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Brian Pon, CFP®, EA
Brian is thrilled to work within Apella Wealth’s Bay Area team because the team functions like an ensemble. Unlike many financial firms, the professionals on our team do not compete with one another while maintaining separated silos of business. Rather, the entire staff supports our clients as a team.
Brian joined Financial Connections Group in 2000. The team became part of Apella Wealth in 2026, where he continues to serve clients as part of the Bay Area team. He is a fee-only Certified Financial Planner™ Professional and an IRS Enrolled Agent. Brian’s areas of expertise include: financial planning, investment management, tax planning, retirement planning, working with unmarried couples, and establishing and maintaining retirement plans for small businesses. Previously, Brian was a tax advisor at H&R Block from 1997 – 2000.
In 2020, Brian received the NAPFA (National Association of Personal Financial Advisors) Inspiring Leaders Award.
Since 2007, Brian has taught as an Adjunct Professor of Tax Planning at Golden Gate University in its Master of Science in Financial Planning Program. Previously, he trained tax preparers for the IRS’ VITA Program, from 2005 – 2016. He also led personal finance workshops for the nonprofit Consumer Credit Counseling Service of the East Bay (now a division of Money Management International) from 1997 – 2014.
Brian is a recovering engineer: He graduated from the University of California, Berkeley, with a degree in Engineering Physics. He later researched the effects of energy use on the environment at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory from 1991 – 2000.
Brian enjoys spending time with his family and is the Booster Co-President and videographer for his son’s high school concert, jazz, and marching bands.
Jill Hollander, MBA, CFP®
Jill believes financial planning is one of the few professions that can have a positive impact on a client and their family. She likes when clients are sanguine about their finances because we’ve helped them get organized, identified their current and future goals, and helped execute the steps to reach those goals.
Jill’s greatest satisfaction occurs when a client says thank you, you’ve really helped.
Jill, with her partners, Brian, and Kai, feel they’ve built a staff that shares their values and goals with our approach to serving clients and having a vested interest in their success.
Jill has earned several designations – the most important being a Certified Financial Planner™ Professional. She has also studied to become a Chartered Retirement Planning Counselor℠ and Accredited Domestic Partnership Advisor℠.
Jill began her career in the financial planning and investment management industry in 1993. Over the years, she has been:
- Recognized as one of 50 Distinguished Women nationwide by Wealth Manager Magazine for her work with women in the profession
- Named one of the 25 Top Independent Wealth Advisors in the Bay Area by the San Francisco Business Times
- First recipient of FPA San Francisco Chapter’s Pro Bono Award
- Past Chairperson of NAPFA West Region and was a member of the National Board
- Past member of TD Ameritrade National Advisors’ Panel
- Past conference chair for PridePlanners™, an organization to educate financial professionals in financial planning for LGBTQ and unmarried people
Jill has an MBA in Finance. She has more than 20 years of experience in cash management, corporate financial planning, and financial analysis at Wells Fargo Bank, Levi Strauss & Company, and GTE Sprint.
Jill has conducted seminars in financial planning and spending in retirement for UC Berkeley employees, adult education classes in Marin County and seminars in financial planning for LGBTQ and unmarried couples to other professional organizations.
She was a member of the College of Marin’s Financial Advisory Committee.
Jill’s wife, Bonnie, died December 19, 2024. They were together one month shy of 48 years. She is taking time to build a new life as a widow. Jill will continue to work part-time at Apella Wealth.
She continues to enjoy, as she did with Bonnie, baseball, ballet, and books. Jill started Tai Chi a couple of years ago. She joined OLLI (Osher Lifelong Learning Institute) through UC Berkeley and Dominican University to enjoy continuing education. Other classes she is investigating are golf, Spanish and knitting/crocheting.
Jenny Coffey Smith, MSAPM, CFP®
Jenny is enthusiastic about financial planning and sharing her experience with our clients and staff. She loves meeting people, hearing their stories, and helping them find practical solutions for the future. What she enjoys most about working with our team is the exchange of ideas among staff members so that we create better client experiences.
Jenny joined Financial Connections in 2013. The team became part of Apella Wealth in 2026, where she continues to serve clients as part of the Bay Area team. She is a fee-only Certified Financial Planner™ Professional and has a Master’s degree in Security Analysis and Portfolio Management. She also has a B.S. in Economics from Arizona State University and an M.S. from Creighton University.
Jenny joined the team after nine years with The Vanguard Group. Her various positions included: Client Relationship Manager, Retirement Advisor, and Investment Consultant for Ultra High Net Worth clients. Jenny was also an employee of Nestwise, a venture offering financial advice for the mass market.
Jenny is a member of the board of the Financial Planning Association of San Francisco.
Jenny is active in The Crossroads, an organization in San Francisco that helps homeless youth and young adults at their point of need. She is passionate about her daily runs on the beach.
Kim Wohler, CFP®, RSSA®
As a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER® professional and Registered Social Security Analyst®, Kim loves working with clients to help them map their financial future. Kim is proud of our team collaboration which always keeps our clients’ best interests in mind.
Kim obtained her CFP® designation in 2018. She joined the Financial Connections team in 2006 as our Operations Guru, Registered Tax Preparer and Financial Paraplanner. The team became part of Apella Wealth in 2026, where she continues to support clients as part of the Bay Area team.
Kim worked in accounting, benefit administration and property management. She earned her B.A. in English Literature with an emphasis in writing. Kim interned as a grant writer with the Bay Institute in Novato before graduating cum laude from Dominican University in San Rafael, California.
Kim is a fourth generation San Francisco native. In her spare time, she loves hiking the East Bay hills, waiting on her cats, watching old movies.
