Hundreds of Black financial advisors, wealth management professionals and students attended the Association of African American Financial Advisors Vision Conference last month.
The largest Black-led organization in the field drew advisors from firms like JPMorgan Chase, Morgan Stanley and Merrill to Washington, D.C., in a time when pushback against diversity, equity and inclusion programs is leading to funding cuts for government research and programs that seek to protect civil rights and expand access to capital among minority groups. In the interview below, Quad-A CEO Sheena Gray shared highlights of the conference with Financial Planning.
As part of the event, she spoke with actor Tatyana Ali (“The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air,” “Bel-Air” and “Jawbreaker”) in a fireside chat about topics that included leadership, representation and equality in finance. Frank Holland, the anchor of “Worldwide Exchange” on CNBC each weekday morning, acted as the host of the gala at the conference. This year’s theme was “Voices of Wealth: Redefining the Game, Reclaiming the Future.”
The future of the profession was well-represented, with students aspiring to careers in the field from Howard University, University of the District of Columbia, Bowie State University, Morgan State University, Hampton University and other historically Black colleges and universities attending the Vision Conference with support from the FinServ Foundation.
“What we created at this conference was more than a gathering — it was a reflection of the power and presence of Black leaders and advisors,” Gray said in a prepared statement. “The sense of community, the culture, the collective energy — it wasn’t just seen, it was felt. We cultivated a space where our brilliance was affirmed, where values met vision and where strategy met soul. And the feedback said it all: when Black excellence comes together with purpose, we don’t just connect — we build legacy.”
The below interview has been lightly edited for clarity and length.
Key takeaways from the conference
Financial Planning: What were some of the highlights and memories that you and other attendees at the Vision Conference will remember the most from the event?
Sheena Gray: I will say that this conference was put on at a time where there was an uncomfortability in D.C., and that didn’t silence us. And so while others may have paused, we still pressed forward, Quad-A strong, and we made the conscious decision that fear would not silence our mission or stop our momentum, because representation can’t wait.
Our community showed up in record numbers. We filled breakout rooms and the main stage, wall to wall, with excellence, determination and a shared commitment to advancing equity in the financial services. So we didn’t just show up. We showed up together. It wasn’t just a conference for us, but it was so historic as a collective, because firms like JPMorgan, Morgan, Stanley and Merrill didn’t just attend. They sent entire delegations, the largest numbers that they’ve ever sent before, of advisors and leaders, and they understood that this year, it’s important to not just be here, but to be involved and be a part of real change. So even amongst the DEI setbacks that were supposedly out there, these firms still stood strong and sent their advisors to support a Black organization like Quad-A, and that is why we sold out.
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FP: What was the final count of attendees at this year’s event?
SG: We had more than 800 professionals and students and leaders that came together.
This year’s Spirit of the Vision Award
FP: One of the special announcements that comes from the Vision Conference is the winner of the Spirit of the Vision Award. Who won this year, and can you tell us about their accomplishments?
SG: Bilal Little is the director of ETFs for the New York Stock Exchange. Bilal has spent a tremendous amount of time, not just this year, but in past years, giving back to the community as it relates to financial literacy, ensuring that our students and our leaders and advisors who look like me have the opportunity to visit the New York Stock Exchange floor. Bilal was actually instrumental in us as an organization visiting the New York Stock Exchange. He made an opportunity for us to be able to visit the New York Stock Exchange and changed the lives of many of our members and the students that we were able to bring for that momentous occasion.
Bilal has been in this industry over 15 years and works alongside Frank Holland [of CNBC] at the New York Stock Exchange and many of our other members, and we’re just excited to have his continued thought leadership and also his help amplifying our voice here at Quad-A.
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The outlook ahead
FP: What else should our audience know about the work that you and your team are doing at Quad-A, and how they can support it?
SG: The energy from this conference, the intentionality that we had, I mean, it was undeniable. But we want to make sure that it doesn’t just stop at the conference, that we continue to highlight the importance of advocacy in the Black community on Capitol Hill.
For our advisors, we want to continue to have our members be ambassadors for Quad-A outside of our conference, but, when they return back to their Zoom rooms or even with their clients, we are here to support them, to help them increase their clientele, get to their next level, whatever that may be.
And I think this conference set a new standard for what Quad-A is doing in the Black community. The feedback that we heard was, ‘You all elevated this organization to a level of Barron’s and Forbes and an event where it was very strategically aligned content that is going to help us further our careers.’ We have workshops that were designed for advisors, in partnership with our asset managers and our firms, in allowing CE credit, but also to ensure that they were not just attending a conference, but actually able to take away key takeaways and opportunities for them to advance in their career and increase their clients.
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FP: As you look toward the last three months of the year and getting into next year, what are some of the activities, events or other programs that you are most excited about coming up for Quad-A?
SG: As we approach our 25th year as an organization, one of our priorities is from HBCUs to Wall Street, we want to bridge generations and institutions with our shared vision for the future, which is advocacy, increasing representation and ensuring that every Black household has a financial plan. And working together in partnership with these firms and our members will help us do just that.
