CONNECTIONS NEWSLETTER
August 2025

Tuesday, October 14, 11 am–1:30 pm

Join us to honor our Financial Woman of the Year, Kirsten Rhodes. In addition to being our 2025 #FWOTY, Kirsten is the Vice Chair and Client Relationship Development Leader at Deloitte.

This year’s luncheon kicks off at 11 a.m. at the Hyatt Regency San Francisco with networking and light appetizers. The luncheon supports scholarships.

Tuesday, October 7, 5–7:00 pm

Join us during SF Tech Week 2025 to learn how women are shaping the future of fintech. FWSF’s 2025 President Mona Ahmadi and Sandra Wasicek, FWSF member and founder of ZorroFi, will be joined by a panel of fintech experts. We’ll look at how women are gaining a foothold in more areas of financial services and technology, and how their impact is rippling out across industries.

Virtual book club: The First Rule of Mastery
Wednesday, August 27, 2025  |  5:15–6:30 pm

Virtual monthly meditation
Wednesday, September 3, 2025  |  12–12:30 pm

Virtual member lunch
Tuesday, September 9, 2025  |  12–1:00 pm

Hit the trail with FWSF
Saturday, September 13 | 7:30–10:00 am

Breaking the silence: Embracing invisible challenges in the workplace
Tuesday, November 4 | 4:30–6:00 pm

SAVE THE DATE

FWSF and Women in ETF summer social
September 11, 2025  |  4:30–7 pm

Seen and valued: Addressing proximity effects in the workplace
September 25, 2025  |  4–5 pm  |  Virtual event

Modern payment rails—the future of stablecoin
October 29, 2025  |  4:30–7 pm

Professional development seminar
November 11, 2025  |  4:30 pm  |  Virtual event

It's wonderful to have donors just "find" us from afar...

Long-time FWSF board member, Anne Chambers, reached out to determine who the "mystery donor" has been to our FWSF scholarship fund. She discovered that Progressive Investment Management has been providing a $1,000 corporate donation. Read more about Progressive Management and why they decided to donate.

Rock The Street Wall Street (RTSWS) empowers high school girls and university women by bringing the M in STEM to life through a focus on Financial & Investment fundamentals. FWSF and RTSWS have partnered through FWSF members volunteering to participate in RTSWS student mentorship opportunities.

The RTSWS Team is excited to share two new volunteer opportunities.

We’re launching RTSWS Coffee Chats and Industry Speaking Opportunities to help our students grow their networks and learn directly from professionals like you. If you're interested in participating or would like to learn more, please complete our brief Interest form.

"Back to School" is this month's theme, and below are finance and business higher education insights to explore in the "Food For Thought" and "Member Tips" sections.

By FWSF member, Saiqa Anne Qureshi, PhD MBA, Adjunct Professor at  St Mary's College of California and Johns Hopkins University

As we consider early career hiring, and specifically first roles post-graduation, we need to think about the funnel of students and how some demographic changes and choices will affect the talent pool available. There are changes afoot, with a decrease in high school graduates, therefore university graduates, a decreasing population overall, and changes to popular majors being studied. Read more

By FWSF member, Dr. Lawrence Souza, Adjunct Professor Finance: St. Mary's College of California, Menlo College, Sonoma State, University of Redlands, University of San Francisco

Over the decades, access and funding for education have been declining, along with educational outcomes; these secular trends only got worse after the COVID-19 pandemic. National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) data show declines in reading and math following COVID-19, with partial recovery in 2024. Read more

By FWSF member, Dr. Faten Ben Bouheni, Associate Professor of Finance and Real Estate at Menlo College

The rapid advancement of Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI) presents both significant opportunities for enhancing educational experiences and important challenges related to maintaining academic integrity. As this technology reshapes how we learn and work, educational institutions must adapt to prepare students for an AI-driven future. Read more

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

Brie Ford

Senior Service Advisor, Capital Advantage

Please share a little about yourself:
As a wealth advisor, I'm passionate about helping women gain confidence and a stronger voice in their financial lives. The world of finance can often feel intimidating, and my goal is to break down those barriers and teach women the language of money in a way that feels empowering, not overwhelming. 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.

Brie Ford, Senior Service Advisor, Capital Advantage

Financial Services Advisor, Bedell Frazier Investment Counselling, LLC

In July, the FWSF Book Club held a lively discussion of The Fine Art of Small Talk by Debra Fine.

Among the key takeaways: Take Initiative and Assume Responsibility: Don't wait for others to start conversations; Master the Art of Active Listening and Use Strategic Question Types. Read more

A warm and inspiring gathering with our newest members of Financial Women of San Francisco! We shared stories, made meaningful connections, and celebrated the power of community. FWSF board members provided additional detail about member benefits and opportunities and further familiarized these new members with the FWSF organization. Read more