Noah is the CEO and Chairman of Acorns. Since launch, Noah has guided and built Acorns into the largest subscription service in U.S. consumer finance. Together with the team, Noah has helped millions of everyday Americans save and invest over $20B, mostly in small amounts.

He's a 5X entrepreneur, including the founder of shareholder rights startup Say, music production company Soundproof, and the leading product development & marketing agency for the young adult market, Noise. By the time Noise was acquired, the agency had created hundreds of product and marketing campaigns, including Facebook’s very first application, Chase’s credit card to reward responsibility rather than spending, and Vice's music site Noisey.  

Passionate about the arts and philanthropy, he has served on the Board of VH1's Save The Music Foundation for six years and co-founded Give Kids Art to deliver art programming to kids in need through the Boys and Girls Clubs. He recently made a multi-year endowment to the Department of Neurology at the University of California, San Francisco to advance pioneering research on migraines. He's the co-author of “Chasing Cool,” published by Simon & Schuster, with Gene Pressman, the former CEO of Barneys New York. And he got his start as a teenager DJing in hip hop nightclubs across NYC and performing with artists like Jennifer Lopez.

He was born in New York City’s East Village, where he still lives, and is a graduate of Cornell University.

What's been your best investment?

My apartment in New York City. I love it and it keeps appreciating. That's the best kind of value.

Best financial advice?

Try to never make decisions driven by fear. But since we all get afraid sometimes, I think it's good to just take a long walk in the sun before making a big investment decision.

What dream do you hope investing helps you realize?

I've always hoped investing allows me to get involved in things that bring me pleasure and create positive change in the world - whether it's an apartment for myself or a great company advancing society.

What splurge do you wish you could take back (and invest instead)?

I don't really splurge. I've been wearing the same t-shirts since I was 18.

Disclosure: Answers to the Q & A are not meant as investment advice and should not be read as recommendations to buy or sell securities.

Seth Wunder, CFA, is the Global President & Chief Financial Officer of Acorns. As CIO, Seth is responsible for overseeing investment products, including product development, investment operations and compliance.  He also oversees the company’s legal, finance, and accounting groups. Previously, Seth founded Los Angeles-based black-and-white Capital LP as its sole Portfolio Manager in May 2016, with assets at peak greater than one billion dollars. black-and-white Capital’s investment mandate centered on innovation, including a concentration in software, internet, fintech, e-commerce and other disruptive trends. Before black-and-white Capital, Seth was a founding partner and portfolio manager at Contour Asset Management LLC, in New York. During the almost seven years of operating Contour, he led growth in assets from approximately $500mn to over $1.5bn. Seth started his career over two decades ago as an equity analyst at two mutual fund complexes: OppenheimerFunds and Morgan Stanley Investment Management. He holds a B.S. in Applied Economics and Business Management from Cornell University.

What's been your best investment?

Starbucks (SBUX), we love the brand and the product! In 2008, my wife owned it in her 401k, and we have continued to stick with it. The stock was below $10 then and it’s over $100 today.

Best financial advice?

It’s important to leave emotions out of investment decisions. I’ve found it helpful to write down a couple sentences on why to buy or sell an investment.  The process of writing down the decision brings clarity and discipline to your financial decisions.

What dream do you hope investing helps you realize?

Peace of mind in retirement.

What splurge do you wish you could take back (and invest instead)?

I loved video games as a kid and owned EA stock at that time - I sold it and splurged on something (I can’t even remember what). If I had stuck with it, 25+ years later it would be worth dramatically more money - $100 then would be worth nearly $15,000 today.

Disclosure: Answers to the Q & A are not meant as investment advice and should not be read as recommendations to buy or sell securities.

Liz Nie is the General Counsel & Corporate Secretary of Acorns Grow Inc.  Liz oversees the global legal function for the company's three products across five countries:  Acorns, GoHenry and PixPay.  Before joining Acorns, Liz was the Global Head of Commercial, Product & WeWork Workplace, Legal, at WeWork, and Vice President, Corporate Legal Affairs, at NBCUniversal, a subsidiary of Comcast Corporation.  Liz was trained as a general corporate attorney at Cravath, Swaine and & Moore LLP where she managed securities, banking and M&A transactions.  She grew up in Beijing and Brooklyn and is a graduate of Princeton University and the University of California, Berkeley School of Law.

