The Summit is a working forum where providers learn from one another, compare outreach approaches, and exchange ready to use materials. The agenda includes a keynote on current financial capability in Greater Boston and three focused sessions. Session one covers reaching priority communities with practical outreach and intake steps. Session two looks at formats and activities that improve engagement and retention. Session three addresses seniors fraud and financial wellbeing.

The work you lead equips people to make informed choices, build household stability, and strengthen community resilience. Join CFA Society Boston to explore practical approaches you can adapt to your programs, including outreach and intake, engagement methods, accessibility considerations, and ways to gauge outcomes.

Interested in supporting the first ever Financial Literacy Leader Summit? Learn more about sponsorship opportunities here.

The recording or transmission of any education sessions, presentations, demos, videos, or content in any format is strictly prohibited. 

Agenda (subject to change)

11:00AM – 11:45AM      Registration

11:45AM – 12:45PM      Lunch & Networking

12:50PM – 1:20PM        Keynote

(The vitual portion of this program will begin at 12:45PM)

1:20PM – 2:30PM          Session 1

2:30PM – 2:45PM          Break

2:45PM – 3:45PM          Session 2

3:45PM – 4:00PM          Break

4:00PM – 5:00PM          Session 3

5:00PM – 6:00PM          Networking Reception

Program Breakdown

Opening Keynote

Stat NFCS 2024 shows 46% of U.S. adults have at least three months of emergency savings, down from 53% in 2021.

Treasurer Deborah B. Goldberg | Massachusetts State Treasurer and Receiver General 

Panel 1: Reaching Priority communities

According to the 2024 National Financial Capability Study from the FINRA Investor Education Foundation, nearly two-thirds of adults report that higher food costs have forced them to cut back on other spending over the past five years, placing disproportionate pressure on economically challenged communities. This panel will explore strategies for effectively reaching priority communities, with a particular focus on young people and the financial knowledge and practical experiences they need to become financially savvy adults.

Elizabeth Lavasta | Educator, Lawrence High School

Sarah Ly | Municipal Bond Research Associate, Morgan Stanley & JA Alumna

Michael Mullin, CFA | Chief Market Strategist, Claro Advisors (co-moderator)

Radhamés Nova | President & CEO, Junior Achievement of Greater Boston (co-moderator)

Deirdre O'Connor Mitchell | Chief Operations Officer, Junior Achievement Of Greater Boston

Robert Powers, Ed.D. | Policy Manager at the Massachusetts Executive Office of Education 

Panel 2: Trends that Change How We Teach

According to the 2024 National Financial Capability Study from the FINRA Investor Education Foundation, 81 percent of adults now use a mobile device to manage checking or savings accounts, making digital banking the place where financial habits are formed every day. This panel highlights practical program formats and tools that deepen engagement, build trust, and keep participants coming back, with a focus on interactive formats that raise retention in short programs, keeping materials current without heavy production work, and scenario practice that travels easily across audiences.

Erica Carere | Board Member, FitMoney

Dr. Kathy Hevert | Associate Professor of Finance, Babson College

Suzanne Norman, CIMA, CPCC | Founder, The Whealthy Woman (moderator)

Abby Raphel | Founder, The Redwoods Initiative

Panel 3: Fraud, Scams, and Senior Financial Security

 With 12.5 billion dollars in fraud losses reported to the FTC in 2024 and older adults bearing the highest median losses, fraud is a growing threat to senior financial security. This session focuses on what providers are seeing on the ground, how to respond early, and how to promote lasting financial wellbeing for older adults. 

Angie Chen | Associate Director of Savings and Household Finance, Center for Retirement Research at Boston College

Chris Heye, PhD | Foudner and CEO, Whealthcare Soultions Inc. and Whealthcare Planning LLC.

Robert Mascio   | Director of Investor Education Outreach, FINRA Investor Education Foundation

Eric Wimer, CFA | Retired, Institutional Asset Manager (moderator)

Speakers

Erica Carere

 Erica Carere is a Board member at FitMoney. Previously, she was the Nuclear Security Program Officer at the Stanton Foundation, established by Dr. Frank Stanton to support areas where he was unable to fulfill his charitable goals during his lifetime. In this role, she awarded grants to researchers and institutions engaged in policy-relevant security nuclear work. Erica has also worked as an economic consultant in London, UK, and Boston, MA, focusing on electricity and gas deregulation. She holds an M.S. from MIT’s Technology and Policy Program and a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from Yale University. 

Anqi (Angie) Chen

Angie Chen leads savings and household finance research at the Center. She has over a decade of experience conducting research that informs product and policy solutions promoting lifelong financial security. Her current work focuses on financial (mis) perceptions, debt burdens, emergency savings, intergenerational transfers, and risks in retirement. She also leads the Center’s National Retirement Risk Index (NRRI). She has also consulted for state auto-IRA programs and testified for the Department of Labor. Her research has been published in academic journals and regularly cited in major news media, including the Wall Street Journal, the Economist, and the New York Times. 

