Advertise on podcast: Fiftyfaces Focus 2025 Pride Special

Andrew Baker is the founder of Financial Haus, a financial advisory firm “for millennials” based in San Diego, CA. He has spent his whole career providing financial advice. His current client base consists predominantly of private sector employees within 15 years of retirement, government and state employees, medical professionals, the LGBT community, and young professionals seeking proactive financial strategies.Our conversation starts in rural Pennsylvania, where Andrew grew up but quickly realized he did not wish to build his career, and we speak about how how he found the calling of financial advisory work and the satisfaction that he derives from it.We turn to the importance of authenticity in the workplace and how realizing that he needed to be true to himself enabled Andrew to give his best to his clients.

Michael Camuñez is President and CEO of Monarch Global Strategies, a binational advisory firm providing C-suite strategic counsel on cross-border growth, government engagement, supply chains, and geopolitical risk across the United States, Mexico, and North America. He is also Chair of PRISM: The Association of LGBTQ+ Corporate Directors. He writes a Substack called North of Ordinary where he writes about leadership, identity, and the institutions that shape our common life. Drawing on experience across public service, business, and civil society, he explores how leaders steward institutions in an unsettled age. Bloomberg named him one of the 100 most influential Latinos in the world in 2022, and in 2025 the National Association of Corporate Directors recognized him as one of the Top 100 Corporate Directors.   Our conversation tracks Michael’s extraordinary career, from his childhood, through his legal career, his time in the Obama administration and his views on board roles and the importance of diversity. We speak in detail about his recent speech on The Case for LGBTQ Representation in the Board Room – and its key takeaways?   ·      Homogeneity breeds overconfidence; but dissent produces wisdom. ·      In short, LGBTQ leaders make boards stronger not because of who we love, but because of whatwe’ve learned: how to listen, how to lead, and how to live authentically in a world that too often rewards conformity ·      The Courage Recession and the Return of Silence   Michael continues to reflect on the state of diversity and inclusion in the boardroom and corporate America today.  HIs recent essay on the topic is available here: https://open.substack.com/pub/michaelccamunez/p/an-unimaginable-life?r=13hev&utm_medium=ios

Stuart Armstrong has had a 40 plus year career as a lead advisor with Centinel Financial Group and is based in Massachusetts. He graduated from Allegheny College in Meadville, Pennsylvania with a degree in Biology. Stuart has obtained various industry designations and certifications, and served a three-year term from 2013 through 2015 on the National Board of Directors for the Financial Planning Association (FPA), the largest organized body of financial planners in the United States. He currently serves on the Mass Audubon Advisory Council.Our conversation charts his entry into a financial advisory career, the backdrop that prevailed in the financial world at that time, and his early work with the LGBTQ+ client community. He then shares some of is personal journey being HIV positive and the mindset that enabled him to withstand the stress and anxiety that the illness caused. He has recently been conducting multiple reflections on his career and what it has meant to serve the LGBT community throughout and the value he has sought to add.

Jessica Hartley is a talent strategy and experience executive at J P MorganChase, and she describes herself as “obsessed” with the experience ecosystem. She is the host of the Hustle, Grind, Shine and Reignite podcast and formerly held various strategy roles. She dentifies as bisexual. Our conversation traces Jessica's journey from an ally, describes here sisters's amazing experience as a trans advocate, and explains what it is to be obsessed with "experience"  We describe then how Jessica transitioned from being an ally to an ally plus a member of the LGBT community and how inclusive and affirming her work environment is and has always been. We speak about the importance of leadership and showing up as a leader and how that trumps lip service every time.

Allison Schmidt a CFP professional and CPA at Higgins & Schmidt Wealth Strategies, which she co-founded with Steven Higgins in 2010. She is based in Denver. Allie works with a select group of individuals and families to create customized tax-efficient financial strategies. Most recently, Allie was recognized in 2026 by Forbes as a Top Women Wealth Advisors: Best-In-State and in 2025 by AdvisorHub as a 100 Women Advisors to Watch**.  Allie is a member of LPL Financial's Advisor Inclusion Council and serves on the leadership team for LPL's Women & Pride Business Communities.  Originally from Kankakee, IL, Allie graduated from Butler University in Indianapolis, where she was a member of the Butler Bulldogs women’s basketball team. March Madness is a very big deal in the Schmidt household.Our conversation starts with an empowering childhood in a household that didn't believe in limits for the four daughters of the family. Allie then describes her first forays into financial advisory work after college - and how being good at taking instructions led to her developing good business development and sales skills. Now as a financial planner she describes how she tailors advice to her individual clients and brings a climate of inclusion to the workplace.

