Dedicated to Financial Literacy & Empowerment

Savvy Ladies® Executive Board, Board of Directors, Leadership Team, and every volunteer member are dedicated to the belief that all women should have the financial knowledge and confidence to achieve financial empowerment.

Leadership Team

Judy Herbst

Executive Director

Judy Herbst is the Executive Director of Savvy Ladies. She comes to Savvy Ladies with vast knowledge & experience working with women throughout her career. With over 20+ years of relationship-building experience working for the iconic brands’ Tiffany & Co, American Girl, and Worthy.com, Judy creates programs and campaigns that educate and speak to critical issues targeting women, parents, and families.

In March 2021, Savvy Ladies welcomed Judy to spearhead initiates designed to expand Savvy Ladies reach focusing on technology & scalability to serve more women, championing women’s empowerment through financial knowledge.

Judy brings her business acumen and creative, marketing & client relationship savviness along with her proven success record in developing, driving and executing scalable business growth initiatives. She is innovative and a passionate thought leader with success in sales, project and event management, managing teams, hiring, start-ups, coaching, writing, and community building.

Tracie Wheeler

Director Technology, Operations & Client Experiences

Tracie is a client service, database, and management specialist, having worked with the Girl Scouts of America where she had proven success in developing and maintaining detailed records for members, programs and supervising teams of volunteers. Tracie is passionate about creating & managing programs that support women & their families. As the Director, Tracie manages the Savvy Ladies Free Financial Helpline and its team of professional volunteers and maintains the data management systems supporting the organization.

Florencia (Gradel) Sheelo

Communications Director

Florencia is a digital marketing professional with 10 years of experience in content and email marketing. In her previous position as Content Manager at Worthy.com, she specialized in creating value-adding, educational content for female audiences. At Savvy Ladies, Florencia is responsible for handling email communications with the organization’s community, promoting events and educational sessions. She also manages the Savvy Money Blog and the Savvy Ladies website, with a focus on making financial literacy resources accessible.

Our Board

Executive Board

Stacy Francis

Founder Savvy Ladies
CEO Francis Financial

Stacy Francis is the Founder, CEO and President of Francis Financial, Inc., a Wealth Management and Financial Planning firm. With over 18 years of experience in the financial industry, she is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ (CFP®), a Certified Divorce Financial Analyst™ (CDFA™), and a Certified Estate Planning Specialist (CES™). She is the Co-Director of the Association of Divorce Financial Planners’ (ADFP) Greater New York Metro Chapter and a member of the Women Presidents’ Organization (WPO) and an honoree member of the Private Risk Management Association (PRMA). A nationally recognized financial expert, Stacy has appeared on ABC News, CNBC, CNN, PBS Nightly Business Report, The Today Show, Good Morning America, Fine Living Network, and The O’Reilly Factor. Stacy attended the New York University Center for Finance, Law and Taxation.

Pamela Moschetti

SPACES

Pamela is the founder and owner of SPACES, A Design Company, a boutique design firm located in the heart of Chelsea, specializing in Landscape and Garden Design.

SPACES currently has projects in NYC, CT and Eastern Long Island. Her garden specific studies at the Royal Horticultural Society, The School of Garden Design, both in the UK, and the New York Botanical Garden in NY give her a broad based foundation from which to begin any project. She attributes her company’s diversity and style to her career experience working with the magnificent creatives at Ralph Lauren for 4 years, the talented designers and merchandisers at Liberty of London in the UK for 2 years, and Lillian August in CT and NYC, for another 3 years. However it is her personal interests within the art, design, music and fashion worlds that birth a refinement to her reputation and projects. While decidedly working from the left side of the brain for most of her life, Pamela’s past employments include Paine Webber and Goldman Sachs. Those financial sensibilities and managerial skills support her still.

Ruchi Pinniger

Founder/CEO Watch her Prosper®

Ruchi is the founder of Watch Her Prosper®, an organization dedicated to providing the financial mentorship, support, and services that women-led, service-based business owners need to succeed today.

What makes Watch Her Prosper different from other financial support service firms is our fierce dedication to small business owners and the relationships she builds with her clients.

As a former Wall Street executive, Ruchi brings to the table over 25 years of experience in financial management and helping business owners weather economic ups and downs. Sometimes called a “financial therapist” by her clients, her mentorship goes deep and works at the intersection of personal and business.

