Zenith Wealth Partners

Financial Planning Planning & Investment Managment

About Us

Our Story: Shaping Financial Futures

Where Proficiency Meets Integrity, Crafting Your Path to Financial Prosperity

I’m ready to reach new heights

Our Mission

Zenith Wealth Partners provides a flexible financial planning and investment management approach that inspires our clients to take financial action.

Our Story

Frustrated by the lack of accessible, high-quality financial education and advice, Zenith Wealth Partners was founded as an independent, fee-only, fiduciary investment management and financial planning firm. We create custom financial solutions for clients of all backgrounds. Zenith works with its clients to make smart financial decisions while fostering an optimal client experience.

Paired with our focus on clients is our desire to create an inclusive platform from which high-performing advisors can scale their own reach and impact. By strengthening the industry’s talent pipeline and creating a home for advisors who have been historically discriminated against, we believe we can have a positive ripple effect for decades to come.

We are a 100% minority-owned business on a mission to eliminate systemic wealth inequality by delivering accessible, objective advice that creates financial success for our clients.

Partners, Associations, & Press

ZENITH WEALTH PARTNERS

Press & Accolades

Meet Our Professionals

We pride ourselves on having the best, diverse team of Financial Planners and Investment professionals. Learn more about each team member by clicking on their picture below.

Jason Ray

Founder, Investment Director

Chelsea Ransom-Cooper, CFP®

Founding Partner, Financial Planning Director

Partheev Shah

Managing Partner, Strategy and Operations Director

Lucas Vining

Head of Private Markets

Raeonna Jefferson

Client Success Associate

Adrienne Davis, CPA, CFP®

Financial Planner

Fahmin Fardous, CFP®

Associate Planner

Marcus Coleman

Investment & Operations Analyst

Sarah Shields

Marketing Associate

Jerel Butler, CFP®

Financial Planner

Working at Zenith

Our company is growing and we are invested in bringing on new talent that can help us reach our company goals and provide expert service to our client base. If you are interested in working at Zenith Wealth Partners, check out our careers page to see our job openings.

Careers

Jason Ray

Founder & Investment Director

Jason founded Zenith Solutions to deliver accessible, high quality financial education and advice to individuals and institutions. His work is inspired by racial and age wealth inequality that exists in society.

Prior to founding Zenith, Jason helped renovate a longstanding independent wealth advisory firm, Carnegie Wealth Management, by building new technology, private placement structures, and research capabilities. He delivered investment advice and financial plans to families with a net worth upwards of $10M. Earlier in his career, Jason also gained extensive experience evaluating and creating solutions for financial advisors at Lincoln Financial and FS Investments.

Jason grew up in Michigan and holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Politics from Princeton University. At Princeton, Jason was an all-conference football player and league champion. Outside of Zenith, Jason serves on the boards of the Vetri Foundationand Cannon Dial Elm Foundation. He currently lives in Philadelphia with his wife Rukiya, daughter Juniper and dog Coco.

When you meet with Jason, make sure to ask him about his favorite places downtown to run, bike, and read in the park.

Chelsea Ransom-Cooper, CFP ®

Managing Partner, Financial Planning Director

Chelsea Ransom-Cooper partnered to create Zenith in 2020 and is the head of Wealth Management and Financial Planning. Prior to creating Zenith, Chelsea spent several years as a financial planner serving families with investment portfolios upwards of $2 million dollars. While working in an industry traditionally gate kept for wealthy retirees, Chelsea realized that she could help more diverse clientele make life-changing financial decisions before they reached retirement. 

At Zenith, Chelsea guides clients through their financial life by discussing the “why” behind each of their financial goals. She recognizes financial planning is a marathon, not a sprint, and through on-going relationships with her clients, she strategically develops financial plans that fit their present and future lifestyles.

Chelsea graduated from Syracuse University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Finance. She obtained her CFP from New York University (NYU). In addition, Chelsea was recognized as the Association of African American Financial Advisors (Quad A) 50 Under 50 financial professional in 2020 and 2022. She was also recognized by Investment News 40 Under 40, NerdWallet as one of the 9 Black Financial Influencers to Follow, and Financial Advisor Magazine as a Young Advisor to Watch in 2023.

