Despite the ongoing political backlash against diversity efforts, the largest industry event focusing on the recruiting and development of Black professionals drew higher attendance and big-name sponsorships in Washington, D.C.
For 25 years, the Association of African American Financial Advisors' annual VISION conference has offered significantly underrepresented financial advisors and other industry professionals a rare opportunity for specific networking and professional development.
Building on founder LeCount Davis' vision of bringing Black advisors together en masse to address issues pertaining to them and their clients, this year's Quad-A's conference saw attendance jump to 900. With a theme of "The Wealth Shift: Ownership, Legacy & the Next Era," it drew sponsorships from JPMorgan Chase's JPMorgan Wealth Management, UBS and Wells Fargo, appearances from Stephen A. Smith of ESPN and financial literacy advocate John Hope Bryant, and a collaboration with one of the biggest nonprofit organizations in the industry, Invest in Others.
Regardless of any political dynamics, wealth management firms and advisors are finding value in connecting veteran professionals and some of the largest companies in the business with early-career planners and aspiring ones from Historically Black Colleges and Universities and other institutions, Quad-A CEO Sheena Gray said in an interview.
"Our firms are showing up, and they're committing to supporting Quad-A," Gray said. "They're actually sending more advisors than they've ever sent before."
Quad-A board member Marie Taylor, a West Hempstead, New York-based financial advisor with Edward Jones, took home the organization's Spirit of the VISION Leadership Award, joining past winners like Citi wealth head Andy Sieg (when he was with Merrill in 2022) and Wells Fargo Wealth and Investment Management Northeast Divisional President Barry Simmons in 2024. Notably, Taylor became the first woman to receive the award.
In addition, Financial Planning Rising Stars Award winner Chukwudi Uraih of Fort Worth, Texas-based Lampados Financial Group and former NFL star Wale Ogunleye, who's now the head of sports and entertainment with UBS Global Wealth Management, were among 10 winners of Quad-A's Leaders to Watch in Wealth for professionals under 50 years old.
In an interview, Gray discussed the highlights of the conference, the meaning of coming together for the 25th annual VISION and what to expect in 2027.
The below interview has been lightly edited for length and clarity.
Financial Planning: There were 900 Black financial professionals, students, industry leaders, and guests at the 25th anniversary Quad-A VISION conference earlier this month. How does that compare to prior year's attendance?
Sheena Gray: Comparative to the last, I would say, three years, we've been growing. We've been growing substantially year over year, and I attribute it to our membership, which has increased. I've been in this seat now for two years, eight months and counting. And our corporate partners have expanded their relationships with us, albeit that we are in a season where many think that D E and I is dead.
Our firms are showing up, and they're committing to supporting Quad-A. But, most importantly, when it comes to our conferences and events, they're actually sending more advisors than they've ever sent before. Some people say it's because they've not offered the same in their own firms, their own four walls, and so they're leveraging Quad-A as their diversity summits or a conference where their diverse advisors can get more professional development and be able to network in more rooms that look like them.
FP: What were some of the highlights from this year's conference?
SG: This is our first year that we hosted a case study competition, and so students from all over came to compete, and we had 10 finalists. And the student who actually won was from Howard University. She was a sophomore who stood up in front of the entire audience and defended her case, and to me that was a huge highlight.
Another one was seeing Stephen A. Smith on stage with one of our board members, Eric Harley [a financial planner with Merrick, New York-based advisory practice Merrick Financial Group], and also having John Hope Bryant be in the room with his new book on our stage, doing a fireside chat with Dr. Alex David, the chairman of our board [and the president and CEO of Equity Services], and sharing with us the importance of wealth literacy within our community, and the importance of making sure that financial advisors are not running from AI but running to it, and continuing to lean into the community even more during these times.
FP: Can you tell me about the contributions of your board member Marie L. Taylor and everything she has done for Quad-A as the first woman to receive your Spirit of the VISION Leadership Award?
SG: As a woman, one of the only women on the board for years at Quad-A, I'm excited to have her leadership first as one of our newest board members. Marie Taylor has always been someone that we've called friend here at Quad-A. When it comes to her hiring any advisor, Quad-A membership is always part of the introduction and their onboarding process. And she has introduced so many young advisors to Quad-A, and in the very beginning of their career, and even within her own firm at Edward Jones, has been just a true ambassador to help us expand the relationship that we have with them as a corporate partner.
FP: There were a lot of students from all across the country there, as well. You brought up the case study competition that happened. Why is it so important to have students in attendance at this industry conference, and how do they contribute to the energy at all the Quad-A events?
SG: Right now, we are working with college students, but we actually had, I would say, about 20 high school students in the building this year. So I actually think we need to start younger with this conversation.
And how does it fit? We want to make this industry — I always say this — sexy again. We've got to start while they're younger. We have to make this financial advisor role very attractive early on to our students. I can recall a conversation with one advisor who brought his son, who's a high school student, and he shared with me that he has watched his dad grow his business, and now he wants to follow in his footsteps. It was very inspiring and motivating for him to be in a room and see so many other diverse advisors networking and sharing best practices, and it's actually motivating him to work on his investment license this fall.
So I think that having them in the room, seeing the networking, starting those conversations young and the importance of doing that, coupled with the learning piece — we had a track just for students, and I think that it gave them the opportunity to be more proximate to what a financial advisor role truly entails and embodies, and I think they appreciated that.
FP: What is the significance of this past year's vision conference being the 25th annual version of this conference.
SG: When I think about Mr. LeCount Davis, I think about the fact that, 25 years ago, he had a vision. He had a vision that he'd see a room full of diverse advisors. I'll be very specific. He had a vision that he'd see a room full of Black advisors in a room. Networking and increasing representation is near and dear to him. In these 25 years, we did just that for him. We executed on his vision. I think he's very proud of what happened at this year's conference because this is what he worked so hard for 25 years ago when he sat with his colleagues and he said, "I want to increase representation." This is exactly what I know that he meant.
So to have this also be 25 years after 9/11, to have us be in D.C. during that time, it was a time for the country where people had a lot of uncertainty. But our advisors still came and they showed up. So it was just somber, but it was happy at the same time for us.
FP: What else should financial advisors, other wealth management professionals or prospective wealth management professionals know about Quad-A, this past year's VISION and conferences you'll be holding in the future?
SG: I would focus in 2027 on not just our conferences but our year-round programming. We have our main VISION flagship conference, but we just kicked off our next-gen webinar series. We have a podcast that is featuring many of our RIAs. We're focusing on independence this last quarter of the year and continuing on with Mr. LeCount Davis' vision.
So I would say it's a year-round program, and it's what I would like folks to really home in on and check out our website to find more information, from next-gen to professional development for current advisors and opportunities. We'll be back on the New York Stock Exchange. We'll be back at the Nasdaq in 2027. We'll be back on Capitol Hill in 2027 with some of our priorities that we are working through with our partners at the Financial Services Institute. So the conference is great, and we love for you to attend. But we really want you to get the best of your membership here at Quad-A and indulge in our year-round programming.
