Koren Vining, CFP, CRC, CSSCS

Koren Vining, CFP®, CRC®, CSSCS®
CEO & Founder, Financial Planner & Wealth Advisor

Koren spent over two decades in leadership with Cetera, including 16 years as Vice President in Denver coaching and training advisors across the firm. That experience clarified exactly what she wanted her own practice to look like — so she founded Ascend Planning Partners to focus on the work she cares about most: retirement income planning and tax strategy.

Ann Speer and Steve Sherman joined her early on, each bringing their own practice and full client base into the firm, so their clients could benefit from a genuine team approach rather than a single advisor working alone. Brandon Speer, Ann's son, joined the team after two years in the insurance industry.

Koren works with clients who want more than a portfolio review. She believes planning works best when clients feel comfortable being fully honest about their goals and concerns, and she builds every plan around what actually matters to them — not just the numbers.

Beyond Ascend, Koren is active in financial education: she regularly leads presentations and adult-education classes, and founded the Greenwood Village chapter of AFEA (American Financial Education Alliance), a 501(c)(3) nonprofit providing financial education to the community.

She lives in Denver with her two sons, and outside of work she's a devoted fan of football, music and theater.