What's been your best investment?

It took me over ten years to pay off my college and law school debt but I have never regretted making the investment in my education.

Best financial advice?

A friend told me to move my savings to a brokerage account to achieve higher returns.  It was a lightbulb moment.

What dream do you hope investing helps you realize?

I am investing to give my kids the freedom to choose, whether it is with respect to their education, professional pursuits or personal passions.  

What splurge do you wish you could take back (and invest instead)?

I usually only splurge on experiences and have no regrets about any of those.  I did splurge on my wedding shoes, though.  They were barely visible under my dress, I wore them for less than two hours and they've been taking up precious space in our apartment closet for over a decade!

Disclosure: Answers to the Q & A are not meant as investment advice and should not be read as recommendations to buy or sell securities.

Denise brings over 20 years of extensive Compliance experience with Investment Advisers and Broker Dealers. She was most recently Chief Compliance Officer at Forge Global. Prior to that, she held leadership roles at Synovus Financial Corp and Legacy Advisory Partners. Denise earned her Bachelors of Science degree from St. John’s University and her MBA from Keller Graduate School of Management.

What's been your best investment?

My son's college education. He recently started the University of Southern California as a freshman.  As his mother, I carved out a path where his tuition is covered - without incurring debt, thus allowing him to fully focus on his studies.  There is the greatest and best investment I can make, in my child.

Best financial advice?

It's never too early to plan for the future.  Make a solid plan and stay on course.  Educate children at an early age, so they understand the importance and discipline it takes to strive for and achieve generational wealth.

What dream do you hope investing helps you realize?

I hope to get to a place where I stop, pause, look around and say... "Yes, I did it!"

What splurge do you wish you could take back (and invest instead)?

I am methodical with my planning and spending, as a result there aren't any splurges that I would want to take back.

Disclosure: Answers to the Q & A are not meant as investment advice and should not be read as recommendations to buy or sell securities.

Prior to joining Acorns, Pete worked at AT&T where he was most recently the Vice President of Advanced Analytics & Marketing Technology for the AT&T Consumer Group. He has 20 years of experience leading data teams, including a team of 180 data scientists, data engineers, business analysts and marketing technologists to optimize customer acquisition, reduce retention and maximize CLTV for more than 70M Wireless, TV and Broadband customers. Throughout his career Pete has made it a mission to drive the business with fast actionable analytics and insights. He sits on the Georgia Tech Business Analytics Council, the Facebook Global Measurement Council and patented an algorithm on graphically rendering data. Pete also served in the Army’s 101st Airborne Division. Pete has an AS in Computer Science, a BSBA from Tory University, an MBA in Technology Management from Georgia Tech and a certificate in AI from MIT. Pete has 4 college aged kids he’s counting the days till they’re off his payroll.

What's been your best investment?

My best investment has been in my education. I enlisted in the Army out of high school and after being injured and medically discharged I was faced with the reality of having no job, no education and kids to take care of. I spent years in night school earning an Associates, Bachelors and eventually a Masters Degree. Life is a journey and investing in learning has opened up opportunities for myself and my family I would have never dreamed possible.

Best financial advice?

It’s never too early to begin investing. Even a small bit put away when you’re young, has the chance to compound and grow.

What dream do you hope investing helps you realize?

To keep improving my alpine skills and pursue climbing around the world.

What splurge do you wish you could take back (and invest instead)?

All the things I purchased on credit cards when younger; they seemed so necessary at the time but in hindsight were so costly.

Disclosure: Answers to the Q & A are not meant as investment advice and should not be read as recommendations to buy or sell securities.

Kasia Leyden is a seasoned marketing leader with a proven track record in leading transformative strategies for high-growth global companies. As the Chief Marketing Officer at Acorns, she brings over 12 years of experience in the fintech industry at the forefront of modern tech, including leadership roles at PayPal, Venmo and Braintree.

Prior to Acorns, Kasia served as Chief Marketing and Strategy Officer at ApplyBoard, and as Vice President of Global Consumer Marketing at PayPal. There she redefined PayPal's brand positioning and approach to a culturally relevant marketing mix across 400M global customers, boosting brand affinity and operational efficiency. At Venmo, Kasia played a key role in scaling the marketing function and positioning the brand as a cultural zeitgeist, while her work at Braintree repositioned the brand globally and launched a highly successful creative platform.

