CONNECTIONS NEWSLETTER
May 2025

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. 

Read more about the scholarship recipients.

WEBINAR: Wednesday, May 21, 2025  |  1–2:30 pm

Keeping track of tariffs—from what’s been announced and which ones are paused to when things will be implemented—is… taxing.

The good news is: You don’t have to keep track of every headline and detail. We’ve put together a panel of experts to distill the important takeaways. We’ll cover everything from the actual policies to their potential impact on the overall economy AND the potential spillover into your everyday finances.

Thursday, May 22, 2025  |  4:45–7 pm

We are kicking off the first event of the series on May 22nd with a golf swing instruction hour at the beautiful Presidio golf course driving range in San Francisco. This event gives you the opportunity to test the waters, get tips on swinging the club and see if this game is for you. 

Kristin Mauer describes why FWSF began offering the Golf Event series. 

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

Virtual book club: The Menopause Manifesto
Wednesday, May 21, 2025  |  5:15–6:30 pm

Virtual monthly meditation
Wednesday, June 4, 2025  |  12–12:30 pm

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

Rhodes serves as vice chair of client relationship development and a technology, media, and telecom principal. With more than 30 years of experience in the finance and tech sector, she’s responsible for developing and leading Deloitte’s client relationship strategy to drive business growth and deliver solutions to her clients’ most complex business challenges. Read the press release.

From scholarship recipient to president—and now, one of the Most Influential Women in Bay Area Business. Her story is a testament to what’s possible when women are supported through mentorship, community, and meaningful opportunity. Mona was honored on May 8th, in a celebration honoring the Most Influential Women in Bay Area Business. The event brought together trailblazing women to share their wisdom on leadership, community service, mentorship, and the incredible impact women have in transforming the world. 

“This honor is not just mine—it belongs to every woman who lifted me up, to the members of this incredible organization and sponsors who believed in my potential, and to this incredible city that made space for my dreams. This is the power of community and I’m honored to be a part of it.” 

With constant media alerts about layoffs in government, stock market instability and tariff threats it is sometimes difficult to take a step back and actually assess what is happening. In late April 2025 the US Bureau of Economic Analysis released data that the US economy contracted in the first quarter (January to March 2025), by approximately 0.3%, seasonally adjusted, indicating negative growth of 0.3%.  Read more

FWSF member, Michelle Espejo, Recruiting Manager, Financial Services Group, Robert Half 

 The job market has evolved—and so has your experience. If you're reentering the workforce after a layoff or career pause, or simply curious about what else is out there, it’s okay to feel uncertain. Read more

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

Exciting news — ZorroFi was selected for UC Berkeley’s SkyDeck Pad-13, a highly selective pre-accelerator. We’re receiving hands-on mentorship to sharpen our go-to-market strategy and fundraising approach. The program also gives us access to UC Berkeley’s strong fintech and compliance network.

Denise Field, Shareholder at Buchalter was a featured panelist at the 2025 Equipment Leasing & Finance Association (ELFA) Legal Forum, held on Monday, May 5, in Charlotte, North Carolina. She participated in the panel “Artificial Intelligence: Understanding and Working with the Ever-Changing Operative and Legal Landscape.” The session explored how AI is reshaping the equipment leasing industry, with a focus on the evolving legal, ethical, and compliance challenges—as well as opportunities that come with the new technology. The panel sparked valuable conversation among industry leaders navigating the future of AI in equipment finance.

Dr. Faten Ben Bouheni has established a distinguished academic career in Europe (France). She gained global recognition as a visiting Professor at San Diego State University and as a Lecturer at San Francisco State University. In 2021, she joined Menlo College as an Adjunct Professor of Finance. Her teaching expertise and research contributions were quickly acknowledged, leading to her appointment as an Assistant Professor of Finance, FinTech, and Real Estate in 2022. By 2025, Dr. Ben Bouheni received a well-deserved promotion to Associate Professor and was honored with the prestigious Dean's Scholarship Award, reflecting her commitment to excellence in higher education and academic leadership.    

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. 

Louise Cochrane

Principal, L.F. Cochrane & Associates

Please share a little about yourself:
Louise brings over 20 years of experience to the table, blending a background in both audit and tax with nearly a decade in public and private accounting—including time at small firms, regional leaders, and one of the Big Four.  Read more

Wenjun Xu

Investor Relations/Treasury Lead, Granite Construction

Please share a little about yourself:
Wenjun Xu is a Finance Lead at Granite Construction, supporting both the Investor Relations and Treasury Strategy teams. I began my career as an Equity Research Associate covering the U.S. infrastructure sector, and I’m now in my final year of the Evening & Weekend MBA program at UC Berkeley.  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.

Wenjun Xu, Senior Corporate Finance Lead, Granite Construction

Donya Ahourai, CPA, PwC

Siddhi Bhagat, Senior Financial Analyst, Globe Life

In April, we read and discussed The Algebra of Wealth by Scott Galloway. Some key takeaways:

The Economics of Time: Galloway considers time the ultimate nonrenewable resource, positioning it as both the foundation of wealth and something more valuable than money itself. Read more takeaways