina has held various leadership roles in areas such as marketing, strategic planning, change management and communications.  

Tina is a certified coach through the International Coaching Federation, Kolbe CertifiedTM Consultant, and DiSC Specialist. She has been an active member of Women In Financial Services (WIFS), as a founder and board member, for the New Jersey Chapter.  

She is a graduate of Lafayette College and holds an MBA from the Stillman School of Business at Seton Hall University.

Jennifer Warfield, Lightbulb Moments LLC

Session Title: Closing the Gap: AI and Gender in Financial Services Day 2 (Oct. 15) at 2:20 PM

Lucilla Williams, The Intentional Advisor

Session Title: THRIVE Through GENEROSITY - How to be of Service to Every Prospect and Get Hired by the Right Ones in One Meeting Day 2 (Oct. 15) at 3:20 PM

Lucila Williams, CFP® is a financial advisor, firm founder and practice management thought leader for the next generation of financial advisors.

She is the founder and President of LOTUS Financial Partners, an Advice-Based Financial Planning firm in Denver, Colorado. As of 2024, LOTUS has grown to include a team of five independent financial advisors and four support staff.

In her advising work with clients, she specializes in working with women and couples nearing retirement.

Lucila is also the founder of The Intentional Advisor, a nationwide practice management consulting firm dedicated to helping financial advisors build process-driven and profitable Advice-Based Financial Planning firms that are in alignment with their values.

She shares her message with financial advisors throughout the country through in-person and virtual speaking engagements, online courses, group coaching and one-on-one consulting.

Outside of work, she is passionate about her family, cappuccinos and chihuahuas!