About Diversitas

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Diversitas: Initiating Change

Since 2016, Diversitas has hosted a yearly financial knowledge symposium bringing together leaders in financial planning and wealth management with career influencers and students who are exploring the industry and profession, to build professional hope for young people and career changers in an industry that is working diligently to be fully inclusive. It is brought to the community by the Financial Planning Program in The University of Akron’s College of Business.

Diversitas has held three events at the University of Akron campus, and in 2020 the first national online Diversitas attracted 22 partner universities, 5 corporate sponsors, and more than 600 in attendance, including students, professionals and career influencers.

The event has also earned attendance from members of the media from Financial Advisor Magazine, Financial Planning, RIA Intel, and WealthManagement.com.

Diversitas’ goal is to build professional hope for young people and career changers in an industry that is working diligently to be fully inclusive.

Diversitas events give those who are underrepresented in the financial planning profession a better understanding of the great opportunities that exist in the industry, as well as a platform to have thoughtful discussions about how we can build a more diverse tomorrow.

DIVERSITAS BOARD MEMBERS

Diversitas: Expanding Diversity in Wealth Management

Our Vision:

Improve Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion throughout the financial planning profession and wealth management industry through education.

Our Mission:

Diversitas aims to make the financial planning profession and the wealth management industry more inclusive through education, mentorship, and human connection. We seek to expand the participation of underrepresented groups in the profession and the industry by mitigating the leading barriers to entry – a lack of education, understanding and awareness.

The WHY Behind the WHAT:

  • The wealth management industry has historically been viewed as a sales and product-oriented profession.
  • Diversitas aims to shift the perception to that of a helping profession, demonstrating that financial advisors and wealth managers help millions of people plan for and achieve their financial goals and secure their legacies.
  • We seek to change the perception of the industry held by career influencers, including teachers, high school administrators, guidance counselors and academic advisors, as well as college and high school students.
  • We aim to help the industry meet its anticipated growth through improved knowledge about the opportunities and benefits of being a member of the profession and industry.
  • In order for the financial planning and wealth management industry to better serve the changing investor population, its talent pool needs to better reflect the client base it will serve in the future.

What We Do:

  • Deliver programming that enhances the desire of students of diverse backgrounds to seek opportunities in the financial planning profession and wealth management industry.
  • Provide a centralized location for students and career influencers to gain knowledge of the industry and profession while providing industry professionals a place to find and share best practices to improve diversity and inclusion in the industry.
  • Provide a centralized location for Partner Universities and academic associations to share diversity, equity, and inclusion curriculum ideas, along with collaborating and creating research in the areas of diversity, equity, and inclusion.


Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Defined:
We look at diversity, equity, and inclusion across multiple spectrums. We believe that every race, gender, creed, sexual orientation, religion, and generation should be fairly represented in the financial planning profession and wealth management industry. We believe that all participants should be included in all areas and have fair access to opportunities in the profession and industry.

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