Top startup equity planning financial advisors in San Francisco, CA

Roger Wittlin is a financial advisor at Wittlin Advisory with eight years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and has worked at firms including True Capital, Monroe Capital, and PCCP. Wittlin Advisory is a fee-only investment management firm serving high-net-worth individuals, families, and foundations, with a notably international client base. The firm provides discretionary and non-discretionary portfolio management, utilizing fundamental analysis and ongoing monitoring to guide asset allocation, including traditional funds, private placements, and digital assets.

Brett Jennings is a financial advisor at Ameriprise in San Francisco, holding a Series 66 designation with three years of industry experience. His prior roles include positions at Modern Woodmen of America and the University of California, Santa Barbara. Ameriprise offers retirement-income planning services primarily for individuals with significant investable assets, combining research, modeling, and tax-efficiency analysis to deliver tailored Recommendation Reports. The firm provides a broad range of advisory, brokerage, and insurance solutions through affiliated companies.

Darren Kalb is a CFP® and holds the Series 66 designation, with 14 years of industry experience. He has worked at Creative Planning since 2017 and previously spent three years at Polaris Greystone Financial Group, LLC. He is based in San Francisco, CA. Creative Planning provides wealth management, financial planning, and retirement-plan advisory services to individuals, pension plans, trusts, foundations, and corporations. The firm employs a financial-planning-led investment approach that emphasizes low-cost indexing and buy-and-hold strategies for long-term goals, supplemented by selective private market exposure and various tax-efficient strategies.

Abu Farukh is a financial advisor with Raymond James & Associates, holding a Series 63 designation and bringing 46 years of industry experience. He has been with Raymond James & Associates since 2012. The firm is a large, dually registered broker-dealer and SEC-registered investment adviser managing approximately $501 billion in assets. It serves a diverse client base, including individuals, institutions, and municipal entities, offering financial planning and non-discretionary investment consulting through various advisory programs.

Giani Kurniawan is a financial advisor at Global Key Advisors with a Series 65 credential and four years of industry experience. Prior to joining Global Key Advisors, Giani worked at Global Insight Advisors and held various roles related to education and entrepreneurship. Global Key Advisors provides financial planning and investment management services to individuals, corporations, trusts, foundations, and family offices, primarily through separately managed accounts branded InsideTrack®. The firm uses statistically driven, multivariate analysis of unconventional data sources and proprietary tools to manage concentrated, long-only portfolios, generally avoiding macro market timing and direct cryptocurrency holdings.

I founded Innermost™ Wealth Management to create a more personal, thoughtful approach to financial planning and wealth management. My background in both finance and psychology shaped my belief that money is not just about numbers. It is deeply personal and connected to your values, goals, and life experiences. I work with professionals who want to grow and simplify their wealth, with a special focus on women navigating career growth, equity compensation, and major life transitions such as divorce. Many of my clients are balancing busy lives and complex financial decisions, and they value having a long-term financial partner who truly understands their needs. My firm is centered on ongoing wealth management through investment advisory relationships. Clients work with me for comprehensive financial planning and investment management that evolves with them over time. As a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER® Professional, Chartered Retirement Planning Counselor℠, and Certified Divorce Financial Analyst® Candidate, I provide technical expertise and strategic guidance, while also recognizing the emotional side of financial decisions. My approach is compassionate, judgment-free, and designed to reduce stress while helping you feel more confident in your choices. I operate a fully virtual firm, working with clients across the country who appreciate flexibility and convenience. My goal is to simplify your financial life, provide clear advice, and help you align your wealth with what matters most to you. Outside of work, I enjoy traveling, photography, cooking, and spending quality time with my Beagle, Gracie.

George Silvester is a Financial Advisor with Merrill Lynch Wealth Management, serving as a member of the Boston Executive Services Team since 2017. He works primarily with founders, executives, and key associates at both privately held and publicly traded companies, focusing on the intricacies of equity ownership and equity compensation. George's approach begins with understanding what is most important to his clients and assessing their current position relative to their goals, ultimately developing customized financial strategies that align with their evolving life needs, resources, and aspirations. George began his career at Merrill Lynch Wealth Management as a Summer Analyst in 2016, where he developed an understanding of the client-advisor relationship and the collaborative pursuit of clients’ life goals. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Management with a concentration in Finance from Tulane University’s A.B. Freeman School of Business. Additionally, George has earned the Chartered Retirement Planning Counselor™ (CRPC™) designation awarded by the College for Financial Planning, as well as the Personal Investment Advisor (PIA) designation. Outside of his professional work, George’s personal interests include biking, bowling, chess, cooking, golfing, hiking, and reading.

James Van Nice is a Benefits & Planning Consultant specializing in Executive Services. In this role, he partners with executives to help them understand their employer benefits and develop plans to work towards their financial goals. James has professional experience as an Investment Solutions Representative III at Fidelity Investments from 2023 to 2025 and as an Investment Solutions Representative II at Fidelity Investments from 2022 to 2023. Prior to that, he worked at Merrill Lynch as an Investment Solutions Representative I from 2021 to 2022 and as a Financial Advisor from 2018 to 2019. Outside of his professional work, James engages in fishing, fitness, golf, running, and volunteering.

Adam Neubauer is a CFP® with 11 years of industry experience. He has been with Edward Jones since 2014 and is based in Mankato, MN. Edward Jones is a full-service wealth management firm serving more than four million individual and institutional clients. The firm manages approximately $1.01 trillion in assets and offers a wide range of investment strategies and affiliated services through a large nationwide network of financial advisors and branch offices.

Juan Polanco is a Series 66 licensed financial advisor with Optimo Capital in San Francisco, CA, and has 11 years of industry experience. Before founding Optimo Capital, he worked at Carr & Ferrell LLP for two years. Outside of his advisory role, Mr. Polanco works full-time as an engineer at PacBio and mentors startups and founders at the Founder's Institute and LoyalVC. Optimo Capital advises founders of venture-backed companies, recently funded startups, and private investors on portfolio supervision and capital-raising. The firm uses a combined top‑down and bottom‑up analytical approach with a supervisory and consultative model, focusing on tailored services such as Investment Policy Statements, due diligence management, and pitch material preparation.