At Ellevest, we know working with a coach can be a total game changer when it comes to helping you hit your money and career goals. So we built our coaching service to be inclusive — by offering more affordable options and having coaches who reflect our community.
Oh, and those coaches? They’re awesome. They have years of experience helping women go after their goals, and they truly want you to succeed. Meet them all below.
Ellevest career coaches
Gala Jackson, CELDC, CCTDC, CLC (she/her)
Gala Jackson is Ellevest’s lead executive career coach. She’s committed to helping people tap into their strengths and advance their careers with courage, clarity, and confidence. With a master's degree in educational leadership, Gala is certified as an executive leadership and career coach, career and talent development coach, and life coach. She’s also a TEDx speaker and yoga instructor. When she’s not traveling to reach her goal of visiting all 50 states, you can find Gala at home in Atlanta. She’s also a self-proclaimed office supply snob — ask her about all things planners and productivity.
By Gala: “Imposter Syndrome Is Real. Here’s How to Manage It.,” “How Do I Ask for Feedback at Work?,” “The Truth About Navigating a Career Transition,” and more.
Ana-Maria Alba-Bohorquez (she/her)
Ana-Maria brings ten years of professional experience as a recruitment leader across the financial, technology and pharmaceutical industries. She loves helping people find their “why” by tapping into their intuition and making career and life decisions that are aligned with who they are at their core. She completed her coach training through the Institute for Professional Excellence in Coaching (iPEC) and is currently pursuing a master’s degree in social-organization psychology at Columbia University, Teachers College. When she’s not jogging in Central Park, you can find Ana-Maria at any NYC music venue catching a live show or playing board games with her friends and family.
Jasmine Escalera (she/her)
Jasmine is a certified career coach with a deep commitment to helping women beat self-doubt, build confidence, and truly own their careers. She helps her clients move from uncertainty to clarity by identifying their long-term goals and vision for their careers. Jasmine specializes in helping clients build leadership and management presence within the nonprofit sector. She holds a PhD in Pharmacology from Yale, is a TEDx speaker and mindfulness enthusiast, and loves spreading positive and empowering messages. When she’s not working, she’s spending time with her dog, Cody, or traveling.
Wendy Friend (she/her)
Wendy has more than two decades of experience coaching professionals who want to be intentional and impactful in their careers. Whether she’s working with emerging or established leaders, Wendy is known for asking the right questions and her results-oriented approach. She has a master’s degree in education from Northeastern University, completed her coach training through the Coaches Training Institute (CTI), and is certified in the Hogan and Leadership Versatility Index assessments. With a thriving daily wellness practice, Wendy is happiest surrounded by family and friends.
Chelsea Johns (she/her)
Chelsea has spent the last ten years working in corporate staffing, collaborating with internal recruiters and hiring managers to help attract and retain talent, expand diversity and inclusion efforts, and enhance interview and onboarding experiences. She’s passionate about helping women achieve their career goals and maximize their personal and professional potential. Chelsea has a bachelor’s in business management from Gettysburg College and completed her coach training through the Institute for Professional Excellence in Coaching (iPEC). She’s also an Associate Certified Coach through the International Coaching Federation (ICF).
Lisa Specter, PCC, CPCC, MILR (she/her)
Lisa Specter is a leadership and career coach with a passion for helping others to feel more empowered in their careers — and in life. She partners with her clients to help create clarity on where they are today, establish a vision for the future, and commit to action plans in order to achieve their goals. Lisa holds a master’s degree in industrial and labor relations from Cornell University and spent more than 15 years in corporate human resources leadership roles in diverse Fortune 100 organizations before pivoting to coaching. She’s a credentialed coach through the International Coaching Federation and Co-Active Training Institute (CTI). A devoted yogi, Lisa is based in New Jersey, where she loves to spend time with family and friends (preferably at the beach).
Ellevest money coaches
Good to know: All of the Ellevest coaches who help people hit their financial goals are money coaches, and all of our money coaches are trained and qualified to provide financial advice. But many of our money coaches have also undergone the rigorous process of becoming CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ professionals (aka CFP® pros) — which is why you might sometimes hear us refer to those coaches as financial planners.
Rachel Sanborn Lawrence, CFP® (she/her)
Rachel is Ellevest’s lead financial planner. She loves helping women and allies tackle their money goals and is thrilled to share easy-to-understand, realistic, and life-changing financial help (plus a few terrible puns) via coaching and workshops. Rachel’s a CFP® professional with a bachelor’s degree in finance from Bentley College, a master’s degree in financial planning, and nearly 20 years of experience in personal finance. When she’s not helping members plan and manage their money, you can find Rachel playing basketball with her husband and kids, reading several books at once, or surfing the New Hampshire coastline. She’s an Enneagram type 7.
By Rachel: Explainer: “The “One-Number” Approach to Budgeting,” “What First-Time Homebuyers Need to Know,” “Here's What You Need to Know About Emergency Funds,” “What’s a Credit Score and How Is it Calculated?” and more.
