Elevating Purpose: Excelling in Mission-Driven Investment Management

Alice Finn, F88

Alice Finn, F88, thanks to early study abroad experiences, the influence of her father Alvan Finn, F75, and the many other members of her family who attended Tufts and Fletcher, developed a deep understanding of the importance of international relations and perspectives from a young age. 

With aspirations toward a career in international law, Alice enrolled in the joint JD-MALD program at Fletcher and Harvard Law. She loved meeting so many people at Fletcher from around the world, with their interesting backgrounds and history, and continues to appreciate the fact that the Fletcher community stretches to nearly every part of the globe. 

Her first job after Fletcher was in the office of the general counsel at NASA at a time when the international space station was being built and the concept of commercializing space was just starting. Alice considers her membership on the team that planted the seeds of space law to be one of the most interesting and powerful positions she has ever had, and credits Fletcher’s interdisciplinary approach in preparing her to understand the intersection of complicated things in a new field and to think outside of the box.

Alice’s Fletcher education also enabled a shift in her career to financial advisory services, helping her look at the world and understand investing from a global perspective, especially considering the ever-changing risks in global investing. Classes in international finance, international trade, and business helped prepare her to easily pass the Certified Financial Planner exam.

As the co-founder, CEO, and Chief Investment Officer of Ballentine, Finn and Company, Alice was featured as “The Giant” by Barron’s in their inaugural list of the Top 100 Independent Financial Advisers. Under her leadership the firm’s assets under advisement grew to $5 billion and it was named by Bloomberg as the #1 wealth management company.  

She now serves as the Founder and CEO of PowerHouse Assets, a mission-driven investment management firm that helps women become more engaged in their financial matters, and is the author of the book “Smart Women Love Money: 5 Simple, Life-Changing Rules of Investing” which has been recognized as one of the best books on investing and wealth management. 

Finn served on Fletcher’s Board of Advisors 2006-2023, encouraging the administration to make changes and foster women's leadership at Fletcher through actions such as placing more female professors on the tenure track, selecting more women for the Board, ensuring the presence of female speakers at campus events, and recognizing female Fletcher alums for their leadership in the public and private sectors with The Fletcher Women’s Leadership Award.