Culture, Purpose, and Employee Ownership
- Registration Closed
Join the FPA Women & Finance Knowledge Circle for a thoughtful and practical conversation with Neela Hummel, CEO (and one-time intern) of $3.5B Abacus Wealth Partners, on building a firm where culture, purpose, and employee ownership are not afterthoughts, but strategic advantages.
Neela will share how Abacus has intentionally designed its culture and ownership model to support long-term sustainability, alignment, and growth. She’ll explore how clear values and shared ownership can shape decision-making, strengthen teams, and create continuity through every stage of a firm’s evolution.
This session will be especially valuable for advisors who are starting a firm, scaling an existing practice, or preparing for a future transition or succession. Neela will discuss how early choices around culture and ownership can influence leadership development, employee engagement, client experience, and ultimately, a firm’s readiness for the next chapter.
Whether you’re building from the ground up or thoughtfully planning what comes next, this conversation will offer insight, perspective, and real-world lessons on creating a firm designed to last.
Come ready to learn, reflect, and engage in a meaningful peer discussion.
Competency Level: Foundational
FPA Competency: Critical Thinking
CFP Board Topic: N/A
CFP Board CE Credit Hours: 0
Neela Hummel, CFP®
CEO & Partner
Abacus Wealth Partners
Neela is CEO of Abacus Wealth Partners, a $3.5B fee-only registered investment advisor based in Santa Monica, CA. Starting as an unpaid intern in 2009, Neela has helped grow a values-aligned firm that supports gender equity through flexible policies, career path creation, and leadership transparency. As a consequence, over 50% of Abacus’ advisors are women, in an industry where 20% is the norm.
As a fierce nerd and CFP™, she can spreadsheet with the best of them. As a mom of three tiny humans, she can juggle and delegate, all while covered in ketchup. She is an industry speaker, author, and subject matter expert. Neela is also a graduate of UC Berkeley.
Neela aims to make financial planning more impactful while using business as a force for good. She believes money is a powerful force that can empower individuals as well as influence corporate responsibility.
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