We continue our 2026 Pride Series with this discussion with Nick Wolny who is a managing editor of branded content at Ziff Davis, where he oversees partner content for CNET, PCMag, Mashable, ZDNET, Lifehacker, and ExtremeTech. He is the finance columnist for Out magazine and the author of Money Proud: The Queer Guide to Generate Wealth, Slay Debt, and Build Good Habits to Secure Your Future, which published with HarperCollins in December 2025 and was recommended by The New York Times. Our conversation starts with Nick’s upbringing in rural Illinois and his mastery of the French Horn, which didn’t ultimately present a viable career path. His rural roots also drove him to seek excitement in a larger city and he found himself drawn to journalism, and eventually writing on financial topics.  We discuss how his finance column turned into an idea for a book and how his “voice” evolved in the book Money Proud to combine some playfulness with what is ultimately a serious topic – financial literacy, managing debt sensibly and thriving through saving and savvy planning.

Audrey Coulthurst is the Founder and CEO of RIA Pitchworks. She has had a long career in investment management in product management and writer roles.  She is also a critically acclaimed young adult author of the Of Fire and Stars series and Starworld (co-authored with Paula Garner).Our conversation traces Audrey's roots in music and the arts and how she channelled her writing skills in the finance industry in the end. We discuss the art of writing and storytelling and the challenges that AI presents. We discuss coming out in the professional world and how inclusion can still be elusive.Audrey ends with a call to action around being curious and accepting as a path to connection with our fellow humans and as a way to foster our own authenticity.

We are thrilled to be releasing our sixth ever pride series, and are pleased to be back this year with a strong bench of compelling stories with a strong financial planning thread. We feature storytellers of every kind - from Audrey Coulthurst, young adult author and financial storyteller with RIA Pitchworks, who reminds us to stay curious. We also hear from Nick Wolny, financial columnist of Out Magazine and recent author of the book Money Proud: The Queer Guide to Generate Wealth, Slay Debt, and Build Good Habits to Secure Your Future, which was published by HarperCollins in December 2025. Moving to the domain of pure financial advice we hear from Allie Schmidt co-founder of a financial planning firm in Colorado about her investment beliefs and the role that playing basketball in college played in teaching her grit and teamwork. Andrew Baker of Financial Haus in San Diego discusses his client-centered approach and how his own authenticity generates trust and empowers clients to let their own individuality shine. Stuart Armstrong then reflects on his 40+ year career in financial advice serving the LGBT community among other groups, and reflects openly on his own HIV diagnosis and how he carried this through his life. Shifting gears to client experiences and curating engagement, Jessica Hartley shares and enthusiastic tale of allyship and then her own coming out story, all while being supported in the best possible way by leaders who showed up at the right time.  We end then with a tour de force by Michael Camuñez who is Chair of PRISM: The Association of LGBTQ+ Corporate Directors. He shares the story of his fascinating career, which involved time in the Obama administration and why he feels so passionately about the need to include diversity and LGBT members in particular on corporate boards. His reflections on this topic, which mention themes such as the "courage recession" and the "return of silence" are poignant and thought-provoking, as is this whole series.Please enjoy, and Happy Pride Month 2026.

Matt Cameron is the CEO of LGBT Great and a member of theboard of directors at the Diversity Project. This podcast is beingreleased as a bonus add-on to the Pride Series 2025, as part ofour support of Pride 365, an important initiative supported byLGBT Great.Our conversation starts with Matt’s upbringing and hisextraordinary work ethic from a very young age – we hear aboutthe common thread of working with people that led to his careerstart in recruitment sales.His compelling interest in inclusion led to him spotting an openingin the market for LGBT great, which he founded in 2019. Indiscussing why inclusion is more important now than ever hementions the impact of current policies – such as the loss ofpsychological safety at work, stalled career progression andperceived corporate abandonment. He notes that transgendercolleagues are feeling this in particular today. In terms of settingthe tone as leaders he sets out a template for action – wherebyleaders should listen actively and create space for honestdialogue (e.g. through running 10-minute “Pulse Listening Circles”each month), reaffirm commitment with visible, values-led actionand embed inclusion into their talent and business strategy.We end with some compelling calls to action from Pride365 to theneed to start with values - fairness, dignity, and respect and “it’snot about ticking boxes. It’s about unlocking potential.”Like LGBT Great Fiftyfaces Productions is committed to Pride365. Thank you to Tom Soto and Latimer Partners for supportingour 2025 Pride Series.

In this podcast Nathan Richardson is speaking on his own behalf and not on behalf of Grindr, on whose board of directors he sits. Nathan Richardson has been a member of the board of directors of Grindr since November 2022. He is a partner at Joffre Capital, a private equity firm and the co-Founder of Trading Ticket, Inc., a financial technology company, and served as its Chief Executive Officer, prior to which he held a series of roles in financial services and industry. He is now based in London.  Our conversation takes a tour through Nathan’s career, and his international exposure which was rich including a stint in the Peace Corps in Africa, and a glittering international career which spanned many countries and cultures. We turn to his time as a founder in Fintech, and what brought him to the Grindr board. We compare the work that Grindr is doing to raise awareness so some of the work Nathan did in the peace corps to spread sexual health awarness.  We move then to discuss the importance of LGBTQ+ inclusion in the professional workplace and the challenges faced by the community at this moment in time as initiatives are rolled back and rights are not advancing. Thank you to Tom Soto and Latimer Partners LLC for sponsoring our 2025 Pride Series.

