The independent broker/distributor continues to cultivate creative entrepreneurship by providing financial support and fostering financial literacy to young creatives in Ferguson, Missouri.
Holbrook, NY –News Direct– American Portfolios Financial Services, Inc.
U.S. Portfolios Financial Services, Inc. (AP) – an independent broker/trader that provides services and support to finance professionals across the United States – hosted an orientation for a new cohort of creative residents to participate in the Creation residency AP for LIFEa financial education program that benefits creative entrepreneurs based in Ferguson, Missouri, as part of the LIFE Creative STL Ecosystem. The American Portfolios Foundation, the nonprofit arm of AP, recently renewed program funding with a two-year commitment through 2024. This will be the second group of creatives, the first of which started in 2020, to benefit from a leading, seasoned financial services firm committed to corporate social responsibility (CSR).
The September 7 orientation and meetup brought together five creative associates at Life STL and five investment professionals affiliated with AP to coordinate their schedules for regular business and financial planning discussions around their creative entrepreneurial and personal pursuits. Working closely with AP’s financial mentors over the course of 24 months, the AP For Life Creative Residency grants these talented artists a small investment account and a monthly stipend, providing them with funding, mentorship and guidance. indispensable financial resources to inevitably serve as models. and leaders within their community.
“They say if you save a life, you save the world,” says AP CEO and Chairman Lon T. Dolber. “With mentoring and financial literacy programs like AP for Life, designed to walk in the shoes of someone whose life we may not fully understand, through direct and active engagement, I truly believe we we are in a unique position as independent financial professionals and entrepreneurs of our craft to shape society in a way that empowers people to better their lives and the communities in which they live.”
Creative residents for 2022-2024 have made inroads by establishing themselves in their designated mediums and disciplines. Residents include: Sonca Nguyen, Writer, Producer and Engineer, is currently Co-Founder and Head of Artist Management at Crush Records Collective, as Playlist Curator and Writer for Crowdsurfer Magazine, is Associate Engineer and Podcast Director at The GreenHouse Recording Co. in Brooklyn, New York, and functions as both assistant manager and staff engineer at Shock City Studios in Saint Louis, Missouri; Christopher Johnson Mobley, writer and artist, juggles a number of active pursuits as a writer, artist and author; Natalia Parr, a digital design and marketing brand developer, is the founder of Parr Creative Agency; Jack Pordea – an artist, writer and producer – is currently Outreach Manager for Crush Records Collective, where he is also a songwriter and signed artist; and Sonnie Nguyen, director and producer, is currently working on directing and producing.
“The Life Creative STL ecosystem is beyond excited to once again partner with the American Portfolios family in an effort to provide resources, experiences, and mentorship to underrepresented creatives,” says Owens. “What we’ve accomplished together in the first two years of this journey initiative is just a glimpse of what’s possible when creatives and businesses come together for the betterment of the community.”
AP for LIFE addresses several fundamental social challenges for young creatives, including, but not limited to, lack of financial support and wealth generation; scarcity of labor opportunities; and pathways for creative entrepreneurs to leverage their platforms to identify and successfully meet the needs of their community. Alayna Epps, a 2020 resident, says of her involvement in the program, “The stipend and the savings account helped me finish my bachelor’s degree debt-free. After being laid off from my job due to COVID, AP for Life allowed me to stay in school to complete my first goal of achieving my music degree so I could still start my masters in music therapy on time. . In addition, AP for Life allowed me to pay my fees, which was especially valuable given the lack of loans available in the first semester of my master’s program. »
Donna LaScala, RFC®, CDFA®, Program Mentor, says, “For the past two plus years I have been involved with Life Creative Group, I have had the pleasure of helping [creative resident] Malena Smith is embarking on a financial literacy journey. As a mentor, giving him the canvas, the paints and the brushes under the guise of financial knowledge, allowing him to create his own artistic vision, was extremely rewarding. Attending the culmination of his dream with the recording of his first album in Memphis at the Royal Studios was the icing on the cake! I am so excited to see what happens next and to be able to continue the mentoring experience with my new mentee Sonca Nguyen.
