Katharine Zafiris
Financial Advisor
Born and raised in Southern California, Katharine grew up influenced by her Greek immigrant father’s entrepreneurial spirit and her mother’s corporate career in a male-dominated industry. Further inspired by her Jesuit education at Boston College and a commitment to using her talents to help others, she began her career in the non-profit and impact investing sectors, including five years at the Global Impact Investing Network (GIIN).
Katharine’s ideals quickly hit the reality of a non-profit salary in New York City, and her initially hesitant, increasingly bold conversations about money and personal values with friends and peers soon became a new professional calling: to accompany others on their own journeys towards intentional, confident, optimized relationships with their money.
And so, in 2021, Katharine shifted careers into financial coaching and planning, with increasing responsibility across roles at Beyond Money (a budget- and debt-coaching business), Ellevest (a wealth management firm focused on ambitious women) and at Focus Partners Wealth (where she was a member of its Advanced Planning team.)
After ten years on the East Coast, she is happily back in Los Angeles, where she enjoys traveling and exploring local coffee shops, quality time with family and friends, and getting outdoors with her Golden Retriever.
Katharine holds a B.A. in International Studies with a concentration in Economics from Boston College; she also studied public policy at the University College of London. She looks forward to completing the CFP exam later this year.
About Katharine
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What do you love about your job?
I see money as so much more than racking up commas and avoiding taxes. Instead, I see money as a tool that helps someone live a life consistent with their values and purpose while accomplishing their personal goals. My background is as a coach, and I come alive in the conversations where we pull out the true north star for each client. Of course, I scuttle back to my spreadsheets and manage the technicals – but what motivates me isn’t the problem-solving itself, so much as what it unlocks for these clients I care about.
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What do you do outside of work?
My approach towards money is very “whole human” – head and heart – and that instinct carries through to my interest in holistic health, wellness and nutrition. I even pursued a health coaching certification as a COVID passion project. Ask me for my list of favorite places to get a healthy (and delicious) bite in Los Angeles!
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Who are your favorite types of clients?
I’m here for your planning questions and complexities – let’s do some tax planning and Monte Carlo projections! – but it’s got to be rooted in your “why.” I love working with curious, motivated clients who are eager to align their money to their values and the life they want to live, according to their own definition and their own intentions.
