CONNECTIONS NEWSLETTER
April 2025

Wednesday, May 7, 2025  |  5:30–8 pm

Join us for a conversation with Bobby Yerramilli-Rao, Chief Strategy Officer and Corporate Vice President at Microsoft Corporation. Pooja Malik, CEO Nipun Capital, will lead the discussion, addressing the impact of AI in our everyday lives and the economy, end user demand, future applications and more.

Tuesday, May 13, 2025  |  4:30–7 pm

The best leaders don’t just lead, they cultivate a new generation of leaders. We’re gathering some of the most successful leaders we know from across the finance and financial services industry to share their secrets for becoming successful leaders in their field. Hear from our panel of leaders.

Wednesday, May 28, 2025  | 11:30 am–1:30 pm

Join us for a luncheon to honor the next generation of finance leaders. You'll hear from the recipients about their personal journeys, accomplishments, and goals, and have an opportunity to engage with the FWSF community.

Virtual coffee connections
Thursday, April 17, 2025  |  8:30–9:15 am

Virtual book club: The Algebra of Wealth
Wednesday, April 30, 2025  |  5:15–6:30 pm

Virtual member lunch
Tuesday, May 13, 2025  |  12–1 pm

Golf driving range with instructor
Thursday, May 22, 2025  |  4:45–7 pm 

Virtual monthly meditation
Wednesday, May 7, 2025  |  12–12:30 pm

Night at the San Francisco Giants game
Tuesday, August 26, 2025  |  5:15–10 pm

April is National Financial Literacy Month, an opportunity to learn more about finances, from budgets to long-term planning, with an emphasis on bringing that knowledge to young people so they can start out with smart decisions. Read more

The FWSF has been working with the non-profit Rock the Street Wall Street that is dedicated to increasing the participation of women in financial careers and targets high school girls. FWSF members have been volunteering at Gateway High School in the fall for four sessions and this spring for three sessions. Read more

Last fall, the FWSF community lost a long-time member Sara Grossman. Sara personified attributes to which FWSF aspires in her perseverance in following her path to become a leader in finance when that was often unheard of for women and to mentor and help others along the way. Sara mentored Sandra Vedadi, 2009 FWSF Scholarship recipient, who had a story to share. Read more

Mona Ahmadi
Director of Financial Analysis & Planning, Earnin 

Mona Ahmadi was included in the San Francisco Business Times (SFBT) list of "Women to Watch-Honoring Visionary women Shaping the Bay Area." She was also invited to speak at the University of San Francisco School of Management.

Read the article and watch the video.

Andrea just announced that she is starting a new position as Account Executive - Talent and Learning at LinkedIn!

Kaitlyn has accepted a full-time role as a Venture Banking Credit Analyst at Stifel in San Francisco. She just finished her education at Santa Clara University and is graduating with a BSc in Finance and a BA in Music!

Michelle had the following to say: "I’m excited to share that I’ve been named Rookie of the Year for 2024 at Robert Half and ranked #1 globally for Permanent Placement! This milestone is especially meaningful after making a bold career pivot from accounting to sales and relocating to a new city just over a year ago. I’m grateful for the support of my mentors, clients, and candidates—I’m excited to continue making an impact and doing what I love!"

Did you get a promotion? Change jobs? Launch a business? We want to know so that we can promote your news to the FWSF community! Submit your news. 

Fatema Udaipurwala, CFA 
Wealth Advisor, Eagle Strategies, LLC

FWSF member, Fatema Udaipurwala, had the following tips to share:

Financial planning can feel overwhelming—but not having a plan often leads to emotional decisions and missed opportunities. But here's the good news: financial success doesn't have to be complicated. It's about building a strong foundation, step-by-step, and then maintaining it. Read more

Is there a career tip, or advice you would like to share that will benefit others? Submit your tips. 

Mauri Schwartz

President/CEO, MBA, Career Insiders

Please share a little about yourself:  My job is to help others land their desired employment. I love helping them market and sell themselves to be successful in their search. I am infinitely curious, love getting to know my clients, learning about what they do, why and how they do it... Read more

New members — Would you like to introduce yourself to our FWSF community?
Longer term members — Would you like to reintroduce yourself and provide an update?

Our members want to meet you. Fill out the questionnaire.

Alice Cho, Senior Advisor, Boston Consulting Group

Ji Kim, Financial Executive Consultant, Kim Strategy

Mauri Schwartz, President/CEO, MBA, Career Insiders

Sidnie Semich, Assistant VP, Private Bank Associate, Bank of America Private Bank

On March 6, 2025, the Financial Women of San Francisco (FWSF) hosted an inspiring International Women’s Day event, bringing together finance professionals, industry leaders, and advocates to celebrate and empower women in the financial sector. The event provided valuable insights, networking opportunities, and strategies for advancing gender equity in finance and beyond. Read more

On March 25, 2025, Bain & Co. hosted an in person and zoom simulcast panel regarding payment trends, risks and opportunities, featuring facilitator Erin McCune of Bain & Co, with Lisa Shields of FISPAN, Marg Riley of the Federal Reserve SF, Rachel Pike of Modern Treasury, Kalyeni Iyer of SardineAI, and Veronica Fernandez of Visa. Read more

In March, we read and discussed Right Kind of Wrong by Amy Edmondson. Some key takeaways:

Reframe Failure as Learning – Instead of viewing failure as purely negative, categorize it. Ask: Is this an intelligent failure (new territory, informed, small-scale, opportunity-driven)? If so, extract lessons and apply them. Read more takeaways