Westmont Women's Leadership Council
7th Annual Luncheon
Attendees helped raised two $10,000K scholarship awards.
On January 19, 2024, a sold-out audience of local community leaders, professionals and alums enjoyed an inspiring event at Westmont College in support of students. Table and ticket sales went to student scholarships for women who need financial support while pursuing educational and vocational preparation. The event raised enough to award two $10,000 scholarships.
At the event, held in the Global Leadership Center, Westmont recognized Chris Emmons with the Westmont Lady Leslie Ridley-Tree Spirit of Santa Barbara Award. The award recognizes people who exemplify the life and spirit of Lady Ridley-Tree, whose generosity touched the lives of many people and organizations throughout the local community.
Natalie Taylor, a Certified Financial PlannerTM and Behavioral Financial AdvisorTM, encouraged attendees to define their personal values and to have the courage to follow those values, even when it seems counterintuitive.
Our Speaker: Natalie Taylor
Natalie Taylor is a Certified Financial PlannerTM and Behavioral Financial AdvisorTM who is focused on helping people make great decisions with their money and build financial resilience. She draws on close to 20 years of comprehensive financial planning experience, 10 years in fintech, and a decade of professional speaking to share advice that works in real life, not just on paper. After eight years in private practice working with pre-retirees, Natalie joined LearnVest, a fintech startup on a mission to make financial planning affordable and accessible to the masses, where she helped build a first-of-its-kind digitally forward financial advisory firm which grew to over 14,000 clients in 6 years. She continues to consult for companies like SoFi, Ellevest, LearnLux and Monarch Money, and serves as a company advisor for companies she’s passionate about in the fintech space. More recently, while continuing her work in fintech, Natalie launched her own financial planning firm where she helps mid-career tech professionals with young families and equity compensation. H
2024 Lady Leslie Ridley-Tree Spirit of Santa Barbara Award
For exemplifying the life and spirit of Lady Ridley-Tree whose generosity made a profound impact on Westmont College and touched the lives of many in the Santa Barbara community.
"It is what you give of yourself that makes all the difference." Lady Ridley-Tree
Our awardee: Christine Emmons
Chris Emmons has over 35 years of experience in the corporate world. In her early career, she hosted the television program “Insider’s Alert” and the radio show “Wall Street Week in Review.” She was also a vice president of PaineWebber. Ms. Emmons is currently a director of Emmons Capital Investments and the president of two LLCs in Hawaii where she manages and develops real estate assets. She is the co-developer and owner of a luxury boat charter company on the East Coast and is also a former pilot. Ms. Emmons has been involved with Santa Barbara’s art, music, and education nonprofits for over 30 years. She serves on the board of the Community Arts Music Association and is chair of CAMA’s International Circle. She is the founding chair and emeritus board member of the Westmont Ridley-Tree Museum of Art and is a founding board member of Social Skills America (The Key Class). Ms. Emmons has helped establish art centers at Laguna Blanca School and Marymount of Santa Barbara. She also currently serves as the board secretary and trustee for the Florence Academy of Art. Ms. Emmons also serves on the Board of Trustees of the Mosher Foundation.
Since 2015, Westmont has invited business owners, entrepreneurs, and community leaders from the local area to attend the luncheon that focuses on celebrating women and educating, enriching, and empowering them.
The event is sponsored by the Women’s Leadership Council, chaired by Denice Fellows, former chair of the Westmont Foundation. The council amplifies the work of the foundation by specifically partnering with women who are established in business and industry, providing mentorship and scholarships to Westmont’s female students.
Read about next year's luncheon here.
Read about the prior luncheon here.