Teak Tree is a happy, collaborative, and close-knit workplace “family” with diverse backgrounds. Our team includes financial planners, portfolio managers, a social worker, a CPA, and a medical doctor. Service at Teak Tree means clients deal directly with everyone. Thus, in-depth partnering provides clients with the knowledge and comfort to make sound financial and personal decisions for the betterment of their future.

Once upon a time, Stephen paid his way through college as a full-time obituary writer (a sure way to foster accuracy). He earned a journalism degree from Texas Tech and spent 15 years in the newspaper business. He left his post as city editor of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram in early 2000 and fired up new brain cells in financial services.

At Teak Tree, Stephen oversees client service and is responsible for the firm’s financial planning for families. He earned his Certified Financial Planner (CFP^®) designation in 2003. He works alongside Adam to lead the firm’s investment committee.

Stephen is also the resident apple critic (Honeycrisps are the unsurpassed leader!). He can be found with a glass of water and cup of coffee within reach, and he frequently shows ineptitude in the kitchen. First and foremost, Stephen is a dedicated father and husband. He is a loyal friend and confidant, and a news and sports junkie. As much time as he spends on fantasy baseball, shouldn’t one trade work out?

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Adam is a natural entrepreneur and the brains behind the Teak Tree business model and success story. He once owned and operated a coffee house in Shawnee, Okla., while attending Oklahoma Baptist University on a tennis scholarship. Needless to say, his time was limited, so no doubt the caffeine got him through his lectures and lobs. Adam later moved to Fort Worth and earned his MBA from TCU.

At Teak Tree, Adam focuses his attention on domestic and international investment management, trading, and financial planning. He earned his Certified Financial Planner (CFP^®) designation in 2003. Adam’s regimented, daily routine includes a morning cappuccino, peanut butter crackers and bunny cookies at snack time, and a sandwich on his lunch plate.

Nowadays, Adam and wife Adrianne are proud, busy parents running a not-for-profit Uber service for their athletic children. In case that isn’t enough, Adam also serves on the Elder Board at Christ Chapel Bible Church. He serves daily as a mentor to many.

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Jimmy is the first Teak Tree employee born in the 1990s. Thus, he brings topics of discussion to the office beyond the usual aching joints and nighttime hot-tea routines. In short, Jimmy has significantly lowered the average employee age.

And, oh, almost forgot. Jimmy also provides a great deal of knowledge to Teak Tree’s clients. For one, he is a Microsoft Excel stud with analytical skills that produce pertinent results (and colors that make Stephen happy). He is a Certified Public Accountant (CPA), having worked the first two years out of college at Ernst & Young in Dallas. Since his time at Teak Tree, Jimmy has earned designations as a Certified Financial Planner^® and Chartered Special Needs Consultant^®. He works closely with Stephen and Adam on financial planning and client-related projects.

Jimmy is a proud Aggie. He received his bachelor’s in business administration and master’s in accounting at Texas A&M. While there, he met his wife Kaydee, an incredible stay-at-home mom for their young son and daughter. Together, they also parent a Goldendoodle with a penchant for photo-bombing, quirky habits, and an unwillingness to cooperate.

Chandler is the newest addition to Teak Tree, having started two months before his beloved Baylor Bears won the 2021 men’s basketball national championship. Chandler asked that this fact be included in the first sentence of his bio, despite opposition from Teak Tree’s TCU contingent.

Anyway, that squabble behind now, what’s important to note is that the average age among Teak Tree folks continues to decline. Chandler’s so young, in fact, that he is now the baby of the Teak Tree family. He has vaulted Jimmy to irrelevant status in the office.

Chandler likes to eat—a lot. But when he’s not depleting Teak Tree’s pantry and fridge, he can be found working closely with Stephen, Adam, and Jimmy on all aspects of financial planning and investment management. He was recognized as a Certified Financial Planner™ professional in 2023.

Chandler brings experience in the oil and gas industry to Teak Tree, having previously acquired mineral rights throughout the Permian Basin. He is married to his college sweetheart, Emory, and they had their first child, a daughter, in October 2021. Outside of work, Chandler serves as a mentor to high school students through an organization called KLIFE and serves as a Deacon at Christ Chapel Bible Church.

When Ingrid started at Teak Tree in 2011, she was entirely surrounded by men. By day, she managed Stephen, Adam, and Red. By night, it was her husband and three sons. So Ingrid was grateful and relieved when Valerie and Adrianne joined the treehouse, as it is called.

Ingrid is quite the stable force and cool head at home and work. She serves as Teak Tree's office manager; she works frequently alongside Fidelity Investments, Teak Tree’s custodian. Her attention to detail, ability to organize, and follow-through are critical to taking care of clients. Ingrid’s job is to help clients “find a way” rather than accept “no.” More often than not, she does.

Ingrid's blood runs deep maroon with a B.S. in biology and a M.S. in genetics from Aggieland. She is obsessed with gardening, her pets, and any ice cream flavor (but no nuts, please). She and husband Keith are now empty-nesters; two of their three sons are third-generation Aggies, while a third son took a wrong turn on I-35 and went north to OU. One son has since married to help even the gender playing field.

Valerie is responsible for stocking the Teak Tree kitchen with everyone’s favorites, a tougher job than you might think. She is the consummate caregiver, and in that spirit will assume that if a food item expires 5 days from now, it has already expired. Credit for that one-liner goes to the book Jewish as a Second Language.

When she’s not shopping for Teak Tree, Valerie serves as its Client Care Advocate. She is a master's level social worker, having specialized in care related to Alzheimer's disease, dementia, and other aging issues. Valerie helps clients and their families talk through difficult times and connect with appropriate resources during a transitional time of life. She will often be the first to answer the phone or greet clients in the office – part of her “job description” she enjoys the most!

Valerie and Stephen are now empty-nesters. Their daughter is a proud third-generation Longhorn graduate, following in mom’s footsteps at UT-Austin. Their son graduated in 2022 from TCU and now lives and works in Houston.

Doctors don’t always practice what they preach, entirely. Yes, Adrianne stays physically fit. Yes, she eats well. But, no, sleep will have to wait. She’s pretty much done without for the past 25 years. Fortunately for Teak Tree and our clients, Adrianne’s work is terrific whether sleep-deprived or not.

Adrianne, a TCU grad, completed her residency in OBGYN at Vanderbilt University before returning to Fort Worth. She worked in private practice for 16 years knowing full well that babies come at all hours. In January 2019, feeling that her children were growing up too fast, Adrianne retired and joined husband Adam at Teak Tree. Essentially, the kids needed a full-time driver and someone (not Adam) who can help with homework.

At Teak Tree, Adrianne assists Ingrid in all aspects of client service management. Of course, she picked up her new business and new language quickly. At the same time, she is enjoying a second career in medicine by serving as a professor and mentor in the new TCU School of Medicine.

Adrianne also enjoys exercising, gardening, and photography. Sleep can wait.

Red's true color is TCU purple. He was born in Fort Worth and, notwithstanding a few years of college in Austin, has always called Fort Worth home. In his younger years, Red was a jewelry designer for Goldstein Brothers Jewelers, a family-owned business. Nowadays, Red is a grandfather, father, husband, and animal lover; a teacher in his personal and professional life; and a worker bee volunteer.

At Teak Tree, Red specializes in equity selection, market research, and global securities strategies. He has a thirst for knowledge on global economics, politics, and religions. He also assists Teak Tree in compliance-related matters. Red began his career at Merrill Lynch in 1987, a way different time when a “low” fixed mortgage rate was 11%. He remained there until the creation of Teak Tree in April 2009.