Mary Stone

Co-Head of Structured Finance and Managing Director | Piper Sandler

Mary Stone is co-head of structured finance and a managing director in the financial services group at Piper Sandler based in the New York office.

Stone joined Piper Sandler from StoneX where she was a managing director and head of structured credit banking. While at StoneX, Ms. Stone built a banking origination franchise providing securitized products and whole loan capital markets advisory for the firm’s clients. Prior to that, she was at Bank of America for 12 years where she was head of residential mortgage securitization and advisory. Previously Mary worked in structured products at Lehman Brothers for 8 years. She also spent time in the securitized products teams at Morgan Stanley and PricewaterhouseCoopers. Stone received a bachelor’s degree in finance from The College of William and Mary and Is an active alumni supporter of the William and Mary undergraduate school of business.

Lisa Zeiderman

Savvy Ladies Board Chair

Managing Partner | Miller Zeiderman LLP

Board of Directors

Jeanne Berger

Private Client Advisor | JPMorgan Chase Bank

Kate Carr

Experienced C-Suite Executive who has led organizations through transformations, developing vision and strategy, and driving revenue and reputation with a focus on excellence.

Experienced strategic advisor with a demonstrated history of working in the non-profit organization management industry. Strong business development professional skilled in Nonprofit Organizations, Corporate Social Responsibility, Governmental Affairs, Government, and Program Evaluation.

Shellon Blanchard-Clarke

Savvy Ladies Board Secretary

MBA, SPHR, Strategy and Operations executive with expertise in Human Resources Business Partnerships

Shellon is a Strategy and Operations executive with expertise in Human Resources Business Partnership, Talent Acquisition, People Analytics, People Leadership, and HR Technology Product Delivery and Optimization. She is a people-focused executive who uses data for storytelling and insights to help organizations make better business decisions. She is equally focused on leadership and service spending time outside of her work giving back to several nonprofit organizations. While serving as a Board secretary for the Alma Domestic Violence Foundation, she is keenly focused on raising money to help families in need. Additionally , as a member of Chief, she is focused on building the next set of C-suite women leaders. Her passion for building up her community, and being an active membership in several organizations is a testament to her servant mindset.

Lee Conti, Jr.

Insurance Planner & Educator

Lee Conti, Jr. is a Director with CPS Elite Advisors Insurance Svcs, as well as a nationally recognized speaker on cutting edge insurance trends. Lee focuses on coaching advisors on cutting-edge risk management strategies in the areas of Longevity Planning, Disability protection, Long Term Care, Linked Benefits, and Life Insurance. Lee is committed to the highest fiduciary standards and he has dedicated the last 21 years to helping advisors design insurance programs to help their clients protect and augment wealth. He brings a planner’s mindset to all his tailored risk management solutions, in a space often crowded with transaction-minded individuals.

Lee is certified nationally as a Continuing Education instructor for Insurance sessions and is also approved to teach CFP® Continuing Education courses to financial advisors. Lee has been a breakout speaker at financial planning industry conferences since 2006 and is consistently a go-to resource for advisors on insurance-related questions. He takes pride in creating and teaching dynamic sessions that allow advisors to walk away with practical information to help their clients plan for a better future and he has currently trained over 8,000 advisors on risk management strategies. Lee’s passion for education led him to serve on the FPA of NY’s Board of Directors as Co-Chair of the Spring Forum and Director of the Practitioners monthly educational meetings before becoming President in 2016.

Wendy Dessy

Director of Corporate Social Responsibility, Proskauer

Wendy Dessy created and implemented Proskauer’s Corporate Social Responsibility programs. She led a multitude of initiatives, events, board service, disaster relief, and workplace giving campaigns surrounding education, social justice, veteran affairs, hunger and poverty across the United States, London and Paris. She built and aligned their social responsibility efforts addressing pressing needs in local communities. Wendy built the internal and external communications through a range of platforms, storytelling, Proskauer for Good blog, and videos.

Wendy is currently serving as a member of the Conference Board, Board of Directors of Hip Hop Public Health, Board of Directors of Savvy Ladies and Board of Advisors for the Center for Food as Medicine & Longevity.

