Fiftyfaces Focus 2026 Pride Special

Andrew Baker is the founder of Financial Haus, a financial advisory firm “for millennials” based in San Diego, CA. He has spent his whole career providing financial advice. His current client base consists predominantly of private sector employees within 15 years of retirement, government and state employees, medical professionals, the LGBT community, and young professionals seeking proactive financial strategies.Our conversation starts in rural Pennsylvania, where Andrew grew up but quickly realized he did not wish to build his career, and we speak about how how he found the calling of financial advisory work and the satisfaction that he derives from it.We turn to the importance of authenticity in the workplace and how realizing that he needed to be true to himself enabled Andrew to give his best to his clients. 

Michael Camuñez is President and CEO of Monarch Global Strategies, a binational advisory firm providing C-suite strategic counsel on cross-border growth, government engagement, supply chains, and geopolitical risk across the United States, Mexico, and North America. He is also Chair of PRISM: The Association of LGBTQ+ Corporate Directors. He writes a Substack called North of Ordinary where he writes about leadership, identity, and the institutions that shape our common life. Drawing on experience across public service, business, and civil society, he explores how leaders steward institutions in an unsettled age. Bloomberg named him one of the 100 most influential Latinos in the world in 2022, and in 2025 the National Association of Corporate Directors recognized him as one of the Top 100 Corporate Directors. Our conversation tracks Michael’s extraordinary career, from his childhood, through his legal career, his time in the Obama administration and his views on board roles and the importance of diversity. We speak in detail about his recent speech on The Case for LGBTQ Representation in the Board Room – and its key takeaways? ·      Homogeneity breeds overconfidence; but dissent produces wisdom.·      In short, LGBTQ leaders make boards stronger not because of who we love, but because of whatwe’ve learned: how to listen, how to lead, and how to live authentically in a world that too often rewards conformity·      The Courage Recession and the Return of Silence Michael continues to reflect on the state of diversity and inclusion in the boardroom and corporate America today.  HIs recent essay on the topic is available here: https://open.substack.com/pub/michaelccamunez/p/an-unimaginable-life?r=13hev&utm_medium=ios

Stuart Armstrong has had a 40 plus year career as a lead advisor with Centinel Financial Group and is based in Massachusetts. He graduated from Allegheny College in Meadville, Pennsylvania with a degree in Biology. Stuart has obtained various industry designations and certifications, and served a three-year term from 2013 through 2015 on the National Board of Directors for the Financial Planning Association (FPA), the largest organized body of financial planners in the United States. He currently serves on the Mass Audubon Advisory Council.Our conversation charts his entry into a financial advisory career, the backdrop that prevailed in the financial world at that time, and his early work with the LGBTQ+ client community. He then shares some of is personal journey being HIV positive and the mindset that enabled him to withstand the stress and anxiety that the illness caused. He has recently been conducting multiple reflections on his career and what it has meant to serve the LGBT community throughout and the value he has sought to add. 

Jessica Hartley is a talent strategy and experience executive at J P MorganChase, and she describes herself as “obsessed” with the experience ecosystem. She is the host of the Hustle, Grind, Shine and Reignite podcast and formerly held various strategy roles. She dentifies as bisexual. Our conversation traces Jessica's journey from an ally, describes here sisters's amazing experience as a trans advocate, and explains what it is to be obsessed with "experience"  We describe then how Jessica transitioned from being an ally to an ally plus a member of the LGBT community and how inclusive and affirming her work environment is and has always been. We speak about the importance of leadership and showing up as a leader and how that trumps lip service every time. 

Allison Schmidt a CFP professional and CPA at Higgins & Schmidt Wealth Strategies, which she co-founded with Steven Higgins in 2010. She is based in Denver. Allie works with a select group of individuals and families to create customized tax-efficient financial strategies. Most recently, Allie was recognized in 2026 by Forbes as a Top Women Wealth Advisors: Best-In-State and in 2025 by AdvisorHub as a 100 Women Advisors to Watch**.  Allie is a member of LPL Financial's Advisor Inclusion Council and serves on the leadership team for LPL's Women & Pride Business Communities. Originally from Kankakee, IL, Allie graduated from Butler University in Indianapolis, where she was a member of the Butler Bulldogs women’s basketball team. March Madness is a very big deal in the Schmidt household.Our conversation starts with an empowering childhood in a household that didn't believe in limits for the four daughters of the family. Allie then describes her first forays into financial advisory work after college - and how being good at taking instructions led to her developing good business development and sales skills. Now as a financial planner she describes how she tailors advice to her individual clients and brings a climate of inclusion to the workplace. 

