Jennifer Openshaw

Jennifer Openshaw: Profile

Jennifer got her start in financial services working as Press Secretary to California State Treasurer Kathleen Brown, where she helped develop the California Bank-at-School program to teach youngsters about money matters. Jennifer also served as Press Secretary for Brown’s Gubernatorial Campaign as the Democratic Nominee for Governor.

Jennifer later served as Vice President of the Investment Management Group at Bank of America and Director of Investment Services for Wilshire Associates, one of the nation’s largest investment consulting firms to CalPERS and other leading institutional investors. During her tenure at Wilshire, Jennifer led marketing for the launch of the Wilshire 5000 Index Mutual Fund, growing consumer assets to $100 million in six months, converted the Index into a real-time stock index, and formed a strategic alliance with CNBC, which now utilizes the Wilshire 5000 Index as a regular feature of its financial programming. Jennifer also served as Senior Vice President of Corporate Marketing for Bank One, now JP Morgan Chase.

In 1999, Jennifer founded Women’s Financial Network (WFN), an innovative financial services company created by women, for women and a trendsetter in the industry. WFN included the nation’s first network of pre-screened financial advisors for women, who could be selected based on personal preferences. Jennifer’s work as CEO and Chairman won her recognition as a “Mover & Shaker” in Silicon Valley by the San Jose Mercury News and one of the Internet’s 25 Rising Star by Internet World magazine. WFN is now a division of Siebert Financial (NYSE:SIEB).

WeSeed’s mission – through content, social networking, and virtual investing -- is to demystify the stock market for the 100 million Americans who do not directly invest by helping them start with the Peter Lynch approach of using what they already know and love. The Company, winner of the American Business Award in the Financial Services Website category, created a unique search tool that delivers stock ideas instantly based on a user’s personal interests or via their Facebook profile. It’s now used in over 100 schools.

Jennifer also recently introduced SuperFutures.org to better prepare high school teens for the working world. The program launched this summer with its Global Leadership Program at the United Nations featuring Arun Gandhi, the great grandson to Mahatma Gandhi, among others.

Jennifer’s passion for helping consumers stems from her own life story. Jennifer’s mother found herself divorced at age 28, with three young kids and no formal education. To make ends meet, her mother worked two full-time jobs as a waitress. While her mother worked days and nights, eight-year-old Jennifer raised her two younger brothers and took on various projects to bring in extra money. At age 14, she took on her first "real" job as a maid in a motel.

Through her commentary on TV and radio, Jennifer has educated millions of consumers and has served as an advocate on financial fairness to middle-income Americans, speaking out vocally against such issues as mutual fund practices and excessive executive pay. Today, she shares her practical advice as a columnist for Dow Jones’ Marketwatch and a frequent guest on the Fox Business Channel. Her work has been featured in numerous publications including the New York Times, USA Today, Business Week, the Chicago Tribune, Fortune Small Business, Women’s Day, Redbook, and Kiplinger’s. Jennifer speaks regularly to groups ranging from employees of Ford to students of Harvard, and currently is an Adjunct Professor in Personal Finance at NYU.

Jennifer’s first book, What’s Your Net Worth? (Perseus) was turned into a Public Television Show. Her second book, The Millionaire Zone (Hyperion), is based on national research about the networking strategies used by those who have achieved financial success.

A Rotary Scholar, Jennifer holds an MBA and BA from UCLA. She has served on the Advisory Board of Wyndham Hotels and as a gubernatorial appointee on the Commission on California State Government Organization & Efficiency (“The Little Hoover Commission”). She currently serves on the Advisory Boards for both SpringBoard Enterprises and Women’s Leadership Exchange, which help entrepreneurs grow their businesses, as well as on the Board of Friendship Ambassadors Foundation.