CFP Board Welcomes Eight CFP® Professionals to Ambassador Program
CFP Board today announced the appointment of eight CFP® professionals to its CFP Board Ambassador Program. These new Ambassadors are excellent sources of financial planning knowledge for the media, the public and individuals aspiring to become CFP® professionals.
“Our new Ambassadors share CFP Board’s commitment to CFP® certification and actively work to increase awareness about the value of financial planning,” said CFP Board CEO Kevin R. Keller, CAE. “We are excited to welcome these dedicated volunteers to the CFP Board Ambassador Program.”
The CFP Board Ambassador program is a nationwide network of CFP® professionals working to raise awareness of CFP® certification as the standard for competent and ethical financial planning. CFP Board Ambassadors share their expertise by speaking to the media, writing articles for LetsMakeAPlan.org, speaking at events and using their social media platforms to reach a wider audience, all in support of CFP® certification. Ambassadors are selected based on their volunteerism and demonstrated passion for communicating with the public about the importance of financial planning.
The CFP Board Ambassador program initially began in 2010 with seven Ambassadors in seven regions in the U.S., with new Ambassadors taking on the role since then. With these additional Ambassadors, the CFP Board Ambassador program now includes 31 Ambassadors, representing 17 states throughout the country. The program will continue to grow, aiming for a diverse sampling of CFP® professionals, including diversity of financial planning specialty, age, gender, racial or ethnic background, and geographical location.
The new CFP Board Ambassadors are as follows:
Nicky Amore, MBA, CFP®
Chicago, Illinois
Nicky Amore learned resiliency and patience as a child with special needs in a family of six children. After struggling to relearn to walk, she became determined to help others. Nicky is a financial planner at Falcon Wealth Planning, Inc. Her practice serves families affected by special needs and helps them rest assured that they can focus on their entire family, not just the fear that arises because of special needs.
Nicky teaches finance at Harper College and the CFP® certification courses at NYU School of Professional Studies, John Carroll University and UCLA Extension. Outside of work, Nicky dedicates time to alumni societies and volunteers with Savvy Ladies, Crisis Text Line, 3rd Decade and Alpha Phi Omega. She and her wife enjoy training for triathlons with their rescue dogs.
Nicky holds an M.A. in Human Development, Family Studies and Related Services from Pacific Oaks College, an MBA from Western Governors University and a B.A. in English from Loyola University Chicago.
Jasmine Renae Ball, MSW, CFP®
Tulsa, Oklahoma
Jasmine Renae Ball is a financial planner and the founder of Bamboo Financial Partners in Tulsa, Oklahoma, where she works with clients across the United States.
Jasmine, with over 12 years in financial services, began as an assistant and progressed to an advisor, assistant manager and now founder. Drawing from a unique background in education, psychology and social work, she adopts a holistic approach to financial planning. She chose to open her firm in Tulsa as an ode to the Black Wall Street legacy, honoring the area’s rich history of Black entrepreneurs. As of 2023, Jasmine is the first and only CFP® professional from Oklahoma who identifies as a Black woman.
Jasmine has been featured in the Oklahoma Eagle, Journal Record, Silicon Review, Nerd Wallet and more. She often uses her platform to promote both financial education and giving back to the community.
Jasmine is originally from northern California and began her financial career while completing her B.A. in Education, Psychology and Philosophy at Macalester College. She also holds a Master of Social Work from the University of Southern California.
Rachael Camp, CFP®
Denver, Colorado
Rachael Camp, CFP® is the founder and owner of Camp Wealth, a virtual financial planning firm dedicated to helping high-earners and business owners build and preserve wealth.
Rachael is a featured guest on prominent podcasts such as “Choose FI” and “The Personal Finance Podcast.” Her insights have been quoted in multiple media outlets, including Business Insider, Fortune and CNBC.
Beyond her commitment to serving clients, Rachael is a personal finance content creator and blogger. She is also the co-creator of a popular personal finance course designed to enhance financial literacy among recent college graduates. A graduate of Indiana University Bloomington with a degree in Finance, Rachael has spent her entire career in financial services.
Bridget Venus Grimes, CFP®
San Diego, California
Bridget Venus Grimes, CFP® is President of WealthChoice, a wealth management firm for women executives, and co-founder of the SEC-registered investment advisor Equita Financial Network, a community of women-led financial planning firms. Bridget began her career in 1987, trading stocks for private hedge funds in New York City, before pursuing her passion for financial planning for women.
