Our Team

The LearnVest team answers: “What’s the best money you’ve ever spent?”

• Alexa von Tobel

  CEO & Founder Purchasing the laptop that I started LearnVest with!

• John Gardner

  Chief Operations Officer & Chief Financial Officer Buying Apple stock five years ago.

Administrative

• Nancy Wheeler

  Office ManagerMy cello! I found it in a pawn shop and had it fixed up.

Business Development

• Karim Naraghi

  VP of Business DevelopmentPaying a street vendor $5 to serve my friend rotten shark meat (or hákarl) in a game of ‘I buy it, you eat it’ on the streets of Reykjavik, Iceland.

• Caitlin Strandberg

  Director of Business DevelopmentWeek-long vacation to learn how to kiteboard. It was a challenge, but now I have another excuse to travel to the world’s best beaches.

Content

• Carrie Sloan

  Editor in ChiefA dream trip to the Middle East. It was expensive, but we did “high-low” travel: A stay in a real-life Bedouin camp, followed by one night at a swish resort by the Dead Sea. The whole trip was unforgettable, in particular because it’s where—on top of a rock in the ancient ruins in Petra—I got engaged.

• Laura Shin

  Senior EditorJust hours after I returned from a trek in northern India, flash floods killed a thousand people in the town where I was staying. When I returned to New York, I held a fundraiser to help people in the region rebuild their homes.

• Allison Kade

  Deputy EditorDinner at a New York City restaurant I always wanted to try. It’s impossible to get a reservation there, but my friend and I managed to walk in and get a seat. Plus, we ordered off the pasta menu, so we had a delicious, memorable meal at a top-tier restaurant for a lot less than you’d think.

• Cheryl Lock

  Editor—LV MomsMy cat. She was my first one, and I’m generally a dog person, so it was a leap. Best money I ever spent, though—she’s fab.

• Libby Kane

  Staff Writer$25 on a tour of Westminster Abbey in London. We made friends with our verger, and he not only reserved us a front-row seat for Evensong, but let us sit in the seat the queen uses when she’s in the Abbey!

• Alden Wicker

  Assistant Editor and Social Media CoordinatorLasik surgery for my eyes. I’m going to save in the long run on contacts and glasses, not to mention it’s taken one very large hassle out of my life!

• Gabrielle Karol

  Assistant Managing EditorPaying for dance classes–it’s expensive, but it’s something I love to do.

Marketing

• Tiffany Cowley

  Creative Director & Marketing StrategyMy husband’s 30th birthday party. All of our friends came out and ate pounds and pounds of ribs. It was a great time!

Product & Design

• Ainslie Simmonds

  VP of Product and MarketingAnything involving making my kids smarter about the world (which includes taking some great trips).

• Debbie Wissel

  Director of Product Strategy & FunThe 25 cents I spent on a dragon poster in Malaysia: It was super cheap, but we put a nice frame on it and now it’s a magnificent addition to my living room!

• Jon Cowley

  Head of Product DesignMy xbox. It cost $400, but I use it all the time for movies and games. I love that they’re constantly pushing updates, so it’s only gotten more useful over time.

• Polly Ng

  Director of User ExperienceThe best money I ever spent was on a four-day tour of Bagan and Rangoon, Myanmar, where my mother is from.

• Aamir Basheer

  Director of Business Analytics$24/year for my subscription to TIME magazine. I love that it allows me to become just a little bit more aware about what’s going on in the world. Also, who doesn’t like getting something new in the mail every week?

• Annie Shapiro

  Product & Strategy AssociateSending my parents on a weekend getaway in the wine country for their 25th wedding anniversary. I found a great deal for the hotel on Jetsetter, and they had a fantastic time!

• Kristina Pyton

  Graphic DesignerMy plane ticket to New York! I moved here from Montréal a year ago.

• Michelle Chiang

  Junior Graphic DesignerI sleep on my memory foam pillow every night after a long day and never regret the purchase.

• Stephany Kirkpatrick

  Director of Financial PlanningThe best money I ever spent was on the photobooth at my wedding. Thanks to cocktails and costumes, we captured some priceless moments.

• Samantha Vient

  Financial Planner in ResidenceSafari in Kenya’s Masai Mara with my hubby. We stayed in this cool tent and had to be escorted around at night because of all of the hippos and crocodiles roaming the property. It was magical!

• Sophia Bera

  Financial Planner in Residence$200 to go to the Patara Elephant Farm in northern Thailand and be an “Elephant Owner for a Day.” It was an amazing experience, and I even got to see a one-week-old baby elephant!

• Brandie Farnam

  Financial Planner in ResidenceTuition for my CFP Education Courses! Besides the invaluable financial planning knowledge, it also gave me the credibility, direction, and extra confidence I needed to get to where I am today.

Sales

• Jacquelyn White

  VP of Advertising SalesI changed all of the light fixtures, face plates and door knobs in my apartment (which my husband and I rent). A small investment, but it makes a huge impact on how I feel about the space.

• Corey Laffel

  Digital Account ManagerHalloumi Cheese salad at Cafe Orlin in NYC—every single time I order it. I am obsessed …

Technology

• Hrishi Dixit

  Chief Technology OfficerMassive Attack concert in 2010, despite the bad acoustics at the venue. It was a sublime experience.

• Jeremy Brennan

  Director of UI/UX Technology In 2009 I raised money to donate to those in need in Kenya and went there to distributed the funds. I was able to see first hand that the money went to saving lives and fulfill a lifelong dream of volunteering overseas, it was a truly humbling experience.

• Kevin Connelly

  Sr. Enterprise ArchitectI once gave a friend some cash to help him move to another country. Supporting his dream was worth way more than having a few more dollars in my pocket.

• Cameron Sim

  Director of Technology AnalyticsMy first electric guitar at the age of 14…it has proven to be a consistent source of inspiration and personal expression over many years (when I have time to play it).

• Carolyn Norton

  Software DeveloperThe hair stylist on my wedding day–she did a beautiful job, and it looked great. It made the wedding pictures look even more awesome!

• Trevor Wilson

  Sr. Software DeveloperMy Polaroid Automatic 250 camera: For the $40 I paid for it on eBay, this smelly old camera has been a true workhorse and produces lovely, dreamy images.

• Grant Peters

  Software Developer$4 for the first cup of coffee I bought for the most special woman I’ve ever met.

• Tom Jacobs

  Software DeveloperCustom suit I bought in Taipei, Taiwan. Guys: There is nothing like a custom tailored suit to give you confidence.