Claire William is CEO of Oasis Domestic Abuse Service, and has spent most of her career in the charity sector. We got to know eachother over LinkedIN when I responded to her popular LinkedIN post about Lesbian visibility week, in which she described her life with her partner and their six children and the changing climate and political backdrop.   Our conversation is a warm and engaging trip through Claire’s life and career, one in which the charity sector plays a key role. We start with Claire’s childhood where she grew up in a council estate in a seaside town. We hear about her overriding drive to work and find her independence and trace her steps through various parts of the charity sector including charities committed to alleviating homelessness and now domestic abuse. We discuss the root of our first meeting – the Linked In post that started it all, and discuss why lesbian visibility is still an important issue and deserves its own dedicated week. We discuss Claire’s own coming out story, her experience of being included at work in different environments and the full life she leads now. We end with a discussion of the rewards that come from seeing people succeed and the advice that Claire would have for her younger self.  Thank you to Tom Soto and Latimer Partners LLC for supporting production costs of this Pride Series of 2025.

Meghan Stabler was until recently a fractional CMO at ThriveCart, and a member of the board of directors of Grindr since May 2022. She has had a series of marketing and strategy roles over the course of her career and is a keynote speaker on a range of topics.  Given Meghan’s expertise, we dive deep into marketing and branding as a discipline – speak about finding the voice of a brand and channeling the energy of a generation. Turning to her personal story Meghan describes her experience as a transgender woman – and the fact that when she decided to transition she experienced significant sacrifice, but that she didn’t see herself as having a choice.  We compare her experience transitioning in her mid-adulthood to what might be the case for younger people or people at different stages of their career – especially those who may be less well-established. We discuss the impact on children and on families, and on the importance of allyship.  Ending with her work on Grindr, we discuss her experience in technology, mobile app development, and marketing, and benefits the board and the focus that Grindr has. We discuss the importance of authenticity at every stage of one’s journey, and how it is so important to “be oneself”.  Thank you to Tom Soto and Latimer Partners LLC for supporting production costs of this series.

Rob Smith is Founder and CEO of the Phluid Project, a brand that recognizes the shifting attitude of Gen Z and young Millennials, merging fashion with community and education. He has served on boards for over a decade, and currently serves on the Board of Directors for Steve Madden, following a career in marketing in which he held a series of executive roles. He chairs the development committee for the LGBTA+ Board Directors, is a TEDX speaker and is currently working on his first book.   Our conversation charts Rob’s career in fashion and how he found acceptance within this community as well as a keen sense for the ability for fashion to bridge the generational gap and tap into shifting psyches in markets. We talk about his work on boards and in the Phluid project, and what it stands for as well as why the current marketing campaign talks about Pride being a March and not a Parade. We move then to discuss the importance of role models at every stage of career progression.    Thank you to Tom Soto and Latimer Partners LLC for supporting production costs of this series.

Taryn Talley is a marketer with over 20 years of experience, who is currently Head of Marketing at an agency Position 2. She has had numerous marketing roles across the digital and traditional spectrum.    Our sweeping conversation takes us through Taryn’s upbringing and her career in marketing, as well as her experience in transitioning in her 20s and coming out on social media and mid-career and how this was received by her co-workers. We hear about inclusive and less inclusive environments, and about the power of allyship can make a tremendous difference in one’s career experience.    Staying on marketing we speak about inclusion and the power of marketing to embrace marginalized communities through intentional inclusion. We stress the importance of action over words.    We turn then to Taryn’s roots and her spirituality and in the particular the guidance she had from a spiritual guru, which taught her that her validity should come from within, and not from any external validation.    Thank you to Tom Soto and Latimer Partners LLC for supporting production costs of this series.

Luigi Lewin is Senior Vice President and Head of Partnerships at GLAAD. He formerly spent 25 years on Wall Street where he worked in a series of roles in sales, relationship management, operations and business development, until he left to move to the non-profit sector. GLAAD is the largest and most visible non-profit advancing LGBTQ+ acceptance. Our conversation starts with Luigi's upbringing in New York City and how he developed an early interest in giving back through volunteering and local community involvement. We hear then about his journey to Wall Street, starting at Morgan Stanley in fixed income operations, and his international experience working in Japan, Hong Kong, Italy, and London. Luigi recounts his experience of not being out on Wall Street and the challenges of hiding his identity, including the term "covering." We move then to his decision to leave Wall Street and join the non-profit sector and we talk about GLAAD and its work in promoting visibility and representation, particularly in media, and the impact of seeing characters and personal experiences reflected in film and television.As for advice as to creating an inclusive work environment Luigi emphasizes the importance of leaning in with empathy and building relationships based on trust and mutual respect.Thank you to Tom Soto and Latimer Partners LLC for supporting production costs of this series.