When SI Los Angeles started to search for a new investment manager for our accounts, we were referred to Jennifer Embler at Ameriprise Financial because one of her fields of interest is women’s empowerment. When Jennifer was introduced to Soroptimists, she immediately knew she wanted to become a member! How perfect is that?

Jennifer grew up in Hacienda Heights and attended Los Altos High School. She played basketball in high school and in college at UC Santa Barbara. She also played flute in her high school orchestra, saxophone in the jazz band, and tuba in the marching band – which landed her in London during the summer of 1992 playing in the Royal Tournament.

Unlike her Mom, Dad, and one younger brother – all engineers! – Jennifer graduated with a major in business economics and political science thinking she was going to be a lawyer, until someone suggested she’d be a great financial planner.  Now she has been 25 years in the business and has all the right certifications and training. And she has had experience with various firms, so she knows she is where she wants to be at Ameriprise, where she’s been for 5½ years. 

And she’s meeting her personal goals:  In 2019 she bought a house in Redondo Beach for her and her 14-year-old daughter, Stevie (who’s named after Jennifer’s Dad who died when she was 12.) Just last October, she bought her own Ameriprise franchise which gives her extra control and benefits from her work. And she’s able to work from home since 99% of her meetings are on Zoom, letting her be the stay-at-home mom she wants to be for Stevie. 

In her free time, she plays bridge every other Wednesday (so far there have been no conflicts with SILA meetings!), she’s a team mom for volleyball, and she belongs to both a networking group and a spiritual group which rounds out her life.

We all know busy professional women make wonderful Soroptimists! Welcome, Jennifer.