Treasurer Deborah B. Goldberg

Deborah B. Goldberg is the Massachusetts State Treasurer and Receiver General.? In that role she is responsible for the state’s cash and debt management, unclaimed property, and chairs state boards and commissions, including the Massachusetts School Building Authority, the Pension Reserves Investment Management Board, the State Board of Retirement, Massachusetts State Lottery Commission, and the Massachusetts Clean Water Trust. In 2015, she established the Office of Economic Empowerment, the first of its kind in the country, and chairs its Economic Empowerment Trust Fund. Treasurer Goldberg is the former President of the National Association of State Treasurers and is the Chair of the National Institute of Public Finance.

As a former businesswoman and local elected leader, Treasurer Goldberg brings innovative leadership, disciplined fiscal management and an unwavering commitment to uphold economic stability and create opportunity for every Massachusetts resident. Treasurer Goldberg served for six years on the Brookline Board of Selectmen, including two as its Chair. Prior to her career in public service, she worked in retail operations, buying, and consumer affairs at The Stop & Shop Companies, Inc.

An active and engaged volunteer, Treasurer Goldberg is the President Emeritus of Adoptions with Love, a member of the Greater Boston Food Bank Advisory Board, a founder of Berkshire Hills Music Academy – a school for individuals with intellectual disabilities – a trustee emeritus at Beth Israel Lahey Health, and a former?Director at Affiliated Physicians Group / Beth Israel Deaconess HealthCare. Her philanthropic work includes associations with The Miriam Fund, the 100 Club, United Way, and the Combined Jewish Philanthropies.

A graduate of Boston University, Boston College Law School and Harvard Business School, Treasurer Goldberg lives in Brookline with her husband Michael Winter. She has a son, Evan, and daughter, Meredith. 

Kathy Hevert, PhD

 Dr. Kathleen Hevert is an Associate Professor of Finance at Babson College. She designs and delivers general and specialized finance courses at the graduate, undergraduate, and executive levels. She was twice selected by the Babson College F.W. Olin Graduate School of Business graduating classes to receive the Thomas Kennedy Award for Teaching Excellence, awarded to one professor at Babson each year. Her research has been published in numerous academic journals. She is co-creator and Faculty Director of the Babson Financial Literacy Project, whose mission is to empower teens and adults with financial knowledge. She holds a PhD in Finance from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Chris Heye, PhD

 Chris Heye, PhD, is Founder and CEO of Whealthcare Solutions, Inc. and Whealthcare Planning LLC, where he is reimagining financial and retirement planning in the age of AI and longer lifespans. A technology entrepreneur and retirement researcher, he develops intelligent advice systems that integrate agentic AI and behavioral science to improve the efficacy of financial decisions and the quality of retirement conversations. His work challenges traditional market- and product-centric approaches to retirement planning by emphasizing health and behavioral risk factors that require alternative research frameworks and planning strategies. He previously helped design and manage a clinical study at Massachusetts General Hospital examining the cognitive foundations of sound financial decision-making, research he has translated into the next generation of advice technology.

Dr Heye is a regular columnist for the Journal of Financial Planning and is a Research Fellow at the LIMRA Retirement Income Institute. He received his BA from Wesleyan University and PhD from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), where he also completed a post-doctoral program at the MIT Industrial Performance Center. 

Elizabeth Lavasta

 I am a proud mother of three and an educator who has served in the Lawrence Public School System since 2008. I currently teach the 9th Grade Freshman Seminar at Lawrence High School, where I use social-emotional learning, JA’s financial literacy and stock market curriculum, and digital education to help students build life skills and explore career pathways.

I hold a master's degree in education with a focus on Community Engagement, which deeply informs my approach to teaching and mentoring. My work centers on helping students navigate their educational journeys while recognizing the influence of family, culture, and community in their lives. I am particularly passionate about breaking cycles of poverty and expanding opportunities through financial literacy and digital education.

Beyond the classroom, I am actively involved in community leadership. I serve as a Board Member of ACT Lawrence, a Latina-led Community Development Corporation, and am a member of the Altamar Foundation, a Latina-led philanthropic organization. I am also the founder of Educate Urbano, an educational think tank dedicated to creating culturally responsive educational materials and community engagement initiatives that strengthen the relationship between neighborhoods and their local school systems.

Sarah Ly

 Sarah Ly is an alum of Junior Achievement of Greater Boston, where she participated in the JA Company Program and JA Summer Institute during her time at Boston Latin School. Inspired by the mentorship and enthusiasm fostered through these experiences, Sarah pursued studies at Northeastern University, earning her B.S. as a first-generation graduate in 2023. Sarah is a municipal research analyst at Morgan Stanley, specializing in credit evaluation and investment in the General Obligation, Special Tax, and Water & Sewer sectors. 