Prior to joining Proskauer, Wendy held various positions within the Bloomberg Administration and campaigns from 2005-2014. She worked with administration leaders on multi-agency task forces to help create solutions to a wide range of challenges and problems. She served as Executive Director for the NYC Cool Roofs Initiative, an environmental volunteer initiative of Mayor Bloomberg’s PlaNYC, to reduce energy consumption, cooling costs and carbon emissions and was Manager of PublicPrivate Partnerships for The Mayor’s Office of Service and Volunteerism from 2010-2014.

Jennifer Faherty

Founder | Pionyr
Founder | Psych Paper Press
Chief Member NYC | Chief

With a long career in wealth management, including a C-suite role, and as an entrepreneur and founder of Psych Paper Press, I help clients and colleagues thrive through the creation and curation of tools around the science of happiness and the cognitive benefits of putting pen(cil) to paper. Her focus is about how handwriting, journaling, and positive psychology are reshaping how we plan, prioritize, and protect our wellbeing.

Certification in Applied Positive Psychology (University of Pennsylvania), CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™, B.A. Dartmouth College, M.A. in Education Columbia University/Teachers College, Certified Life Coach.

Outside of work: CFP® Board Women’s Initiative Program Mentor; National Association of Personal Financial Advisors (NAPFA)/Leadership and Development Committee; Women of Dartmouth NYC; founding member of Chief, premier network for women leaders.

Amy Goldsmith

Partner | Tarter Krinsky & Drogin LLP

Randi Karmel

Randi L. Karmel, PLLC

Tanya Kaul

Microsoft, Sr. Financial Service Industry Architect, Women’s Bond Club

Tanya brings her strength in shaping product and platform strategy around innovation on business models to Savvy Ladies. She brings her “problem-solving” mindset to delivering complex cross-functional growth and her expertise of being highly effective at the intersection of large banks and the startup ecosystem, orchestrating relationships via organic partnerships and inorganic venture investments.

Edna Mariñelarena

Vice President of Business Development | Moody’s Ratings

A results-oriented Relationship Manager at Moody’s with a focus on Public and Infrastructure Finance on the West Coast. I serve as a trusted point of contact for key government entities, municipalities, utilities, and infrastructure project leaders, ensuring they receive exceptional support and timely solutions. My role involves strategic client engagement, driving new business development, and ensuring client satisfaction through a deep understanding of their unique challenges and objectives. I leverage my expertise in market trends and debt capital markets to provide critical insights, foster long-term partnerships, and expand Moody’s presence across the region.

Shuchi Mittal

Visionary Technology Executive | Fiserv Expert Engineer (EE) | CTO

As a global IT executive and change agent leader, Shuchi is passionate about articulating a vision, developing technology strategy, and implementing solutions that transform business operations.

From her early software development days to her present position as Global Head of Digital Transformation Platforms at Fiserv, she’s contributed to sustainable growth and competitive advantage through next-gen technology solutions.

Kimberly Riggleman, CPA, MBA

VP and Assistant Controller at Constellation

Savvy Ladies Board Treasurer

Experienced Fortune 200 Finance Executive and Certified Public Accountant with a demonstrated history of working in the power and utilities industry. Skilled in Audit, Energy Derivatives, SEC Filings, Financial Planning, Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP), Mergers & Acquisitions, Analytical Skills and Financial Accounting. Strong accounting professional with an MBA in Finance from Loyola University Maryland.

Julia Rodgers, Esq.

CEO & Co-Founder @HelloPrenup, Legal Tech Attorney

A legal entrepreneur, attorney, and the CEO and co-founder of HelloPrenup, a platform that takes the awkwardness out of discussing and creating prenuptial agreements. With years of experience in litigation and family law, Julia has a unique understanding of the complexities surrounding prenups and the need for a more accessible and user-friendly solution. An industry thought leader, Julia regularly speaks on panels and at conferences to share my insights on the intersection of technology, law, and all things prenups. Julia is a dedicated mentor and advocate for women in law and entrepreneurship.

