Dr. Jasmine Ames, MBA

I attribute my success to my mom. I grew up in a household where I had a supportive single parent - my mom's disabled too, and we grew up with a lot of struggles, but she was always the person that instilled in me that I could be whatever I wanted to be. She would say, you know, you can be President of the United States, or you can be the neurosurgeon, or maybe you want to be the banker, or maybe you want to be a lawyer. She never said, oh, you need to do this, or pressured me. I mean, she pressured me with the grades, but she goes, as long as you finish, you know, I don't care what you do, like, I just want you to make sure you get your degree, and I ended up with three. But I was never limited. She never pressured me to do one thing. She just showed me how to kind of do everything, and so I think sometimes when I'm met with those people that want you to be specialized and sit in one lane, it's like, no, I wasn't raised that way. I'm not gonna be that way.

One of the best pieces of advice I’ve received from mentors is simple: there is no perfect time. That’s always stayed with me because when you’re thinking about making a move or stepping up in your career, it’s easy to question timing. Is this the right moment? Do I have too much on my plate? For me, that question is constant. I’m a primary caretaker for my mom, who is very ill, and I make sure I’m there for her appointments, support and ultimately make it priority to be there for it. It would be easy to say, “now isn’t the time.” But what I’ve learned is that growth rarely waits for convenience. Instead, it requires honesty, being open with the people who support and believe in you. I’ve been fortunate to have leaders who trust me, who know I’ll deliver, and who have helped create space for me to grow within the realities of my life. I also teach a graduate level leadership course, and one of the core principles I emphasize is building your own path. Not fitting into a predefined box, but creating something that reflects who you are. That advice has shaped my career in a profound way. Because the truth is, I don’t fit neatly into one role and I never have. It’s funny, I do have an official titles, but I’ve been in meetings where people say, “We don’t really know what Jasmine does… she just does everything.” And honestly? I like it that way. Because that’s where real value is created, at the intersections. And in many ways, that’s what makes you indispensable.

I would say, learn everything you can, and never feel like you’re too experienced or too accomplished to keep learning. Especially in finance, the strongest leaders I’ve seen are the ones who have worked across different roles and truly understand the business from multiple angles. Whether it’s underwriting, customer service, retail banking, investments, or corporate strategy, each perspective matters. Our industry can be very siloed, and that’s exactly why curiosity is such a powerful advantage. The more you understand how different pieces connect, the more effective and impactful you become. And that doesn’t just benefit your career. It makes you better for the people you serve, whether that’s clients, colleagues, or teams in functions like HR or marketing. So stay curious, stay humble, and never stop learning because that’s what will set you apart.

You know, there's a lot going on from a political space, and I think there are a lot of different players that weren't playing in the finance field, especially with private equity. Right now, I don't even really call it a challenge, I call it an opportunity. I think right now, more than anything, we have an opportunity to learn from each other, and we have an opportunity to look at some of the policies that exist in the finance industry and at the end of the day we can uncover the inefficiencies, which shows us there are plenty of ways to innovate and collaborate across sectors.

At the core of everything I do both personally and professionally

is a genuine care for people.

That’s what keeps me grounded. It’s what allows me to show up fully even on the days when I’m tired or carrying a lot. Because when you truly care, you stay focused on what matters.

For me, it’s never been just about a paycheck. If it were, I’d probably choose one path and do that one thing exceptionally well. But what drives me is the ability to show up in different ways, for different people, and make a meaningful impact. That sense of purpose, of truly caring, is what fuels everything I do.