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GenXYZ 2023 — Cassandra Puhalla

They’re uncommon achievers, whether as entrepreneurs, CEOs, nonprofit leaders, visionaries critical to their companies’ success or, in some cases, all of those roles. This year’s Top 25 Young Professionals figure to continue making a difference professionally and in their communities for years to come.

Read on to learn about the 2023 Top 25 Young Professionals and to see the list of this year’s top 50 finalists.

READ: GenXYZ 2023 — Top 25

Cassandra Puhalla, 33

Director, Client Advisory, Crestone Capital | Boulder

To pay off her student loans, Cassie Puhalla decided to apply for a Wall Street job. She landed an interview with J.P. Morgan and spent two weeks preparing by learning everything she could about finance. She got the job, and in less than 10 years she was a portfolio manager in J.P. Morgan’s Asset Management business. 

On a trip to Wonderland Lake in Boulder, Puhalla realized she wanted to make an impact on that community. Six months later, she was offered a position with Crestone Capital as a director of client advisory for the Boulder-based independent wealth management firm. Soon after joining Crestone Capital, Puhalla was asked to take a leadership role for the firm’s initiative to grow assets under its management from approximately $3 billion to $10 billion, more than 300%, in 10 years. 

Puhalla helped create the Crestone Brand Monetization Task Force and focused on enhancing Crestone’s presence within key target industries and centers of influence. She implemented new tools to better identify and qualify prospects, create a client journey and hold her team members accountable for goals. She designed carefully curated events in target markets with entrepreneurs, founders and clients to build awareness for Crestone.

She joined the board of directors for a financial literacy nonprofit, Cents Ability, whose mission is to educate high school students about the fundamentals of personal finance. She also recently joined the board of directors of Boulder Museum of Contemporary Art, and was drawn to BMoCA because of its focus on Diversity, Equality, Access and Inclusion (DEAI).

Women to Watch: Crestone Capital

Women in Colorado are making an impact in every industry, enterprise and workplace role imaginable. They are CEOs, startup founders, strategists and irreplaceable employees who not only are instrumental in their own organization’s success; through their daily actions and achievements, they set a precedent of possibilities for the next generation of women in business to build upon. Every woman in business has her own story, and we present a few of them in this special advertising section with profiles specifically designed to show the person — the face, if you will — behind the business or organization that she has helped build or nurture.

Woman to Watch: Crestone Capital

Ronda Vitrano is Crestone’s champion of identifying, developing, and retaining top talent for the firm. For over a decade, she has expertly led Crestone’s commitment to transparency, accountability, and cultivated relationships. As a nationally ranked wealth management firm built exclusively for entrepreneurs, business owners and their families, Ronda’s leadership enables the firm to foster talent who are steadfast in their approach of protecting and enhancing clients’ wealth. Ronda is a key driver of people and culture for the 100% employee-owned firm that manages approximately $3.6 billion in assets and is honored as one of Outside magazine’s 50 Best Places to Work in America.

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Crestone Capital Names Five New Shareholders

Crestone Capital, an employee-owned independent firm wealth management firm, recently named Executive Directors Taylor Gitcho, Eliza Leach, Emily Mears, Norma Plache and Lindsay Searer as its new shareholders.

These new shareholders expand Crestone’s ownership structure to a total of nine shareholders, which also include Abby Barlow, Executive Director; Jeffrey Burney, Managing Director; Eric Kramer, Managing Partner, CEO and CIO; and Matt Wiles, COO.

These five female industry leaders exemplify a client-centric focus, diverse talent and dedication to the Crestone team. “In addition to being remarkable financial professionals and community leaders, all five new shareholders work tirelessly to advocate for clients. They are dedicated to our mission of serving client families for generations and we congratulate them and look forward to their continued influence within the firm,” says Eric Kramer, managing partner, CEO and CIO of Crestone.

Taylor CrestoneTaylor Gitcho – Executive Director of Client Advisory and Shareholder of Crestone Capital

For more than a decade with Crestone, Gitcho has provided clients with customized and integrated wealth management solutions, including holistic balance sheet advisement, investment strategy development and implementation, concentrated position management and wealth preservation and transfer planning. Gitcho also serves on the Board of Directors for Colorado Uplift and is actively involved in building long-term, life-changing relationships with at-risk urban youth.

 

Eliza CrestoneEliza Leach – Executive Director of Client Advisory and Shareholder of Crestone Capital

Leach joined Crestone in 2014 and works with clients on a variety of wealth management needs, including asset allocation and analysis, portfolio planning and implementation and overall financial analysis. Prior to Crestone, Eliza was a private wealth advisor at Goldman Sachs in New York City. She currently serves on the Board of Directors at the Boulder Contemporary Museum of Art (“BMoCA”).

 

Emily CrestoneEmily Mears – Executive Director of Client Advisory and Shareholder of Crestone Capital

For almost a decade at Crestone, Mears has served as an advisor to entrepreneurs and executives. She provides clients with customized and integrated wealth management solutions, including holistic balance sheet advisement, investment strategy development and implementation, concentrated position management and wealth preservation and transfer planning. She serves on the Board of Trustees and the Investment Committee for the Boulder Community Foundation.

 

Norma CrestoneNorma Plache – Executive Director of Family Wealth Planning and Shareholder of Crestone Capital

Plache has worked at Crestone for almost a decade, working with the firm’s clients on the complex wealth planning issues that arise for high-net-worth individuals and their families, primarily estate, income tax and philanthropic planning. She is a member of the trust and estate section of the Colorado Bar Association, the Boulder County Bar Association, the Colorado Women’s Bar Association and the Thompson G. Marsh Inn of Court.

 

Lindsay CrestoneLindsay Searer – Executive Director of Investment Research and Shareholder of Crestone Capital

For more than a decade at Crestone, Lindsay has sourced new investment opportunities, as well as ongoing investment monitoring. In her work, she focuses primarily on alternative investment strategies and is an active contributor to Crestone’s Investment Committee. From 2007 to 2012, Lindsay was responsible for managing all aspects of Crestone’s direct real estate portfolio, which was comprised during her tenure of one-half million square feet of office, flex and mixed-use properties in Colorado. Lindsay serves on the Limited Partner Advisory Committees for three prominent institutional investment funds.

 

About Crestone Capital

Crestone Capital delivers a suite of fully-integrated investment management and wealth advisory services to families looking to protect and enhance their wealth and define their unique legacy. With more than 25 years of experience, the firm has helped entrepreneurs, business owners, and their families pursue a better life lived. Consistent with client interests, Crestone is a fee-only advisor that serves its clients as fiduciaries, putting their needs and interests first.