Bridget believes in empowering women to take confident steps toward a better life. She authored the best-selling book Corner Office Choices: The Executive Woman’s Guide to Financial Freedom and has written countless articles for major US media channels. Her commitment to women’s financial education extends not only to women professionals but also to fellow financial planners. She has spoken at major industry conferences and co-hosted the Financial Planning Association’s Women’s Knowledge Circle.
Bridget splits her time between Arizona and California and enjoys boating, golf, entertaining, anything French and, most of all, cooking. She holds a B.A. in German Language and Literature and a minor in Art History from Mount Holyoke College.
Anna N'Jie-Konte, MBA, CFP®
New York City, New York
Anna N'Jie-Konte is the President of Re-Envision Wealth, where she manages the firm's financial planning, advisory and operations strategies. Anna believes in empowering clients through education and is committed to closing the gender and racial wealth and financial knowledge gaps.
A proud Puerto Rican and Gambian American, Anna is committed to building an industry where access to values-aligned financial advice is the norm. Having spent her childhood watching the strong women around her live lives dictated by their bank balances, she is on a mission to rewrite the money stories of women of color.
She is a member of the InvestmentNews Hot 100, a three-time winner of Investopedia's Top 100 Influential Financial Advisors and has been named one of the 10 Young Advisors to Watch by Financial Advisor. She has been featured in well-known publications such as Bloomberg, CNBC, VICE News, The New York Times, Financial Planning, RIA Intel, ThinkAdvisor and Next Advisor.
Anna sits on the board of the Finserv Foundation, an organization that aims to diversify the next generation of financial planners. She holds a B.A. in Comparative Literature and Economics from New York University and an MBA from The George Washington University School of Business.
Chelsea Ransom-Cooper, CFP®
Jersey City, New Jersey
Chelsea Ransom-Cooper is the Chief Financial Planning Officer at Zenith Wealth Partners, a fee-only financial planning and investment advisory firm launched in 2020 with a mission to eliminate systemic racial and gender wealth inequality.
She specializes in working with women founders and the tech industry, guiding her clients through the many financial decisions they face as women with ambitious goals.
Chelsea has appeared in national media outlets including CNBC, NPR, MarketWatch, The Wall Street Journal and podcasts. In 2020 and 2022, she was recognized by the Association of African American Financial Advisors as one of the 50 Outstanding Financial Advisors Under 50. She was also recognized by InvestmentNews’ 40 Under 40, by NerdWallet as one of the 9 Black Financial Influencers to Follow and by Financial Advisor magazine as a Young Advisor to Watch in 2023.
Chelsea holds a B.S. in Finance from Syracuse University.
Diego A. Verdugo, CFP®
Phoenix, Arizona
Diego Verdugo is a first-generation, bicultural and bilingual immigrant from Sonora, Mexico. After becoming the first in his family to obtain an undergraduate degree, Diego entered the financial services industry by joining Principal Financial Group. As Managing Director, he provides leadership, operational and consulting support to financial advisors. He co-leads his region’s recruiting, retention and professional development efforts; serves as an internal Investment Specialist; and has his own practice serving business owners, families and professionals.
Diego is actively involved in several nonprofit organizations, including Junior Achievement of Arizona, the Association of Latino Professionals for America (ALPFA) and the Arizona Hispanic Chamber of Commerce. He advocates for financial literacy, focusing on closing the financial knowledge and wealth gaps in underrepresented and low-income communities. Diego was recognized by InvestmentNews in 2020 as a member of its prestigious 40 Under 40 program and on its inaugural Hot List in 2023.
Diego lives in Phoenix with his wife and two daughters. In addition to his successful career in financial services, Diego is a proud business owner, investor and entrepreneur. He holds a B.A. in Economics, Business and Spanish from Cornell College.
Elizabeth Yoder, CFP®
Edgewater, Maryland
Liz Yoder is the owner of Dependent Financial Planning, specializing in serving individuals with disabilities, their families and organizations that support and employ them nationwide. Her clientele ranges from those with high support needs to those requiring less intensive assistance. The company aims to facilitate pathways toward greater independence and integration for individuals with disabilities through financial planning.
After college, Liz resided in a L’Arche home, where she served as a live-in direct support provider and community member for adults with Intellectual and Development Disabilities (IDD), alongside four other caregivers. She spent her time in the community building relationships and learning from her housemates and the IDD advocate community. The experience fueled her determination to assist families and individuals with navigating the complexities of government benefits. Liz pursued certification as a CFP® professional to advocate on their behalf.
Liz holds a B.A. in Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology from Loyola University in Maryland.
A complete listing of CFP Board Ambassadors and their bios is available at www.cfp.net/ambassadors.