Emilie Archambeault, CFP® (she/her)
Emilie is on a mission to make money management accessible to everyone. She’s a CFP® pro with 10+ years of experience helping people with their finances. Her past jobs also include working with people and small businesses on tax prep. When she's not taking calls with clients, Emilie is happiest packing her bags for a trip, listening to podcasts, and getting out in nature for a hike. She’s got zero fear of heights and is up for skydiving, parasailing, or hot air ballooning anytime.
Krista Cavalieri, CFP® (she/her)
Krista believes that financial planning and money coaching can give people the potential to move successfully through the tough times, and to take advantage of the good times. Krista’s been a CFP® professional for eight years, and before she joined Ellevest, she ran her own business that concentrated on helping young people take control of their financial lives. Krista lives in Columbus, OH and has three children who keep her body tired and her mind open. She also covers everything in custom vinyl stickers.
By Krista: “6 Smart Ways to Use Your Banking Accounts” and “Can You Invest to Pay Off Student Loans Faster?”
Dr. Juliana DeSouza, CFP® (she/her)
Juliana is passionate about teaching, motivating, and helping others reach their financial goals, and she prides herself in her academic-based approach to guidance and planning. She’s a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ with more than ten years in the financial services industry. She also has a doctorate in business administration and has published original research on the factors that drive US stock market crashes. In a past life, Juliana was a news and weather reporter — she also once won an award for best on-air children’s radio show. Outside of work, you can find her spending quality time with her beautiful 25-year-old daughter and running around with her two adorable maltese.
Victoria Ferguson (she/her)
Victoria is passionate about social equity, closing the wealth gap, and increasing access to personal finance education for communities that have not historically had it. Previously, Victoria was a financial advisor at a mid-sized financial services firm. She’s also a proud first-generation college graduate, having earned a degree in finance from the University of Utah in Salt Lake City (where she currently lives with her partner and long-haired tabby cat). When she’s not helping clients make smart money decisions, you can find her adventuring in the mountains or travelling somewhere new. Ask her about the time she performed with a Britney Spears impersonator at the Rio in Las Vegas!
Sofia Figueroa (she/her)
Sofia believes that financial education is an essential part of any woman’s toolkit. She’s passionate about helping women define their money goals and create a plan to achieve them through coaching. Sofia has a bachelor’s degree in business administration from the University of Oklahoma and Series 7, 65, and 66 licenses, and she brings several years of financial services experience to her role at Ellevest. She’s currently based in Albuquerque, NM, where you can catch her taking a Peloton class, hitting the slopes, or cheering on her Oklahoma Sooners on a Saturday afternoon.
By Sofia: “What’s Your #1 Budgeting Tip?,” “6 Ways to Use Ellevest’s Roundup Option to Hit Your Money Goals Sooner,” and “How to Cut Back to an Essentials-Only Budget.”
Carmina Long, AAMS® (she/her)
Carmina has spent more than ten years in the financial services industry, following her passion to spread financial literacy more widely. Before she joined Ellevest, she worked as a financial advisor, where she especially loved working with multi-generational households. Carmina is an Accredited Asset Management Specialist, and she holds a BS from the University of Central Florida. (In fact, she grew up in Florida — ask her for tips on Disney World … and hurricanes.) She currently lives in Northern Virginia with her husband, their pre-school aged son, and all of the insect “pets” that the aforementioned son sneaks into their home.
Rebecca Palmer, CFP® (she/her)
Rebecca believes that the financial services industry can have the biggest impact on the world by focusing on those who’ve been historically overlooked. She’s a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ who cut her teeth at a wealth management firm, primarily in the tech world of Silicon Valley. But when her first son was born, she started a non-profit that provided pro bono financial planning and education to a different group: young, everyday people in the early stages of their careers. She’s also authored books and courses on personal finance. Rebecca lives in Lake Tahoe, CA with her husband, two very busy little boys, and one very snuggly pup. She delights in keeping order, making copious lists, and periodically reorganizing all of the closets.
Rachel Rabinovich, CFP® (she/her)
Rachel, who has more than 16 years of experience in financial services along with a background in counseling and education, specializes in personal financial wellness and believes money coaching can be a positive and powerful tool for changing lives. She’s a CFP® professional and has an M.Ed in counseling psychology. Rachel is constantly inspired by her mom, who worked on the forefront of the women’s movement in the 1970s and who continues to be active in progressive politics. She lives south of Boston with her husband and two cats. She is also the proud mother of a strong, creative, and financially independent daughter. (Well, except her cellphone plan.)
By Rachel: “4 Steps to Stop Living Paycheck to Paycheck,” “Tips to Keep Yourself from Overspending,” and “What to Do if You Can’t Pay the Bills.”
Samantha Vient, CFP® (she/her)
Samantha has been a CFP® professional for 11 years, and she’s passionate about helping people maximize their financial opportunities. Before she joined Ellevest, she worked as a lead financial planner for Learnvest; she also founded her own firm focused on financial planning for small business owners and their families. Samantha has a master’s degree in international affairs from the University of California, San Diego, and she currently lives in Costa Mesa, CA. She loves spending time fishing, hiking, and exploring nature with her husband and two young children.
You can book a session with an Ellevest coach here.