Gary B. Rosen

Partner-In-Charge, Valuation, Forensic & Litigation Services- NY Region

CBIZ(formerly Marcum)Accountants Advisors

Gary Rosen is the partner-in-charge in the Firm’s Valuation, Forensic & Litigation Services group for the NY Region. He provides accounting, audit, and consulting services, including solvency, valuation opinions, and asset recovery for numerous closely-held and public corporations, real estate entities, financial services institutions, business development companies, private equity funds, government agencies, and international corporations. Gary holds the CPA, CFE, CFF, CVA, and CGMA accreditations.

Mr. Rosen has approximately 40 years of financial advisory, consulting, and public accounting experience with an extensive background in fraud engagements, forensic accounting, complex litigation matters, shareholder/partnership disputes, and other areas of investigative accounting.

He has testified as an expert witness in numerous litigation cases in a variety of federal and state courts regarding agreed-upon procedures reports, fraud, lost profits, valuations, white-collar crime, solvency, commercial and residential real estate, product liability, estate matters, shareholder and partner disputes, and matrimonial matters. Where he is able to communicate complex financial information in a manner judges and juries can understand.

Sylvia Simson

Attorney/Shareholder Greenberg Traurig, LLP

Sylvia is a shareholder in GT’s New York office and a litigator with a diverse practice focused on a broad range of complex commercial litigation as well as mass torts/products liability, financial services, life sciences, and environmental matters. She is experienced both in trials and appeals and has deep experience with multi-district litigation, class action defense, and the coordination of related actions in different jurisdictions.

She has counseled global and national corporations and institutions, mid-sized or privately-held companies, partnerships, start-up entities, and individuals in both federal and state cases across the country. The matters she has litigated concern a variety of issues and her experience spans a wide range of industries.

She has significant brief-writing and oral advocacy experience and have drafted and argued discovery, dispositive, and various pretrial motions in federal and state courts, as well as oppositions to class certification motions. She also has deep experience working with expert witnesses in various scientific and professional fields.

In addition, she has experience with alternative dispute resolution, negotiating and drafting complex settlement agreements, providing counsel in transactional and regulatory contexts, advising on risk mitigation and preparedness best practices, and developing coordinated defense strategies integrating business, media, regulatory, and litigation dimensions.

Suzanne Siracuse

CEO/Founder, Suzanne Siracuse Consulting Services LLC

Savvy Ladies Board Vice President

Suzanne Siracuse, Founder and CEO of Suzanne Siracuse Consulting Services, LLC, specializes in advising financial services firms on innovative business strategies, distinctive marketing programs and impactful advocacy initiatives. Ms. Siracuse is the former CEO and Publisher of InvestmentNews where she oversaw the vision and strategic direction for all their platforms including print, digital, events and research. Ms. Siracuse had been with InvestmentNews since its launch in 1998, and formerly held the position of Advertising Sales Director and Associate Publisher before being named Publisher in January of 2006.

Under her leadership, InvestmentNews launched initiatives to support the evolution of the financial advice profession, specifically in the areas of Women’s Leadership, Diversity & Inclusion, Innovation, NextGen and Financial Literacy. An industry thought-leader, she is a sought-after speaker and moderator on topics ranging from investing and leadership to financial literacy and fintech. Ms Siracuse is also a founding member of the Invent Elite consulting consortium, which focuses on developing, launching, branding and operationally supporting broad based technology initiatives for financial services firms.

In addition, Ms. Siracuse is also the Chair of the Board for the Invest in Others Charitable Foundation, is a Board member and strategic advisor for Whealthcare Planning LLC, is a board member at The American College State Farm Center for Women and a board member of the non-profit, Savvy Ladies.

Vanessa Stephens

VC & Growth Equity Attorney l Angel Investor & LP l Startup Advisor

Stephanie M. Wei

Wealth Advisor | Ashton Thomas Private Wealth
Chief Member

Stephanie Wei is a seasoned financial professional with over two decades of experience advising high-net-worth individuals and families on complex investment strategies, wealth preservation, and risk management. A Chartered Financial Analyst® charterholder since 2002, Stephanie brings a global perspective and deep institutional knowledge to her role within Ashton Thomas.

Stephanie’s approach is deeply client-centric. She is particularly passionate about empowering women, professionals of color, and first-generation wealth builders by providing access to the kind of tailored, unbiased financial guidance that has long been less available to these communities.

Stephanie’s motivation is rooted in a personal story of resilience. After the unexpected loss of her mother as a teenager, she began managing her family’s finances and developed a strong sense of duty that continues to shape her advisory work today.