Smith, who is currently Director of Human Resources for Life Creative Group, said: “I am so excited about the renewal of [what is now] PA for LIFE More! The collaboration between Life Creative Group and American Portfolios for this initiative is incredibly special and positively unique. The friendship that I have personally built with Donna through this program continues to be so beneficial to my development as a person and brand at this point in my life. I am incredibly grateful and thrilled that a whole new cohort of creatives from Life Creative Group will be able to experience this same level of friendship with their new AP Financial Advisors over the next two years. I’m sure this is just the beginning!
American Portfolios is excited to continue its partnership with Life Creative STL and support current and future creative cohorts in their creative learning activities in entrepreneurship and financial literacy.
About US wallets
Based in Holbrook, New York, American Portfolios Financial Services, Inc. (APFS) is an independent, full-service broker/dealer and member firm of FINRA and SIPC, offering a full range of financial services, including financial planning and personal retirement, securities trading, mutual funds, access to investment research, long-term care planning, insurance products and tax-free investing. Fee-based asset management is offered through its sister subsidiary, American Portfolios Advisors, Inc., (APA), an SEC-registered investment adviser. Both entities, along with the technology entity American Portfolios Advisory Solutions, LLC, currently reside under the legal entity American Portfolios Holdings, Inc. (APH). Full-service securities brokerage is available through a clearing house relationship with Pershing, LLC, a BNY Mellon company, whose securities are held on a fully disclosed basis. The firm supports independent investment professionals, including registered assistants and unregistered associates, nationwide.
American Portfolios has numerous recognitions from a number of industry publications and organizations. Such recognition includes: several Broker-Dealer of the Year* (Division III) wins thanks to Investment Advisor magazine; various ThinkAdvisor LIGHTING** price; several finalists and prizes won by WealthManagement.com Industry Awards in several categories***; Corporate Citizen of the Year by Long Island Business News; several top locations as one of Top Companies work for in New York State by the New York State Society for Human Resources Management (NYS-SHRM) and the Best Companies Group (BCG); and one of Long Island’s Best Workplaces.
*Based on a survey of Registered Representatives conducted by Investment Advisor magazine. The best rated brokers/dealers by their representatives receive the “Broker/Dealer (B/D) of the Year” award.
**ThinkAdvisor LUMINAIRES are selected by a distinguished and diverse jury from across the advisory industry, as well as the Investment Advisor editorial team.
*** Wealthmanagement.com Industry Award finalists are selected by an independent judging panel of industry subject matter experts. Reward is based on support provided to AP Affiliates and does not reflect public customers or their account performance.
About American Portfolio Foundation, Inc.
American Portfolios Foundation, Inc. (APF), a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that was originally formed in New York in 2004 and amended in 2018 and headquartered in Holbrook, New York, is designed as a non-profit organization designed to advance awareness, assistance and support for charitable causes. Board members include AP CEO Lon T. Dolber, chairman; AP Administrative Director Dalchand Laljit, Vice President; and AP Chief Financial Officer Damon Joyner, Treasurer/Secretary. In addition, various roles are held by PA headquarters staff. The Board meets quarterly to discuss its existing relationships with various charities and to determine the direction of various upcoming initiatives that will require the services and support of the Foundation.
About LIFE Creative STL
The Life Creative STL was founded in 2016 by Grammy-nominated artist, producer and community influencer Brian Owens. It started with a desire to use the creative economy, culture and commerce as a way to nurture young creatives and provide artistic resources, opportunities, mentorship and positive experiences to help underfunded creatives. to develop the qualities and skills they need to live up to their God. -given potential. The organization believes that through leadership skills and the discipline of the arts, young creatives in St. Louis can be a driving force, shaping the change we all so desperately want to see happen.
Contact details
Melissa Grappone, senior vice president of Mktg. & Corp. Com.
+1 631-439-4600
See the source version on newsdirect.com: https://newsdirect.com/news/american-portfolios-welcomes-new-group-of-young-talent-to-participate-in-the-ap-for-life-creative-residency-875686589