Robert Mascio

Robert Mascio has been with FINRA for over 19 years and is Director of Investor Education Outreach. In this capacity, Mr. Mascio cultivates and manages FINRA Foundation programs and partnerships related to investor protection and the prevention of financial fraud and exploitation. He also helps drive research surrounding financial fraud, the victim experience, and scam susceptibility, and facilitates FINRA’s Investor Issues Committee. Prior to this role, Mr. Mascio held a variety of management and investigative positions within FINRA, including managing FINRA’s Vulnerable Adults and Seniors Team, which was responsible for conducting specialized reviews and investigations of senior specific abuse. Mr. Mascio serves on an advisory board to FightCybercrime and participates on Multi-Disciplinary Teams and taskforces related to senior financial exploitation. Mr. Mascio obtained his MBA from Florida State University, an undergraduate degree from Salisbury University, and is a Certified Anti-Money Laundering Specialist.

Michael Mullin, CFA

 Michael Mullin is a Wealth Advisor with Claro Advisors where he focuses on constructing portfolios for individuals, families and non-profits. As a Chartered Financial Analyst® (CFA®) part of his investment process includes conducting in-depth macroeconomic research to ensure that his clients' portfolios align with an ever-changing global landscape. Mike also serves as Claro's Chief Market Strategist and leads the firm's Investment and Due Diligence Committee.

Mike obtained an MBA and an MS in Finance from the Carroll School of Management at Boston College, as well as an Economics degree from Colby College and has been active in the investment industry for over 20 years. Mike earned the Chartered Financial Analyst® (CFA®) designation in 2003 and is a member of the Chartered Financial Analyst Institute (CFAI) and CFA Boston, where he co-chairs the Financial Literacy Initiative. Mike is a member of the Boston Economic Club (BEC).

Prior to joining Claro, he founded MEM Capital Advisors, a Registered Investment Advisor in Quincy, MA. Mike has also worked as a portfolio manager at Boston Research & Management where he contributed to the firm's investment committee and quarterly newsletter. Prior to that, he served as a portfolio manager both at Jefferies and BNY Mellon. He began his career as an advisor at Merrill Lynch.

Mike is currently Chair of the Executive Board for the South Shore YMCA. He also serves as Treasurer and is on the Board for Jett Foundation and QARI (Quincy Asian Resources Inc). He is an active volunteer and Advisory Board member with the Angel Fund a charitable organization focused on the fight against ALS (Lou Gehrig's Disease).

Mike currently lives in Quincy, MA with his wife and three children. He enjoys spending time with his family, coaching his kids' sports teams, playing golf, exercise and reading.  

Suzanne Norman, CIMA, CPCC

Suzanne is a certified coach, speaker, financial literacy expert and lives by the motto, “Scientia potentia est” – knowledge is power. And when we have self-knowledge – who we are and what we want – we are much more likely to get it. She discovered through coaching how to listen to her inner voice, one that directed her towards a new chapter in her life devoted to empowering women. Instead of calling this her retirement, she calls this her “rewirement.” Suzanne’s “Whealthy Woman” series was developed from her commitment to help strengthen the financial lives of women. With over three decades as a consultant and leader in the investment management industry, she learned many best practices to help women and their male allies attain strong financial skills. Her core belief- women are only truly empowered when they have confidence and competence in this aspect of their lives. Suzanne’s consulting work includes roles as an Education Fellow for the Retirement Income Institute, a Senior Education Advisor for the Alliance for Lifetime Income (501c6), and as an Advisor for the Grossman School of Business’ Women in Leadership Program at the University of Vermont. Suzanne holds a BA in Psychology and is a Certified Professional Co-Active Coach (CPCC) and Positive Intelligence Coach®. She also holds a Certificate in Women in Leadership and is a Certified Investment Management Analyst® (CIMA®). To greater serve her community, Suzanne serves on the Boards of several Boston-based nonprofit organizations. She is Co-Chair of CFA Society Boston’s Financial Literacy Initiative and an active volunteer with Up With Women, the Anaya Tipnis Foundation, and Mass General Brigham hospital. When she’s not helping clients with their mental fitness and financial well-being, she enjoys pursuing her love of travel (closing in on 50 countries!), the outdoors, photography, and her vacation home on Cape Cod.

Radhamés Nova

Radhamés Nova joined Junior Achievement of Greater Boston (JA) in October 2016 as President & CEO. He is responsible for the organization’s overall strategy and operations.

Prior to joining Junior Achievement, Rad served as Senior Vice President of Strategic Partnerships at the Association of Latino Professionals for America (ALPFA), where he was responsible for overseeing some of the organization’s largest national corporate partnerships and a pilot partnership between Junior Achievement and ALPFA. He was Executive Director of the ALPFA Boston Chapter from 2011 to 2015.

