RENÉ NOURSE

Wanting to inspire others to succeed, René Nourse, CFP, became fascinated in becoming a stockbroker and realizing that you can learn to invest money and make a living without having to do physical labor. She began doing a lot of public speaking and enrolling people into retirement plans. She was intrigued by the field because growing up, she had never heard of it or noticed it ever being talked about. Obtaining a degree in psychology became useful when dealing with other people who are investing money. Since 2012, Ms. Nourse has been the founder, chief executive officer and financial planning professional of Urban Wealth Management in El Segundo, California, also serving as a guest commentator on CNBC in Los Angeles since 2013. She began her professional career as a financial advisor for Prudential Securities in 1993, remaining in this role for seven years before serving Morgan Stanley Smith Barney, LLC as a certified financial planner and vice president from 2000 to 2012.

Prior to the start of her career, Ms. Nourse pursued a formal education at Oberlin College in Ohio, where she attained a Bachelor of Arts in psychology in 1976. Much later, she became a certified financial planner in 2003. Since graduating, Ms. Nourse has been an advisory board member for the EmpowHer Institute since 2014, an organization focused on the eradication of the dropout epidemic among Los Angeles high school students, especially low-income, minority girls. Additionally, she has been the president of the board of directors for the Association of African American Financial Advisors since 2019. She also maintains involvement with AdviseHers.

Affiliated with numerous organizations related to her field including the Financial Planning Association, Ms. Nourse is the recipient of myriad honors and accolades throughout her career. She has been awarded the 5-Star Wealth Manager Award annually since 2014, and was named among the Women to Watch by Investment News and Los Angeles’ Most Influential Wealth Manager by the Los Angeles Business Journal. Ms. Nourse attributes her success to having people who are supportive of her. She has had excellent mentors, and mentors have been proven to be key in the industry for women and especially people of color. She is a hard worker and relentless in her pursuit of her goals. Understanding human psychology has also played a major role in forming relationships and trust for clients to work with her. Her personal motto is “Always keep the door open for the next ones to come.”

Ms. Nourse’s mother, Billie Stanley, was absolutely key in supporting her and showing her that she can be successful. Although her mother may not necessarily have wanted that path for her, she understood and told her to go for it. Moving forward, Ms. Nourse plans to continue to expand and continue to have a team of all-women financial planners. She also wants her team to be so well prepared that they will be able to turn over the business and continue its success after she has retired.