When you meet with Chelsea, make sure to ask her about her frequent trips to Trinidad and her love for traveling

Partheev Shah

Managing Partner, Strategy and Operations Director

Partheev Shah joined Zenith in 2022 and oversees the Finance, Administration and Operations functions. Zenith represents a beautiful intersection of Partheev’s interest in supporting economic mobility for those who have been systematically oppressed and building a thriving enterprise centered on a strong mission.

Prior to joining Zenith, Partheev spent 15+ years scaling data-driven solutions as an investor and operator.  He specializes in supporting early-stage ventures with strategic planning, redesigning business models, new product launches, and talent management. Partheev started his career as a management consultant, advising higher education and healthcare institutions on a broad range of operational improvement and strategic planning opportunities.

Partheev earned his bachelor’s degree in business administration from the University of Michigan’s Stephen M. Ross School of Business. He serves on the Board of Directors for the Haverford Education Foundation where he also lives with his wife, Allison, and two young sons. 

When you meet with Partheev, make sure to ask him about his latest round of golf and coaching his son’s soccer team.

Lucas Vining

Head of Private Markets

Lucas Vining leads Zenith’s Business Advisory services working with startups at the intersection of finance and operations. He joined the Zenith team because he found a genuine passion for Zenith’s mission to make capital and other financial resources more accessible to underrepresented people.

While receiving a Bachelor of Science degree from George Washington University, Lucas founded and led a venture-backed biotechnology startup, Ichosia Biotechnology. In this role, Lucas met with dozens of VCs and became deeply familiar with the investing process and mindset. He also learned how to evaluate VC fit with his own company, considering factors including investment thesis alignment and cultural fit.

Lucas continued building his passion for entrepreneurship, expanding his belief in impact capital, by founding a nonprofit organization in Cambodia (where he was born), that sought to alleviate poverty for Cambodian farmers through the implementation of agricultural technologies. He then turned to the investment side, working at a southeast asian venture capital firm, Golden Gate Ventures, generated leads for prospective LPs and supported due diligence efforts in numerous tech, fintech, and SaaS startups.

Lucas is newly moved into the greater-Boston area, living with his girlfriend, Calista, and their new puppy, Keiko. In addition to keeping up with the latest tech and market news, Lucas is an avid runner and chess-player.

Raeonna Jefferson

Client Success Associate

Raeonna Jefferson joined Zenith in 2022 as a Client Success Associate. The mission of Zenith and the people that they represent is what attracted Raeonna to the company. Raeonna earned a bachelor of science degree in Accounting from Lehman College and is currently pursuing her CFP in order to invest her time back into communities she cares deeply about.

At Zenith, her role consists of managing client accounts and being a source of support for the financial planning and investment teams. She will be one of the first points of contact for all clients looking to connect with Zenith. Raeonna’s passion for client service has helped her to develop relationships with people from various backgrounds and is the perfect person to answer any questions.

When you meet with Raeonna, feel free to ask her about her love for cooking shows and the latest episode of Hell’s Kitchen.

Adrienne Davis

Financial Planner

Adrienne Davis joined Zenith in 2022 as a Financial Planner. Prior to joining Zenith, Adrienne spent several years as a financial advisor at a national broker-dealer serving individuals, families, and business owners. Before specializing in financial planning, Adrienne worked in public accounting, providing tax planning and compliance services to high net worth individuals and billion dollar companies. Adrienne realizes there is a need for her peers to see someone who is authentic and relatable, partnering in their financial journey. She is purposed with helping close the economic gaps among her community. 

At Zenith, Adrienne prioritizes helping her clients achieve financial wellness. She helps her clients identify personal finance goals, create budgets, invest intentionally, and plan for financial independence so they can live financially free.

Adrienne graduated from Howard University with a Bachelor of Business Administration degree in Accounting and a Master of Business Administration. She sits on the National CPA Financial Literacy Commission, leading the CPA profession in a national effort to advance the financial literacy of Americans.

When you meet with Adrienne, make sure to ask her about her love for fitness and her vinyl collection.

Fahmin Fardous

Associate Planner

Fahmin Fardous joined Zenith in 2022 as an Associate Planner. Prior to joining Zenith, Fahmin served as a Trust Advisor in the private client division of one of the nation’s largest banks, specializing in helping clients to implement financial plans, estate plans and charitable gifting strategies. Through that experience she recognized that the traditional wealth management model not only contributes to the wealth disparity, but further widens the wealth gap.