From 2002 to 2006 Rad served as Director of Development at the Boys & Girls Club of Lawrence, Massachusetts, raising $1.8M annually for operations and leading the organization record breaking $8.5 million capital campaign to build a new facility.  Prior to that, he served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in South Africa. Beyond the nonprofit sector, Rad has held positions in the financial services industry at Fidelity Charitable Services, SCS Financial and Metropolitan Real Estate Equity Management.

Rad obtained his B.A. from Middlebury College and his MBA from Boston University. He serves as a board member at two of his alma maters, Central Catholic High School and Middlebury College. He serves on the MassHire State Workforce Board and on the LANAM Advisory Board for Rockland Trust.

Rad has been recognized for his impact in Greater Boston, most recently in the 2024 Boston Business Journal Power 50 and 2024 Amplify LatinX ALX100.

Born in the Dominican Republic, he immigrated to Lawrence, Massachusetts in 1989 and lives in Salem New Hampshire with his wife Alexandra, their three children and their dog.

Deirdre O'Connor Mitchell

 Deirdre O'Connor Mitchell began her tenure with Junior Achievement of Greater Boston (JA) in March 2016 as a Program Manager. During this time, Deirdre helped create a new Programs Strategy for implementing JA programming to maximize impact for students. From 2017 to 2022 Deirdre served as Vice President of Programs managing a team of three Program Managers. Through a robust strategic planning process that led the way for deeper school partnerships, the Programs Team has worked diligently at building strong relationships in some of the highest need school districts in Massachusetts, where JA is integrated into schools. In July 2022, Deirdre became the Chief Operations Officer overseeing the day-to-day operations of the organization as well as Education, Operations, and Alumni Advancement.

Prior to joining Junior Achievement of Greater Boston, Deirdre worked at the JA of New York office as a Program Manager where she managed relationships with key Board accounts and individual volunteers. Deirdre has spent her career in non-profit program management and national service, managing an afterschool meal program for at-risk youth with the Capital Area Food Bank in Washington, DC and spending 10 months on service projects around the United States with AmeriCorps*NCCC.

Deirdre obtained her B.A. in Political Science from the George Washington University and an M.P.A. in Emergency and Disaster Management from Metropolitan College of New York. She currently lives in Central Massachusetts with her family. 

Robert Powers, Ed.D.

 Rob Powers is a Policy Manager in the Massachusetts Executive Office of Education. In this capacity, he collaborates with the Secretary of Education and senior leadership to research, analyze, and implement statewide K-12 policy initiatives.

Specifically, Rob serves as the EOE policy lead for Governor Healey’s Statewide Graduation Council, tasked with making recommendations on how a Massachusetts high school diploma can prepare students—regardless of zip code, identity, or background—for success after graduation. His extensive experience in standards-based reform includes serving on the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education’s History & Social Science Framework Review Panel and Civics MCAS Assessment Development Committee.

Prior to joining EOE, Rob worked in the field as a high school educator for ten years and a district administrator for seven years. He holds a Doctor of Education in Curriculum & Instruction from the University of Virginia and previously earned a credential as a National Board Certified Teacher.

Abby Raphel

 Abby is the founder of The Redwoods Initiative, a strategic platform dedicated to serving a global community of over 500 families. Specializing in the human experience of wealth, investment education and stewardship support for families, she has become a recognized coach in private wealth, engaging with top enterprising families and senior professionals.

Eric Wimer, CFA

Eric Wimer, CFA, retired, has over 30 years working in the institutional asset management industry focusing on product development.  He has a BA in Economics from Middlebury College and an MBA from Northeastern University.

Click Here To Enter The Financial Literacy Leadership Summit Mini Site 

When and Where

Date and Time: Tuesday, April 14, 2026 from 11:00AM – 6:00PM

Location: 100 High St, 9th Floor, Boston, MA 02110

Pricing

In-Person Registration | Complimentary 

Virtual Registration | Complimentary (the virtual portion of this program will begin at 12:45PM)

The recording or transmission of any education sessions, presentations, demos, videos, or content in any format is strictly prohibited. 

Members must be logged in to register.

REGISTRATION is a 4-step process:

1. If you have an existing account, please LOG IN to register for this event.

(If you have not attended a CFA Society Boston event, you must create an account in order to register for this event.)

2. Click register to place the event in your cart.

3. Answer the required questions and click Save Response.  

4. Click confirm registration.

Safety Protocols and Policies

 By registering for a CFA Society Boston event, program, seminar, course, dinner or meeting all attendees agree to adhere to the Meeting Safety and Responsibility Policy. Click here to view the complete Meeting Safety and Responsibility Policy.