Expressive Wealth
Team members

Vanessa traveled abroad for her undergrad and earned her BBA in Guatemala, C.A. Returning to Chicago; she received her MBA in finance at North Park University while gaining insights from her time at JPMorgan Chase. Her commitment to comprehensive client wealth advisory led her to earn FINRA Series 6, 7, 63, and 65 certifications.

In 2020 she co-authored her first book, Family Value at Risk, Inclusive Communication to Pass on Your Family’s Wealth and Legacy. As a female advisor, Vanessa has been recognized by both Barron’s and Forbes and has been a guest on CNBC Power Lunch, Yahoo Finance, Bloomberg, and many industry podcasts.

As Managing Partner, Vanessa has selected a supportive community at Expressive Wealth, one that shares her devotion to comprehensive wealth planning, understanding clients’ unique needs and goals, and fostering a lasting legacy.

Lauren has spent her entire 20+ year career in wealth management guiding her clients through every aspect of their financial lives – financial planning, creation and implementation of asset allocations, insurance planning, and supporting clients through life transitions to ultimately shape their legacies. Lauren is an advocate for her clients and loves educating families to make confident financial decisions that reflect their values.

Lauren deeply believes in being of service to others and is an active member of her community. She is a current Co-Chair of the Chicago Foundation for Women’s Western Suburbs Giving Circle. Additionally, Lauren is an active member of the Executive Women’s Council of Northern Illinois Food Bank and has served as a past Co-Chair.

Lauren earned both her Bachelor of Science and her Master of Business Administration degrees from DePaul University.
Lauren is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER professional and holds her Series 65, and Health & Life Insurance licenses in Illinois and Michigan.

With more than 30 years of investment and financial advisory experience, Darlene helps guide investors toward achieving their desired goals.

Originating from Louisville, Kentucky, Darlene’s financial journey began with the regional investment firm, Hilliard Lyons. Her tenure at regional, national, and independent investment firms has established her as a trusted advisor to both corporate and individual investors. Darlene attended the University of Kentucky, holds FINRA Series 7, 63, and 65 licenses, and is a licensed insurance and real estate agent.

Darlene’s exceptional ability to connect personally with clients shapes her client-centric approach to wealth advisory. Understanding unique objectives, risk tolerances, and time frames allows her to plan and create tailored investment strategies aligned with client goals.
Beyond her professional accomplishments, Darlene actively engages in local initiatives driving positive change, reflecting her values and concern for her community’s well-being.

Darlene’s journey embodies her commitment to Expressive Wealth and the clients it serves.

With over three decades of experience in investment, Jon’s career is marked by roles as a stockbroker, financial product creator, and stock research developer. His expertise in quantitative, fundamental, and technical analysis was honed at esteemed firms like Benzinga, Zacks Investment Research, and Prophet.net (now part of Schwab).

At Benzinga, Jon contributed to launching a successful stock analysis product, providing over 2600 recommendations to individual investors. During his 20 years at Zacks, he played a key role in establishing it as a leading figure in fundamental research and quantitative analysis. As Senior Vice President of Operations & Product Management, he led the creation of innovative financial websites and subscription-based products, collaborating with industry giants like Fidelity and TD Ameritrade.

Outside the corporate world, Jon serves as a Professor of Finance at North Central College, emphasizing the importance of personal finance and investing. He founded Fiscal Investor, a platform offering personalized investment strategies, bridging the gap between individuals and complex financial markets.
Jon holds a Master of Science in Financial Markets & Trading from the Illinois Institute of Technology and a Bachelor of Arts in Finance from Ball State University. His academic background complements his pragmatic investment approach, blending theoretical knowledge with real-world application.

Throughout his career, Jon has remained dedicated to helping investors reach their potential, aligning with the ethos of Expressive Wealth. His contributions to finance and education reflect his commitment to excellence and empowerment in investment.

With an impressive 10+ years track record spanning various esteemed financial institutions, Kasia brings expertise and a client-centric focus to our team.

Her roles as a Client Service Manager, Client Relationship Specialist, and Managing Director at Fidelity showcased her dedication to client satisfaction and strategic financial planning.

Kasia’s commitment to excellence extends further with her extensive operations experience gained during her tenure as an Assistant Branch Manager at JP Morgan Chase. Her hands-on roles in managing day-to-day operations, optimizing processes, and ensuring seamless transactions underscore her ability to drive impactful client relationships and contribute effectively to financial strategies.

As our Senior Private Wealth Associate, Kasia Richardson’s seasoned expertise and customer-focused approach ensure our clients receive personalized, well-informed guidance on their financial journey. Her extensive experience across renowned institutions is a testament to her dedication to delivering exceptional service and strategic financial solutions.

With 20+ years of part time, pro bono financial planning experience, Bob made his commitment to the profession official by recently joining the Expressive Wealth team. During a late 1980’s period with Merrill Lynch, Bob identified that his true passion was to provide accurate, trustworthy financial planning services to those in want–regardless of financial means or social standing. Between that time and the present, Bob spent over 30 years in the medical device/ drug delivery space–dividing his tenure evenly between a Fortune 100 medical products manufacturer based in the Chicago suburbs and the strategic private equity space, entrusted with a variety of leadership roles during that time.
In the Paraplanning capacity, Bob is committed to accurately capturing the essential facts presented by our clients and wealth advisors to ensure the most reliable financial projections will be generated–while actively soliciting the ‘what if’ scenarios from clients that make planning a journey.