To best serve her clients Fahmin first seeks to understand one’s relationship with money. That relationship, especially for first-generation immigrants and minorities like herself, plays a pivotal role in designing and implementing a client’s goals and achieving their desired lifestyle. She firmly believes having an intentional financial plan is the best way to build generational wealth and sustain a legacy.

Fahmin graduated from Montclair State University with a BA in Political Science and minors in Public Administration and Business. To explore her love of understanding human behavior, she obtained her Master’s in Psychological Studies from Seton Hall University. Upon discovering financial planning as the perfect vehicle to understand people and make a positive impact in their lives, she was inspired to pursue and acquire her CFP.

She currently resides in New Jersey with her husband, Abdur and their two daughters, Inaaya and Eliana. When you meet Fahmin, make sure to ask about her most recent travel destination and the name of the newest book she’s reading! 

Marcus Coleman

Investment Operations Analyst

Marcus Coleman is an Investment Operations Analyst at Zenith Wealth Partners. In that capacity, he directs the day-to-day operations of Zenith’s centralized investment management function. He also ensures that all client accounts are actively managed, aligned with their stated investment objectives, and in compliance. In his previous role as Financial Advisor at Raymond James Financial Services, he assisted mass-affluent clients with cash management, retirement planning, and investment management.

Marcus joined Zenith to help address a problem he witnessed firsthand growing up, the lack of relatable advice for his friends and family.  As former D-1 collegiate student-athlete, the magnitude of the opportunity only expanded as he experienced the predatory practices of sports agents.  Marcus is drawn to Zenith’s commitment to serve as fiduciary and is passionate about working with current and former athletes.

Marcus graduated from the Martin J. Whitman School of Management at Syracuse University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Finance and Supply Chain Management. As a member of the Syracuse football team, Marcus earned a BIG EAST All-Academic Team Selection. Marcus holds several investment and insurance licenses, including the Series 7, 6, 63, and 65 licenses. He is a licensed Life, Accident, and Health insurance agent. He is also in the process of attaining the Certified Financial Planner designation. Outside of work, Marcus serves on the board of the NAACP Berkshire County Branch as Treasurer. Finally, Marcus was a 40 Under Forty award recipient for Berkshire County, MA.

When you meet Marcus, make sure to ask him about his love for running and the latest marathon he completed.

Sarah Shields

Marketing Associate

Sarah Shields is a Marketing Associate at Zenith Wealth Partners.

Sarah’s role consists of managing the Zenith social media accounts, aiding in media placement opportunities, and collaborating with each advisor for specific marketing materials. Sarah was drawn to Zenith because of their mission to eliminate systemic wealth inequality by delivering accessible financial advice to clients and being able to help share that knowledge to the Zenith community.

Sarah earned a bachelor of science degree in Business Administration with specializations in Marketing and Data Analytics from Mercy University.

When you meet with Sarah, feel free to ask her about her love for animals and her two rescued pets!

Jerel Butler, CFP®

Financial Planner

Jerel Butler is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ and merged his practice with Zenith Wealth Partners in 2023.

Prior to Zenith, Jerel founded Millennial Financial Solutions in 2016, a firm created to elevate young professionals and entrepreneurs on their journey to financial success. 

At Zenith, Jerel focuses on providing practical financial planning to young professionals, entrepreneurs and business owners. Jerel combines his financial planning acumen with real-world experiences to help clients comfortably strategize on building financial freedom. Jerel’s background makes him particularly skilled in tax planning, budget management, and business planning.

Jerel obtained the CFP® certification in 2019, the most trusted designation in the financial planner industry. Jerel holds a Bachelor of Science in finance from Southeastern Louisiana University, where he was a school record holder in track and field. and a Master of Business Administration from Clark Atlanta University. He was named to the Inaugural 40 under 40 list at Clark Atlanta University, and the Association of African American Advisors (Quad A) 50 under 50 list. He hails from New Orleans, LA, and currently resides there with his wife Allegra and daughter Parker.

When you meet with Jerel, be sure to ask him about his affinity for crawfish, his love for track and field and his travel hobbies.

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