It is a great honor for me to take the helm as Director of Diversitas from my good friend Dr. Barry Mulholland while he transitions to concentrate on his academic responsibilities. When Barry joined The University of Akron as the Financial Planning Director more than seven years ago, his idea for a program to bring more women and underrepresented people into financial planning was unique and visionary. It has been an honor to work with him these years as a Board Member and see this program flourish.

Over the past seven years, we grew from a local program in Akron, Ohio, with one live Symposium each year, to a national program with more than two dozen other partner colleges and universities, and four annual events – our half-day Symposium, and three Forums, which are virtual one-hour programs. None of this would have been possible without our generous corporate supporters and sponsors including Charles Schwab, Cetera, BNY Mellon Pershing, Cambridge, and the Financial Alliance for Racial Equity (FARE). We also have the privilege of having the CFP Board and BLX support Diversitas.

While a lot has changed over that time, what has remained is our focus on inclusivity of students, on educating career influencers such as teachers and guidance counselors on the many career options in wealth management, and on engaging the professional community in our efforts.

In 2024, our annual, live, half-day Symposium will be Thursday, February 8, from 12 – 5 pm in Akron, Ohio. In an effort to include those who cannot make it, the event will also be available virtually live as well. We will announce the dates of our quarterly virtual Forums shortly. Starting in 2024, we are enhancing our focus, expanding it to be “diversity of talent; diversity of opportunities” to reflect the fact that the profession offers a wide variety of jobs, not just those involving sales and math. In order to meet the growing talent shortage, we need to not only draw from a broader pool of individuals, but we must get the word out that there are a plethora of well-paying, flexible jobs in the areas of marketing, technology, compliance, product distribution, operations and others, as well as the traditional roles of sales and delivering client advice. There truly is something for everyone in our wonderful profession!

The need for personal financial advice has never been stronger. Please join us in our quest to expand the talent pool and educate the public about the diversity of careers in wealth management. Partner Universities enjoy direct access to our programs and our corporate sponsors, with some other exclusive benefits coming soon. Our corporate sponsors enjoy exposure and access to our students and overall community with personalized messaging and speaking opportunities. And by working together, our industry can win in the quest for talent.

I’m looking forward to connecting with each of you in the coming weeks and months. In the meantime, please make sure to follow us on our social channels @DiversitasFP to stay in the loop about our upcoming events and initiatives.

Best,
Carina Diamond

Director, Diversitas
Founder and CEO, Stella Secunda