Flavia Kirz, MBA, CFP®
Flavia joined Financial Connections in 2020 to help Jill administer the business. As time passed, Flavia’s interest in financial planning grew. She completed the CFP program and passed the requirements to become a Certified Financial Planner™.
The team became part of Apella Wealth in 2026, where she now serves clients as a Financial Advisor.
Previously, Flavia worked for Citibank, Banco Safra and Safra National Bank of New York with executives to develop new products and services utilized worldwide by clients. She earned an MBA in Business Administration from the Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Economics from Catholic University of Rio De Janeiro.
After moving to Mill Valley to raise a family, Flavia became involved in supporting Marin’s public schools (becoming treasurer of the Mill Valley PTA Council, supporting arts in schools through her work at KIDDO). Flavia’s favorite thing is travelling with her husband and two sons.
Kai Bogdanovich
Kai initially joined Financial Connections in December 2014. After serving as Head of Operations, she left in 2022 to lead Data Strategy for a financial technology company. Fortunately for us, Kai returned in February 2024. The team became part of Apella Wealth in 2026, where she now serves as Associate Director of Data and Technology Strategy.
Kai has a master’s in computer science and previously held the Financial Paraplanner Qualified Professional designation. Before joining the team, Kai worked as an Assistant Branch Manager for Bank of America.
In her non-financial life, she worked as a photography and videography assistant. Kai earned her B.S. in Business Administration from San Francisco State University. Her master’s degree is from the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign.
Kai and her wife, Rachael, welcomed a baby daughter into their lives in 2023.
Danielle Bickel, FPQP™
Danielle wears multiple hats. You may talk to her regarding a form that needs completing or from the DocuSign envelope she sends to you. She also helps if you require an account distribution. She makes sure your accounts are in balance and trades are executed properly. She has an “eagle eye” and assists the financial planning group review plans before publication.
She is a Financial Paraplanner Qualified Professional.
Danielle previously worked in retail as a sales associate and administrative assistant. She has a bachelor’s degree in liberal studies from Sonoma State University.
Danielle enjoys cooking and baking for her friends and family. She loves trying new recipes and adding her own flair. She considers cookies and soups to be her specialties.
Our Bay Area offices — in Larkspur, Berkeley, and San Francisco — serve as hubs for personalized financial planning and investment management across the greater San Francisco Bay Area. With roots in Marin County dating back to 1994, our team brings more than three decades of experience helping individuals, couples, and families build a more secure financial future.
Our team takes the time to understand your values, your goals, and the life you envision — then works with you to build a financial plan that supports it. We take the time to understand your values, your goals, and the life you envision — then work with you to build a financial plan that supports it. As part of the Apella Wealth family, our Bay Area team combines deep local expertise with the resources of a national firm grounded in a fiduciary commitment to always put your interests first.
- Individuals and couples preparing for or navigating retirement — whether you’re envisioning your next chapter or already living it, we help you create a sustainable income strategy and a life with purpose.
- LGBTQ+ individuals, unmarried couples, and non-traditional families seeking financial planning that reflects your unique circumstances — from domestic partnerships and estate planning to family formation and legacy.
- Mid-career professionals seeking financial clarity — we help you make sense of workplace benefits, savings strategies, and the path from where you are to where you want to be.
- Families planning for education, legacy, and major life changes — from college funding to multigenerational wealth transfer, your plan should grow as your family does.
- Socially conscious investors who want their portfolios to reflect their values — our team has offered Socially Responsible Investing (SRI/ESG) as a core option since the 1990s.
- Small business owners looking to establish or manage retirement plans — including 401(k) design, fiduciary guidance, and employee education.
Financial Planning
Comprehensive, values-driven financial planning tailored to your life. We help you set and monitor financial goals, review risk management and insurance, optimize Social Security and pension benefits, plan your estate, and build a savings strategy that supports the future you envision. No two clients are alike — and no two plans should be, either.
Investment Management
Disciplined, long-term portfolio management built around your goals, risk tolerance, and time horizon. Our fiduciary, fee-only approach means we accept no commissions from the investments we recommend. Socially Responsible Investing (SRI/ESG) is available for clients who want their portfolios to reflect their values.
Retirement Planning
Retirement may span a third of your life — and it deserves a thoughtful plan. We help you assess your readiness, optimize Social Security, choose the right Medicare option, plan for long-term care, and build a reliable income strategy so you can retire with confidence and purpose.
Estate and Tax Planning Coordination
We coordinate with your CPAs and attorneys to ensure your financial, estate, and tax plans work together. From beneficiary designations to trust structures, our holistic approach covers the details that matter — so nothing falls through the cracks.
- Fiduciary, Fee-Only Advice — We always act in your best interest. We sell no products, accept no commissions, and receive no referral fees. Your plan is built on trust, not transactions.
- A Team-Based Approach — With a team-based approach, your primary advisor can leverage the expertise offered by a national firm to help you on your journey to fulfilling your goals.
- National Strength, Bay Area Roots — Our Larkspur, Berkeley, and San Francisco offices are backed by Apella Wealth’s national resources and nearly $10B in assets under management. You get the personal attention of a local team with the depth of a national firm.
- Inclusive and Values-Driven — We welcome all races, all religions, all countries of origin, all ages, all sexual orientations, and all identities. From pioneering LGBTQ+ financial planning to offering SRI/ESG portfolios, we believe your financial plan should reflect who you are.
We are inspired by the power we have to make a positive difference in the lives of our clients and their families, and consider it an honor when someone chooses to work with us.
Ready to take the next step? Connect with an advisor here or call us at (415) 924-1091.
