RYAN KLIPPEL, CFP®

FINANCIAL PLANNER / Philanthropy specialist

Ryan was drawn to a financial services career by his belief that “capital can be a form of social good and drive innovation that benefits society as a whole.” He began working with Optas Co-founders Fritz Glasser and Meghan Railey at Wells Fargo Advisors in 2018 and received his CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ professional designation in April 2022.

At Optas, Ryan is dedicated to maintaining personalized financial plans and helping interested clients align their personal values and investments. He advises clients on charitable giving, working with them to develop a mission statement and perform due diligence on individual charities to prioritize causes and grants for philanthropic impact. Ryan is also passionate about socially responsible investing. To that end, Ryan was integral in developing Optas’s in-house Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) focused investment model from the ground up. The Optas Global Stewardship Portfolio empowers clients who care about climate change, human rights, corporate ethics, and human health & wellness to apply a sustainability lens to their investment portfolio.

A member of Phi Beta Kappa, Ryan graduated with highest honors from the University of California, Berkeley with a BA in Integrative Biology and minor in History. His original career trajectory from a young age was to become a veterinarian. As a student, one of his most transformative experiences involved interning with the Ventana Wildlife Society to reintroduce the California condor—a critically endangered bird species—back into the wild in California’s Big Sur region.  

Ryan is a Los Angeles native who spent five years in historical San Francisco before moving to Pacific Grove, CA to live with his partner, Nick, and their two Rhodesian Ridgebacks, Nala & Simba. In his free time, he enjoys backpacking along the Central California Coast, cooking dishes from around the world, travelling, and practicing Finnish Swedish.

Education:
BA, Integrative Biology, highest honors, University of California, Berkeley