About Us
We are a progressive financial consulting firm with a focus on mutual funds, insurance, and retirement planning.
Founded in 1997, Smart Investments™ is in its second generation, through family business succession planning.
Kelsey Smart followed in John Smart’s “financial advisor” footsteps, beginning her financial career in 2008. John is now retired and delighted to see the company continuing to evolve with Kelsey at the helm.
The Smart Investments Team
TEAM CULTURE
At Smart Investments, our mission is to eliminate barriers to accessing financial advice by creating an inclusive and safe space where everyone can thrive.
Every aspect of our business, from client interactions to hiring and teamwork, embraces JEDI, which stands for social justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion.
As a client, you can expect an emphasis on safety and inclusion, where we offer a supportive environment that will help you achieve lower stress in your financial security.
Creating a sense of belonging is important to us; we want you to feel like you can comfortably and authentically be YOU when you work with us. We will hold space for your experiences; we are invested in seeing you succeed, and will share in your joy when you do!
Our hiring and teamwork are similarly centered on JEDI principles (justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion). We are committed to seeking, hiring, and empowering diverse team members, and offering fair and generous compensation.
We believe that if a job is worth doing, then a living wage should be the bare minimum. If an employer is able to provide a thriving wage, that’s even better. We are aiming for thriving compensation and an anti-oppressive work environment. We encourage transparency, accountability, and integrity. We opt for a culture of coaching as opposed to a culture of managing. We invest in JEDI initiatives and learning opportunities, and all team members are invited to the table for less hierarchical decision-making.
The team here feels that if we can be part of a new way of doing business, perhaps we can generate ripple effects in other communities, other businesses, and society at large. If we can make our corner of the world a bit more equitable, who knows what else might follow?
We are so happy to have you here and look forward to getting to know you!
We recognize individuals' intersectionality and aim to welcome folks wholly. We put clients at ease in a more relaxed environment. We make financial advice accessible so that people—ALL people who wish to work with us—can feel safe, welcome, informed and financially secure now and into their future. We put details and jargon into "plain language", in terms that help our clients understand what to do with their money, minimize the stress that is often associated with finance, and feel good about the organization with whom they're placing their business.
“When I speak with Kelsey about my finances she meets me where I’m at and my interactions with her feel like trauma-informed financial advising. She is thoughtful and non-judgemental, and I never feel embarrassed asking the questions I need to ask in order to fully understand the world of finances, which would otherwise be foreign to me.”
— Jackie D
Testimonial
Get to know us
Kelsey (she/her)
Kelsey works with folks who want simplicity, clarity, and integrity in navigating the financial landscape. As a Queen's University alumnus with a bachelor's degree in Psychology, and part of the queer community, Kelsey is committed to leading an inclusive organization where people feel welcome and safe accessing financial services. Kelsey cares deeply about diversity and inclusion, anti-racism, intersectional feminism, accessibility, and social responsibility within capitalism.
Kelsey began her financial career in 2008 and joined Smart Investments in 2015, bringing the business into its second generation through succession planning with her father, John Smart.
Kelsey lives in North Vancouver with her 2 dogs, Arrow and Gabi. Her recent hobbies include paddleboarding and beginning to learn ASL. Kelsey has been known to occasionally rent an RV and hit the road with her furbabies. When you visit the office, you might just be enthusiastically greeted by Arrow (Gabi is more of an introvert).
“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it's the only thing that ever has.”
— Margaret Mead
JUSTYNE (she/THEY)
Justyne's career in finance was unexpected. Pleasantly surprised, she realized that finance did not necessarily have to be at odds with her values, as Smart Investments emphasizes social justice within their business model. Led by a passion for community care, she brings empathy and understanding to her work here, integrating her previous professional experience in wellness, environmental, and nonprofit sectors.
Having recently completed Professional Certification in Trauma of Money™, Justyne believes that healing our relationship with money can transform our overall health. She values networking with those who: value honest financial literacy; strive to make investing more inclusive; explore innovative ways of shifting paradigms, to invest in a better future.
As often as she can, she gets up the Sea-to-Sky Highway or over to one of the nearby islands with her golden retriever, Kaslo. You can often find her at the beach, taking a reformer Pilates class, or trying out a new recipe. She is currently pursuing certification as a gender-affirming postpartum doula, focused on reproductive justice and harm reduction.
“In our rapidly changing society we can count on only two things that will never change… the will to change and the fear of change. It is the will to change that motivates us to seek help. It is the fear of change that motivates us to resist the very help we seek.”
— Harriet Lerner
KATE (she/HER)
With lived experience as racialized individual, Kate was drawn to Smart Investments for its commitment to genuinely making financial advice accessible to anyone in the community.
Following a break in her career for family reasons, Kate has returned to being a dedicated administrative professional for the past several years. She is well known for her listening skills, empathy, and people-oriented approach alongside cultural sensitivities.
Kate has worked extensively in Geneva and Hong Kong for both private and not-for-profit organizations. Her experience includes administration, human resources, and communications.
Kate finds joy in cherishing moments with her loved ones—from enjoying a simple picnic in a park to cycling over Lions Gate Bridge.
"The single largest pool of untapped natural resources in this world is human good intentions that are never translated into actions.”
— Cindy Gallop
The Office Dogs
Arrow, Snack Supervisor
Arrow is committed to never letting anyone eat alone, and always offering to share whatever snacks are going around.
The friendliest, most outgoing doggo, Arrow is happy to greet clients who want some puppy time.
Arrow came to the team as a PADS puppy-in-training in 2015, but was released when he decided he didn’t want to be a service dog. He became a pet doggo and intended to help his Mumma, Kelsey, foster other dogs. Well, Arrow and Kelsey fell in love with their first foster pup and the family grew to include Gabi! 💖 🐾.
Arrow wants to note: “It’s (always) snack time!”
Gabi, Introvert Ambassador
Gabi came to the team as a “foster fail”, which means that Arrow and Kelsey intended to foster her, but ended up falling in love and welcoming Gabi to her furever family.
Gabi was inspired to join Smart Investments because she knows not everyone is as extroverted as Arrow. Gabi provides safety and security to the team, mainly by lying at her Mumma’s feet and carefully watching who comes and goes. She will say hello from afar, as she is a bit on the shy side! 🐶🐾
Gabi wants to say: “I empathize with the introverts, you’re safe with this team!”