Today we’d like to introduce you to Priya Malani.
Hi Priya, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
I started my career on Wall Street, working with ultra-high-net-worth clients who had more money than they had time to think about. Over the years, I kept noticing the same gap: my friends, smart, ambitious, high-earning 30somethings, were making real money, but no one was helping them use it wisely. They weren’t “rich enough” for traditional private wealth firms but were far beyond the basic advice floating around the internet.
Stash Wealth was born out of that frustration. I wanted to build the financial firm I wished existed when I started making six figures: modern, judgment-free, and tailored to people who actually want to enjoy their lives now while building wealth for later.
I left Wall Street, launched Stash Wealth, and we’ve since helped thousands of HENRYs [High Earners, Not Rich Yet] get their financial lives organized, optimized, and aligned with the future they want. The mission has always been the same: make smart money feel accessible, not overwhelming.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Not even close – but I think that’s true for anyone building something that goes against the grain. When I launched Stash Wealth, the idea of a financial firm built for six-figure young professionals (instead of retirees) was basically unheard of. The industry didn’t take our audience seriously. They assumed 30-somethings “didn’t have money.” I knew that wasn’t true – they just didn’t have access to advice that spoke their language.
One of the biggest challenges was unlearning everything traditional finance teaches you – the jargon, the gatekeeping, the assumption that people need to “come back when they have more money.” I had to rebuild the entire client experience from scratch – how we explain concepts, how we price, how we deliver advice, even how we talk to people. That took years of iteration.
Another hurdle was scale. In the early days, I was the advisor, the tech support, the marketer, the everything. Building a team that shared my obsession with making money feel accessible (without dumbing it down) was a long, messy, incredibly rewarding process.
And of course, entrepreneurship comes with the usual turbulence: hiring the wrong people, burnout, fundraising challenges, months where you’re certain you’ve broken something you can’t fix. But every time the road felt bumpy, it clarified the mission – young professionals deserve real financial planning, not generic advice or out-dated narratives from an older generation of advisors.
Looking back, the struggles were the signal. They pushed us toward what Stash Wealth has become – a firm that meets people where they are, speaks human, and helps them build a life they’re actually excited about.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
At Stash Wealth, the “creative work” isn’t painting-on-canvas. It’s taking the messiness of people’s financial lives and turning it into something clear, confident, and actually usable. Our clients are high-earning 30-somethings who were never taught how to build wealth, and we’ve built a process that finally makes the money side of life feel approachable, modern, and, dare I say, kind of fun.
My specialty (and honestly, my obsession) is taking the complexity of finance and translating it into plain English. No jargon. No shame. No “you should’ve known this by now.” That’s the part our clients latch onto first. That they feel seen and understood, not judged or lectured.
If there’s anything I’m most proud of, it’s that we’ve managed to build a brand that feels nothing like the traditional financial industry. Stash Wealth is bold, honest, warm, and refreshingly direct and that tone has become our signature. It attracts people who want to feel in control of their financial life without having to become an expert themselves.
What sets us apart is that we don’t just run the numbers. We help people design a life they’re excited about and then build the money strategy to match it. It’s part financial planning, part coaching, part therapy, and a lot of education. And when clients walk away saying, “I finally get this” or “it makes sense now,” that’s the part that feels the most rewarding.
What was your favorite childhood memory?
It’s tough to pick just one. Growing up first-gen, a lot of my “favorite” childhood memories are really a collection of summers spent in India (Bombay) with my grandparents, cousins, aunts, and uncles. It was loud, chaotic, warm, and full – life happening all around you at once. