Arnerich Massena is proud to announce our sponsorship of the nonprofit organization Rock The Street, Wall Street, bringing the financial and investment literacy program for high school girls to Grant High School in Portland, Oregon. Arnerich Massena is the inaugural Oregon sponsor of the program, making this the first time that Rock The Street, Wall Street will be available locally.

Rock The Street, Wall Street (RTSWS) is a 501(c)(3) organization that provides financial and investment education to high school girls to spark their interest in finance. Many girls opt out of math at an early age and fail to choose a math-oriented career because they lack role models in the real world. RTSWS provides programming that connects girls with female finance professionals who teach investing and budgeting in a classroom-based setting and provide mentoring opportunities.

“We are so excited to partner with RTSWS,” says Arnerich Massena Co-CEO Reegan Rae, CPWA®. “The financial services industry lags behind many other industries in terms of gender diversity. We are proud to have a long history of gender balance on our leadership and advisory teams, and have been dedicated to promoting and encouraging women in finance since our founding in 1991. This program is perfectly aligned with our efforts to drive change. We have a number of female financial professionals who are very much looking forward to being part of our volunteer team and helping to empower young women who are seeking careers in our industry.”

“It is imperative to improve girls’ financial and investment literacy before they reach college and take on college debt and begin to practice financial independence,” said Maura Cunningham, founder and CEO of Rock The Street, Wall Street. “We are creating a robust pipeline of diverse women by sparking girls’ interest while in high school and moving them forward in the field of finance. Many girls adjust their college searches and their career direction after completing our program. And all of them leave the experience with greater fiscal confidence that will benefit them throughout their lives.”

More than 4,000 girls have gone through the RTSWS program since its founding in 2013. RTSWS students average a 78 percent increase in their understanding of financial literacy between the start and end of the program. Graduates of the program are five times more likely to pursue degrees in finance, economics, or related fields than the national average for undergraduate females.

Arnerich Massena is proud to be 30% women-owned. Led by a Co-CEO team of both a man and woman, women make up 40% of the firm’s executive leadership, 20% of the company’s shareholders, and 40% of the firm’s advisory team. Arnerich Massena has been an outspoken thought leader on the importance of gender diversity in the investment advisory industry, and this sponsorship of RTSWS is in close alignment with the company’s efforts to encourage more women to embark on careers in financial services.