What inspired you to join Bernstein?
As a brand and business development executive, with an agency background, I've worked with some of the most iconic brands including Facebook, Disney, and UNICEF. My work has gone viral and even hangs (digitally) in the Social Media Hall of Fame. I know what it takes to have a powerful story to tell and recognized Bernstein's potential for greatness straightaway. when I joined Bernstein in 2020, it was because I had found a down-to-earth, proactive firm that defied my expectations of the finance industry—and had the potential to truly make a difference in the world. Aside from using my skills to infuse creativity in our processes, I'm thrilled to work for a company where philanthropy is part of the everyday and responsible investing is synonymous with the culture. It's an honor to create an environment that inspires clients to use their money for good.
Who has been the most influential person in your life?
Many people consider Karen Saywitz a role model. I'm lucky enough to be her daughter. As a psychologist, author, educator, and winner of the APA's lifetime achievement award, Karen selflessly devoted her life to making mental health accessible. After she passed in 2018, I set out on a personal mission to continue her work by breaking down stigmas around mental health in marketing and advertising. Before mental health was openly discussed in popular culture, I led a panel at NYC Creative Week around it. The discussion was a crowd favorite and was covered in an Adweek article that sparked agencies known for employee burnout to offer Mental Health Days for the first time. Ever since, I've been building the grassroots movement #JustCheckingIn, which has taken on a life of its own and been covered by global media outlets and viewed hundreds of millions of times on social media. The phrase also quietly honors my mother's legacy and pays tribute to her exceptional ability to check in on others.
What passions do you pursue outside of work?
As a child, I was always making art. I was even an art major (and business minor) in college where I studied printmaking and sculpture. Then, I entered the workforce, and being creative became a full-time job. It took me over a decade to realize that I had to make art for myself again. Specifically, as I started to do activism around mental health I realized how critical art was to my own self-care.
Ironically, one of my big regrets in college was not taking a pottery class. So, I decided to teach myself the craft by watching YouTube videos and joining a professional studio. The experience reinvigorated my love for functional art, rather than art for art's sake. Pottery is a fun, practical, and creative way to clear my mind. I love feeling the clay between my fingers turning earthly mud into a vase. Now, I am always looking for new ways to express my creativity from embroidery to flower arranging and baking. If you need a chocolate babka or a guest for an art event, I'm your gal.