Stephanie holds a BA in International Political Economy with High Honors from UC Berkeley and a Master’s degree in International Relations from The Fletcher School at Tufts University. She is a member of the CFA Society of San Francisco and Financial Women of San Francisco. A lifelong violinist, she has performed with the UC Berkeley Symphony and remains active in supporting arts and education nonprofits. She also currently serves as Secretary of Medcetera.org, an organization focused on equity in healthcare and scientific innovation.

Precious Williams

CEO/Founder Perfect Pitches

Precious Williams has written three #1 bestselling books on pitching, “Bad Bitches and Power Pitches:  For Women Entrepreneurs and Speakers Only!” and the “Bad Bitches and Power Pitches: The Workbook” and  “Pitching for Profit:  The Bad Bitches Playbook to Convert Conversations Into Currency.” 

Jr. Board Members

Nicky Amore, MBA, CFP®, CPWA®

Savvy Ladies Jr. Board Sponsorship/Program Committee Co-Chair

Financial Planner at Falcon Wealth Planning

Nicky recently joined the Falcon Wealth Planning team after working previously as a Wealth Advisor Associate. She will be working alongside Managing Director, David Smith, in their Chicago offices, working hard to expand FWP’s nationwide reach.

Mei Arditi

Savvy Ladies Jr. Board Mentorship Committee Co-Chair

Risk Analyst at Morgan Stanley

Experienced Graduate Research Fellow with a demonstrated history of working in the higher education industry and Technology Services. Skilled in Communication, Management, Racket, Interviewing, and R. Strong research professional with a Master of Arts – MA focused in Social Sciences from University of Chicago.

Amanda Connaughton, CFP®

Savvy Ladies Jr. Board Mentorship Committee Co-Chair

CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™

Amanda is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ for Financial Solutions, an independent financial planning firm. she strives to help people get from where they are to where they want to be by creating personalized plans that put them on track to reach their financial goals. She helps young professionals build wealth and retirees manage the wealth they have accumulated.

Mara Cristina Tache

Savvy Ladies Jr. Board Co-Chair

Director Product Integration, Mastercard

Experienced payments professional with global exposure focused on Payment Platform(s), Card Issuance, and Merchant Acceptance. She is recognized as a business and product go-to-market subject matter expert, helping customers manage a launch’s technical & business aspects

Margaret Foster

Associate, Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP

Anne Mosley

Savvy Ladies Jr. Board Development Committee Co-Chair

Attorney, Sullivan & Cromwell LLP

Education:
Columbia Law School, J.D., 2020
Yale University, B.A., 2015

Bar Admissions:
New York

Ray’Chel Wilson

Savvy Ladies Jr. Board Development Committee Co-Chair

CEO, Raise the Bar Investments

Ray’Chel Wilson is a dedicated education professional and transformational leader who is passionate about promoting quality education and creating long-term impact.

She has received recognition as one of Oklahoma’s top “20 Under 2” teachers and as one of “Tulsa’s Emerging 100” entrepreneurs, showcasing her commitment to addressing education and wealth disparities. Emerging from the classroom, Ray’Chel now fundraises for “the best kids in Black Wall Street”, ensuring they have the resources to have quality education & live a choice-filled life.

As the CEO of Raise the Bar Investments, a financial education social enterprise, she empowers minorities to close wealth gaps. Raise the Bar Investments aims to educate and empower clients to develop better financial habits and overall financial well-being.

Ray’Chel sees the intersection of education & entrepreneurship as her calling and invites others to reach out to her to collaborate and make a collective impact.

Ongelique Winkfield

Savvy Ladies Jr. Board Co-Chair

Vice President – Diverse Advisor Experience Program Lead, JP Morgan Chase & Co

Experienced Project Manager with a passion for Inclusion and Diversity and a demonstrated history of working in the financial services industry. Skilled in Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK), Team Management, Project Coordination, and Project Implementation. Strong program and project management professional with a Master’s degree in Project Management from Keller Graduate School of Management and a Bachelor’s degree in Business Management with a specialization in Sustainability Management from DeVry University.

Rachel Zou, CFA

Vice President, Investment Strategy Retirement Solutions at BlackRock