Ashley Russo’s path to becoming a wealth manager, to founding an all-women financial advisory firm—she is the founder and managing director of Seven Canyons Advisors—is indicative of her resilience, leadership, and passion to empower women within the finance community. Considering her path, Russo credits early-life experiences in building a cash register for a school project and her passion for spreadsheets as foundational to her future career. It was, however, the death of her mother when she was 18 that eventually provided her with a reason for living. She had to take full responsibility for managing her finances and for securing her own future, and it was then she knew that helping women achieve financial security was her calling.

Having been through personal financial struggles that make her appreciate the comfortability of a structured, tailored financial strategy, she found a home in the discipline of financial planning. As Russo further dived into her chosen field, she realized a significant limitation in how financial plans were often established, especially in regard to special needs of women. She observed that most financial planning reflects with benchmark figures on a male life expectancy and the cost of care, neglecting the specific realities women face, extended life expectancies and rising costs of healthcare.

Motivated by a desire to address these disparities, Russo established a firm composed entirely of women. A firm dedicated to educating and empowering women clients and partners toward financial planning tailored specifically to their needs and goals in life. “It is my life’s purpose” Russo says-to keep women up at night with financial independence and security.

At home, she is a mother to an infant daughter, Russo deeply feels the sense of responsibility to carry on this work with fervor, believing that the impact of her firm will ensure a more just world for future generations. She encourages others to embrace the transformative power of challenge when the hardest moments often bring with them some of the most meaningful opportunities. In the office, Russo shapes a legacy of financial empowerment for women worldwide.