Who We Are
Nerd Nation brings deep and diverse financial expertise to the tech sector. Backed by decades of experience and credentials, we take a team-based approach to provide a fully integrated experience from initial planning and coordinating to delegation and follow through. We go the extra mile and beyond the numbers, so you can let go of the day-to-day management of financial planning.
PRIVATE WEALTH ADVISORS
Chris Andrews CFP®, ChFC®, RICP®, WMCP®, CLU®
Private Wealth Advisor
I started my business with Northwestern Mutual in 2007, following my uncle and my grandfather as a 3rd-generation Northwestern Mutual advisor. This was hardly a "straight shot" from earning my undergraduate degree at Stanford in Classics/Ancient History or my 3-year stint in healthcare consulting in San Francisco, but I fell in love with building long-term client relationships, actively helping people feel confident and optimistic around their finances, and the entrepreneurial challenge of building my own firm.
Following the tremendous growth of the tech industry, real estate, and the cost of living in the Bay Area, the need for personalized and tailored financial planning has never been higher. Clients want help figuring out "How much house can we afford?" and "How realistic is it to retire in 2020 rather than 2030?". They want help planning around a volatile stock market and finding better ways to be tax-efficient. They want help deciphering the financial universe and framing financial decisions to make them simple and actionable.
I've built my team to help me provide that expert guidance to clients each step of the way. I help every client understand what's possible for themselves and their families, and our thoughtful follow-up and team-based approach makes it easy to implement recommendations and stay on track. We endeavor to make financial planning an ongoing process and a relationship rather than an event, and we love setting clients on a higher trajectory toward their most important goals.
Outside of work, I married my college sweetheart (Erinn), and we bought our home in Menlo Park in 2010. Our daughter (Izzy) joined the family in 2011, followed by her brother (Ashton) in 2013, and finally our labradoodle (Nugget) in 2018.
We love biking to Stanford tailgates, traveling abroad as much as possible, wine-tasting and camping on long weekends, and enjoying the close-knit feeling of our neighborhood in The Willows.
David started with Northwestern Mutual in September, 1978, after receiving an AB in Economics from UC Berkeley. He has held various positions throughout his 43+ year career, including sales, Home Office executive leadership, Managing Partner in San Jose from 1985-1993, and continuing as a Private Wealth Advisor in Murphys, CA since 1993.
He holds Series 7 and Series 63 investment licenses, as well as the Chartered Life Underwriter (CLU), Chartered Financial Consultant (ChFC), and Certificate in Long Term Care (CLTC) designations.
He resides in Murphys, CA with his wife Gloria; he is the father of two adult daughters Jessica Bowman of Murphys, and Lindsay Gray of Moraga, CA.
“How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of those
who bring good news, who proclaim peace.”
Isaiah 52:7
Rick Kalb CLTC®
Private Wealth Advisor
Rick Kalb attended Syracuse University and has been with Northwestern Mutual since 1983. Rick works with clients throughout the United States, with his business primarily in the Bay Area and Sacramento. His office is in Nevada County, an area that represents a small, and ever-growing portion of his business. Rick has been an avid cyclist since 2002. Rick is an active board member of Hospice of the Foothills, the 49er Rotary Club, Sierra Express Bicycle Team and the Gold Country Estate Planning Council.
Joey started his career with Northwestern Mutual in 2017 as a Financial Representative, and he joined Nerd Nation Financial in January of 2018 as an Associate Financial Representative. Joey received his BA in Advertising from The University Of San Francisco in May of 2017, doubling as a Division 1 student athlete on the Dons men’s baseball team as well. He works with clients to clarify their goals, design their financial plans, and implement recommendations to achieve financial security and success. Joey has a passion for all sports but particularly baseball, golf, and snowboarding.
Joey holds the California Life and Health insurance license, Series 6, Series 63, and Series 7 investment licenses.
Contact Joey for inquiries regarding your overall financial planning.
PRIVATE WEALTH PLANNING AND CLIENT SUPPORT TEAM
Jone Lee CFA®, MBA, CFP®, CLU®
Director of Private Wealth Planning
Jone joined Nerd Nation Financial in 2015 as an Associate Financial Representative after graduating with an MBA from San Francisco State University in 2014. During his graduate studies, Jone worked as an Investment Research Intern at Lighthaven Capital Management - a local hedge fund. Jone also worked as a licensed personal banker at JP Morgan Chase and as a service associate at Citibank before starting his MBA program. Jone is our Director of Investment and Planning on the team specializing in investment/portfolio management, planning with clients, and managing our client service process. When he’s not in the office, he enjoys going to the gym, reading, playing poker, and snowboarding.
Jone holds the California Life and Health insurance license, Series 7, and Series 66 investment licenses.
Contact Jone for inquiries regarding your investment accounts or overall planning.
Tatum joined Nerd Nation Financial in June of 2021 following her graduation from Santa Clara University with a BA in Finance and a minor in Real Estate. As a Planning Associate, she works with our team to create financial plans, as well as helping clients to execute and implement our recommendations.
Tatum is originally from Phoenix, Arizona. When she’s not in the office, she enjoys traveling, scuba diving, hanging out with her friends, and going on walks around the city.
Tatum holds the California Life and Health insurance license, SIE, Series 6, Series 63, and Series 7 investment licenses.
Contact Tatum for inquiries regarding your financial planning.
Karen Wallace joined Northwestern Mutual in 2012 and works with Rick Kalb in Nevada City, CA. She is licensed in Life, Disability and Long-Term Care insurance. While working with Rick she ensures that every client receives high quality care and attention. Karen specializes in client services and support from the start of the planning process and throughout the client’s Northwestern Mutual experience. Karen spends her spare time as a scholarship coordinator and school board member, gardening on her 2 ½ acre property, spending time with friends and family, wine tasting, traveling, and cooking with her husband David.
Ashley joined Northwestern Mutual in 2014, and she worked as an Associate Financial Representative and the Technology Coach for the San Francisco office through 2017. Ashley received her BS in Digital Marketing from Bellevue University in May of 2017 and joined Nerd Nation Financial in October of that year. As the Director of Operations, she manages the operations of our team, including human resources, client appreciation events, branding, and more.
Ashley took a 6-month sabbatical in 2021 to teach English in South Korea and continues to work on her Korean (and Japanese) for future visits. In addition to traveling, she enjoys spending quality time with friends and family, reading, and watching sci-fi movies.
Ashley holds the California Life and Health insurance license.
Anna joined Northwestern Mutual in 2001 and has worked as an Associate Financial Representative for numerous agents over her career. As the Insurance Coordinator for Nerd Nation Financial, she manages the insurance application process for our team, and servicing our clients once their policies have been established.
Anna enjoys being able to share the knowledge she has gained over the years when clients come to her with questions about their contracts. Outside of the office, Anna enjoys spending time with her twins, cooking, reading, travel, and trying new restaurants.
Anna holds a California Life and Health insurance license.
Contact Anna for inquiries and service regarding your insurance policies.