Forbes Names 10 Aspiriant Advisors Best-in-State

Forbes recognized the depth of talent Aspiriant brings to clients by naming 10 of our partners to its Best-in-State Wealth Advisor List for 2021.

Each year, Forbes recognizes the top wealth managers in each state or metro region. In partnership with SHOOK Research, editors select and rank advisors based upon personal interviews, industry experience and other criteria.* This year’s ranking was chosen from more than 32,000 applicants.

This is the greatest number of Aspiriant advisors to make the prestigious list. The esteemed group represents seven of our offices nationwide: Los Angeles, San Francisco, Silicon Valley, San Diego, Milwaukee, New York and Austin.

New to the top advisor list

While not new to the firm, five wealth managers are new to the Best-in-State list:

Ryan Benson, Director in Wealth Management
#32 in Los Angeles – Private Wealth

While this is his first time ranking among Best-in-State, Ryan Benson was recognized by Forbes last year as one of America’s Next Gen Advisors. He has been with Aspiriant since 2014.

“I appreciate the recognition, but I’m most thankful for the support I receive from my colleagues and the trust our clients place in us at Aspiriant,” Ryan says.

Linda Kitchens, Director in Wealth Management
#42 in Southern California – High Net Worth

Linda’s a co-founder of wealth management firm Hokanson Associates, which merged with Aspiriant in 2015. She works in our San Diego office.

“The clients I serve in the San Diego area are such a joy, and it’s an honor and privilege just to work with them. This high recognition from Forbes is icing on a very sweet cake,” says Linda.

Ryan Nelson, Director in Investment Advisory
#56 in North Texas

Ryan Nelson was also named a Next Gen advisor by Forbes last year. Joining Aspiriant in 2012, Ryan helped to launch our newest office in Austin.

“This recognition is a team effort and a testament to all the hard work our Exclusive Family Office team has put into serving our clients in Texas and across the country,” Ryan says.

Lisa Colletti, Managing Director in Exclusive Family Office
#92 in New York City

Lisa, who has been with Aspiriant for 10 years, was recently tapped to lead our Exclusive Family Office group. Over the years, she has taken on numerous leadership responsibilities at Aspiriant to enhance the client experience.

“It’s certainly an honor to receive this personal recognition, and I’m very excited about leading an excellent team of people at Aspiriant in providing exceptional guidance to families with generational wealth,” says Lisa.

Nayan Lapsiwala, Director in Wealth Management
#93 in Northern California – High Net Worth

Nayan came to Aspiriant in 2017 as part of Stanford Investment Group and works in our Silicon Valley office. He brings economic market data and financial planning acumen to each client relationship.

“It feels incredible to be among my peers representing diversity and rising next-generation advisors on the Forbes list,” says Nayan. “Aspiriant’s recognition for being part of this list recognizes my craft to serve clients and the wealth management industry.”

Milwaukee makes strong showing

Three partners in our Milwaukee office claimed spots again on the Best in Wisconsin list. Placing seventh in the state, John Petrie, a managing director in Total Wealth Management, is responsible for the eastern region. Joining him on the list are David Muchow and Mary Ellen Krueger, directors in wealth management, ranking 30th and 31st, respectively.

“Having three members from our group recognized is a testament to the importance of collaboration and teaming as we continue to serve our incredible clients,” John says.

Staying on top

Rounding out our representation by making another appearance on the Best-in-State list are two partners who were also named among America’s Top Women Advisors 2020 by Forbes:

• Helen Dietz, Managing Director in Total Wealth Management, #46 in Northern California – High Net Worth
• Sandi Bragar, Managing Director in Planning Strategy & Research, #47 in San Francisco – High Net Worth

*Aspiriant did not pay a fee for placement on Forbes Top Advisor rankings, which are independently determined by SHOOK Research. Each advisor is chosen based on an algorithm of qualitative and quantitative criteria, including in-person interviews, industry experience, compliance records, revenue produced and assets under management. Click here for more information.