Our Mission

The Redwoods Initiative is a not-for-profit venture focused on family sustainability through wealth education. Our mission is to enable the next generation of significant wealth to become fully comfortable with the language of finance and the management of their resources. Our goal is to create a trusted community to educate, empower and connect a generation that can provide leadership, prosperity and further philanthropy by being excellent stewards of their family wealth. We are an independent organization intent on providing valuable programs that serve the dynamic and specific needs of financially successful families.

What We Do

At The Redwoods Initiative, we believe that a family’s human capital is just as important as its financial capital, and that the long-term sustainability of a family’s wealth is dependent on the successful management of both. We are a trusted resource for families to examine the wealth transition process, which often can be a complex and challenging undertaking. The world of wealth planning and investments is an intricate one, with its own metrics, concepts, and jargon; for a novice it can be like listening to a foreign language. Moreover, many find it complicated to openly discuss wealth succession issues on their own, so we provide a comfortable and stimulating environment in which such concerns can be openly addressed. The Redwoods Initiative will enrich and empower a family’s human capital, thereby facilitating the growth and preservation of its financial capital. Our programs provide education on a broad range of issues, with specific curriculum focusing on next generation education, family communication and values-based living.

The Redwoods Initiative has developed a unique approach to family wealth education in including these key areas:

Family Communication & Leadership

Programs include: Customized Financial Training, Personalized Family Education Programs, Legacy and Communication Workshops, Mindful Abundance Retreats, Family Days of Philanthropy and
Women’s Investment Seminars.

Why The Redwoods Initiative

An unprecedented volume of wealth transitioning will occur over the next 50 years. In a matter of moments, inheritors will receive instant wealth: in many cases, wealth that took several generations to create. The family composition is also shifting, as more women are now the breadwinners and financial decision makers in today’s households and an estimated $41 trillion will transfer to the next generation by year 2050. As a result, a new generation of leaders will be in a position to control a significant amount of wealth in the next several decades. And furthermore, entrepreneurs are a unique group of wealth generators whose learning curve for financial competence and philanthropy is often steep and requires substantial support.

Families can find it uncomfortable to openly discuss wealth succession issues. Moreover, people can suddenly come into substantial wealth through multiple pathways; for example, an inheritance, the sale of a business, marriage, or entrepreneurship. Thus, in many cases, new wealth holders have become the owners of substantial assets without having adequate tools to determine how to best utilize their wealth. As a result, these individuals often face additional pressures of receiving unsolicited advice from all quarters. These scenarios present formulas for potential roadblocks in the intergenerational wealth transfer process and successful transition. Without education and support, how can one expect to avoid the proverbial “shirtsleeves to shirtsleeves in three generations”? And how can a woman manage through the crisis of the 3 D’s: divorce, disability and death, if she is not equipped with a firm understanding of relevant financial and estate planning concerns? And how does an entrepreneur, athlete or artist
manage his or her passions and focus on business while navigating sudden wealth issues?

We offer independent education that helps sustain a family’s imprint and impact for future generations. We believe strongly in open architecture, partnerships and collaborations, and that an inheritor should have basic tools for independently understanding the complex world of finance. The result is increased confidence and competence in managing money and an empowered sense of direction. At The Redwoods Initiative, our vision and mission is foremost about offering practical solutions for successful wealth transfer, family sustainability and the long term growth of human, social and intellectual capital.

Education Focus

1. Financial Literacy and Independence
2. Leadership and Communication
3. Philanthropy and Impact
4. Legacy and Stewardship