With a strong background in building and transforming brands across the full marketing mix. Kasia is a results-oriented leader, combining creative vision with data-driven strategy. She also serves as a seasoned board advisor, passionate about building high-performing teams and driving long-term, impactful growth.

What's been your best investment?

Believing in myself enough to make bold decisions—personally and professionally. That courage has opened doors to experiences that have shaped my perspective, connected me with incredible people, and given me a truly global outlook beyond anything I could have imagined.

Best financial advice?

Earn with ambition. Grow with patience.

What dream do you hope investing helps you realize?

To fall asleep to the sound of waves crashing in my backyard.

What splurge do you wish you could take back (and invest instead)?

Every so-called “must-have” toy my kids swore they couldn’t live without—only to abandon days later. One Acorns Early tutorial changed everything for them. Now, they’d rather invest their pocket money than spend it on things they’ll forget by next week.

Disclosure: Answers to the Q & A are not meant as investment advice and should not be read as recommendations to buy or sell securities.

Daniel brings over 25 years of software, hardware and system design experience to Acorns. Daniel joins Acorns from Amazon where he led product development in Amazon Web Services and Amazon Alexa. Prior to Amazon, Daniel spent over a decade at Dell and Quest Software where he led global teams across 7 countries, developing enterprise software including database management, information security and software developer tools. Daniel earned a B.A. in Physics from the University of California Santa Barbara where he studied as a Regents Scholar. During his time at the university he contributed to the development of the Planck Space Telescope and other projects within the experimental cosmology department. As an engineer, Daniel is named on multiple patents awarded in technology.

What's been your best investment?

Following my curiosity. Taking the time to explore the things I found curious led to exciting and rewarding opportunities in life, business and investing.

Best financial advice?

Stocks for the Long Run. I was already an active investor and trader when I was turned on to this book by a coworker. It taught me to trade less, but invest more.

What dream do you hope investing helps you realize?

I’ve always wanted to go to space. Space travel will become widely accessible in our lifetime. I would like to orbit the Earth, or perhaps visit the moon!

What splurge do you wish you could take back (and invest instead)?

When I was younger, I splurged on an expensive investment club subscription so I wouldn’t have to research stocks on my own. To pay for it, I sold shares of Netflix. I knew it would be a successful company, but didn’t know just how successful. Had I not sold my original investment, it would be worth over $6M!

Disclosure: Answers to the Q & A are not meant as investment advice and should not be read as recommendations to buy or sell securities.

Russell Brodmerkle is the Vice President of Growth Marketing at Acorns, where he focuses on helping people invest in their future by making saving and investing simple and accessible. He brings over 16 years of experience leading marketing and growth for iconic consumer brands like Roblox, Lyft and Electronic Arts (EA). At Roblox, he led growth efforts that quadrupled the monthly active audience to over 200 million. At Lyft, he oversaw growth marketing and brand media teams contributing to 22X ride growth and U.S. market share growth from 8 to 41% and led the Global Search Engine Marketing team at Electronic Arts (EA). Most recently, Russ was CMO at Landing, a membership-based platform for flexible apartment living across the U.S. Throughout his career, Russell has helped transform private companies into sustainable, long-term growth public businesses. He’s passionate about combining data, creativity, and purpose to drive impact.

What's been your best investment?

I was very fortunate to buy a house that appreciated in value, but I look at this as shelter and not an investment. My best investment is my diversified portfolio that I started contributing to as soon as I had the ability to do so.

Best financial advice?

Start small, but start now. Waiting for the “perfect” moment often means missing out on time in the market, which is one of the most powerful tools investors have. Even tiny steps forward can lead to big changes over time.

What dream do you hope investing helps you realize?

Freedom and security. The dream is to spend time on what truly matters without the stress of financial uncertainty. To me, that’s the ultimate return on investment.

What splurge do you wish you could take back (and invest instead)?

Living in San Francisco for 12 years, I was fortunate enough to explore a lot of great wineries. As a marketer, I appreciate a good membership but it turns out wine is not a great long term investment and disappears rather quickly. 

Disclosure: Answers to the Q & A are not meant as investment advice and should not be read as recommendations to buy or sell securities.