Ivy Hall is a dynamic force in DEI for economic empowerment and mobility, whose boundless energy and passion for addressing the nation’s wealth gap have made her a leading influencer within the field. With over 15 years of finance experience, Ivy is on a mission to bridge the gap in access to capital for diverse business owners, dismantling lending barriers and creating opportunities for underrepresented communities. A 2023 Watson Institute Truist Fellow and Executive MBA candidate at Georgia Tech’s Scheller School of Business, Ivy champions innovative strategies to disrupt the Racial Wealth Gap in America. Her dynamic speaking engagements on financial literacy, funding, investments, and insurance inspire audiences nationwide, driven by her infectious enthusiasm and unwavering commitment to multi-generational wealth creation. Ivy’s motto, “together, we can create a world where everyone has the opportunity to thrive economically,” encapsulates her vision for a more inclusive and equitable future.
Q: The finance world has been a historically white and male-dominated field. What does it mean to be a Woman of Color in this industry?
A: Honestly, it means everything to me. The perspective that I bring to my workspace and the ideas and the strategies that I think of are something that can help many different demographics, because I went to an HBCU. The great thing about my perspective, as well as my career track, is that I have a lot of range. I’ve been in all types of communities.
Not only has banking and lending typically been a male-dominated industry, it’s also been something that unfortunately has ties to systemic racism, Jim Crow laws and things like that. So when you look at the credit system and accessing capital, a lot of those systems were put in place by white males. Perhaps when those things were put into place, they were only looking at it from their perspective. I’m really empowered to be able to bring product strategies and ideas from a perspective of thinking about it in an inclusive and dynamic lens. I feel like a part of what I’m doing is truly walking in my calling. I’m starting to leverage the diverse perspective and the diverse lens that I have, along with my skill set and the educational background to create things that can help everyone have access to capital. I really love what I do and feel very, very blessed.
Q: Did you have any mentorships to help guide you along your way?
A: I did not have a lot of professional people in my direct circle; that was something that I actually had to cultivate. My dad has actually always been in sales so I was always able to get ideas from my dad, as well as my brother. I did have some family that I could talk to, which was very beneficial because it was a trusted space where I could really express myself in whatever capacity I felt I needed to win. There’s also been some research essentially saying that women, particularly Women of Color, are oftentimes the least mentored and least cultivated at work.
I actually used my lack of mentorship as a way to motivate myself. One thing I personally tried to be very intentional about is actively helping, actively educating and actively talking to other women across different industries, not just within my industry. I know that mentorships for Women of Color is something that’s very necessary. That’s the light bulb I’m trying to cultivate. I’m trying to shine and make sure that people are more aware.
Q: What would you say is the biggest dream you have for your career?
A: Right now, my biggest dream is to address the generational wealth gap within our nation. For the next 11 or 12 years, that’s the work that I will be doing. Unfortunately, specifically for African Americans, our gap is actually widening. We’re making more money than we’ve made before. We own more businesses than we’ve ever owned before. I know that that is an educational opportunity. We’re just not properly using our resources to accumulate wealth. A big part of what I want to do is help a million people who want to purchase a home start to actively take steps to save more money. If I can help more women be more strategic with their finances and let them know that they need a financial planner and not wait to have a husband or something like that to really take their own financial destiny seriously, that’s my biggest goal and overarching dreams are associated with. I want my legacy to be built around that type of work. The message is, I really want women to be financially empowered for themselves first.
Q: What do you consider to be your superpower?
A: My superpower is probably the power of intention, prayer and maybe the power of communication. I really think communication is like a form of prayer so they probably go hand in hand. As a woman I have gone through some things and to see me not give up on myself and not give up on my dreams and still never letting go of what my vision for myself is, is the power of thought. Sometimes life will try to knock you down and cause you to forget who you are. I think the biggest superpower that we can all have is just really going back to ourselves and remembering how awesome each and every one of us are. Remembering that we all have a call or something bigger and better inside of us that can be literally anything. Knowing that no matter what’s happened, I’m going to still be who I am.
I would also say with communication, the ability to talk and speak up for myself and others is special; the ability to talk to God about the things that I want or the things that I need to change. To see those things come into my life is definitely a superpower and I thank God every single day.
Q: If you could give your younger self one piece of advice what would it be?
A: Invest. Invest. Invest. That’s what I would tell myself. Invest in yourself and in business.
To stay connected to Ivy Hall:
- Instagram: @ivyb_financiallyfree
