Kaitlyn Carlson

Kaitlyn Carlson ’13 is the founder and CEO of Theory Planning Partners, a boutique wealth creation firm serving top female entrepreneurs across the United States.

Prior to launching her firm, Kaitlyn began her career in asset management with Putnam Investments before spending the majority of her corporate career with UBS Financial Services, Inc. Operating across the Southern and Northeastern regions of the U.S., she developed over 300 comprehensive financial plans for clients with assets ranging from $500,000 to $1 billion. She subsequently served as an advisor on a private wealth management team overseeing more than $600 million for prominent families.

Kaitlyn earned her Bachelor of Arts in psychology from Amherst College. She holds professional designations as a Certified Financial Planner, Certified Exit Planning Advisor, and Accredited Wealth Management Advisor.

Outside of her wealth advisement practice, Kaitlyn is a spiritual seeker ravenous for understanding why we are here and how to build a meaningful life. She is a certified yoga teacher who enjoys staying active, reading, traveling, and trying new restaurants in the Boston area. She lives in Marblehead, Massachusetts, with her husband, Jake, their three children, Russell, Luke, and Grace, and their affectionate dog, Bacchus.

How do you use your liberal arts education in the work you do today?

To think creatively about imagining a new way of doing things. I have been a trailblazer in my industry, both in terms of whom I chose to serve and how I chose to be compensated. I built my company as a response to everything I didn’t see in wealth management: (1) business owners who were properly prepared for financial freedom/retirement; and (2) women. Because I had practiced getting in touch with my own perspective through all of the writing I did at Amherst, I was able to distill my thesis on the industry and how I wanted to change it. It was also an Amherst alum (Walter Donovan ’85) who gave me my first opportunity in finance and who inspired me to change the compensation model. He said, “Tell me how someone gets paid, and I’ll tell you how they act.” That always stuck with me and motivated me to create a new model that allowed us to act in the best interest of our clients. This required me to be brave and resolute, but it has really paid off!

What impact do you hope to have through your career?

When I worked in private wealth, I served over 300 clients, and not one of them was a self-made woman. By the end of my career, I hope that statistic becomes 50% men/50% women. I am on a mission to get more wealth into the hands of women. Women naturally invest in their communities. Society will be a healthier place when women have an equal say in how it’s run. Fortunately and unfortunately, most of that influence boils down to money.