We continue our 2026 Pride Series with this discussion with Nick Wolny who is a managing editor of branded content at Ziff Davis, where he oversees partner content for CNET, PCMag, Mashable, ZDNET, Lifehacker, and ExtremeTech. He is the finance columnist for Out magazine and the author of Money Proud: The Queer Guide to Generate Wealth, Slay Debt, and Build Good Habits to Secure Your Future, which published with HarperCollins in December 2025 and was recommended by The New York Times.Our conversation starts with Nick’s upbringing in rural Illinois and his mastery of the French Horn, which didn’t ultimately present a viable career path. His rural roots also drove him to seek excitement in a larger city and he found himself drawn to journalism, and eventually writing on financial topics. We discuss how his finance column turned into an idea for a book and how his “voice” evolved in the book Money Proud to combine some playfulness with what is ultimately a serious topic – financial literacy, managing debt sensibly and thriving through saving and savvy planning.

Audrey Coulthurst is the Founder and CEO of RIA Pitchworks. She has had a long career in investment management in product management and writer roles.  She is also a critically acclaimed young adult author of the Of Fire and Stars series and Starworld (co-authored with Paula Garner).Our conversation traces Audrey's roots in music and the arts and how she channelled her writing skills in the finance industry in the end. We discuss the art of writing and storytelling and the challenges that AI presents. We discuss coming out in the professional world and how inclusion can still be elusive.Audrey ends with a call to action around being curious and accepting as a path to connection with our fellow humans and as a way to foster our own authenticity. 

We are thrilled to be releasing our sixth ever pride series, and are pleased to be back this year with a strong bench of compelling stories with a strong financial planning thread. We feature storytellers of every kind - from Audrey Coulthurst, young adult author and financial storyteller with RIA Pitchworks, who reminds us to stay curious. We also hear from Nick Wolny, financial columnist of Out Magazine and recent author of the book Money Proud: The Queer Guide to Generate Wealth, Slay Debt, and Build Good Habits to Secure Your Future, which was published by HarperCollins in December 2025. Moving to the domain of pure financial advice we hear from Allie Schmidt co-founder of a financial planning firm in Colorado about her investment beliefs and the role that playing basketball in college played in teaching her grit and teamwork. Andrew Baker of Financial Haus in San Diego discusses his client-centered approach and how his own authenticity generates trust and empowers clients to let their own individuality shine. Stuart Armstrong then reflects on his 40+ year career in financial advice serving the LGBT community among other groups, and reflects openly on his own HIV diagnosis and how he carried this through his life. Shifting gears to client experiences and curating engagement, Jessica Hartley shares and enthusiastic tale of allyship and then her own coming out story, all while being supported in the best possible way by leaders who showed up at the right time.  We end then with a tour de force by Michael Camuñez who is Chair of PRISM: The Association of LGBTQ+ Corporate Directors. He shares the story of his fascinating career, which involved time in the Obama administration and why he feels so passionately about the need to include diversity and LGBT members in particular on corporate boards. His reflections on this topic, which mention themes such as the "courage recession" and the "return of silence" are poignant and thought-provoking, as is this whole series.Please enjoy, and Happy Pride Month 2026. 

Matt Cameron is the CEO of LGBT Great and a member of theboard of directors at the Diversity Project. This podcast is beingreleased as a bonus add-on to the Pride Series 2025, as part ofour support of Pride 365, an important initiative supported byLGBT Great.Our conversation starts with Matt’s upbringing and hisextraordinary work ethic from a very young age – we hear aboutthe common thread of working with people that led to his careerstart in recruitment sales.His compelling interest in inclusion led to him spotting an openingin the market for LGBT great, which he founded in 2019. Indiscussing why inclusion is more important now than ever hementions the impact of current policies – such as the loss ofpsychological safety at work, stalled career progression andperceived corporate abandonment. He notes that transgendercolleagues are feeling this in particular today. In terms of settingthe tone as leaders he sets out a template for action – wherebyleaders should listen actively and create space for honestdialogue (e.g. through running 10-minute “Pulse Listening Circles”each month), reaffirm commitment with visible, values-led actionand embed inclusion into their talent and business strategy.We end with some compelling calls to action from Pride365 to theneed to start with values - fairness, dignity, and respect and “it’snot about ticking boxes. It’s about unlocking potential.”Like LGBT Great Fiftyfaces Productions is committed to Pride365. Thank you to Tom Soto and Latimer Partners for supportingour 2025 Pride Series.

In this podcast Nathan Richardson is speaking on his own behalf and not on behalf of Grindr, on whose board of directors he sits.Nathan Richardson has been a member of the board of directors of Grindr since November 2022. He is a partner at Joffre Capital, a private equity firm and the co-Founder of Trading Ticket, Inc., a financial technology company, and served as its Chief Executive Officer, prior to which he held a series of roles in financial services and industry. He is now based in London. Our conversation takes a tour through Nathan’s career, and his international exposure which was rich including a stint in the Peace Corps in Africa, and a glittering international career which spanned many countries and cultures. We turn to his time as a founder in Fintech, and what brought him to the Grindr board. We compare the work that Grindr is doing to raise awareness so some of the work Nathan did in the peace corps to spread sexual health awarness. We move then to discuss the importance of LGBTQ+ inclusion in the professional workplace and the challenges faced by the community at this moment in time as initiatives are rolled back and rights are not advancing. Thank you to Tom Soto and Latimer Partners LLC for sponsoring our 2025 Pride Series.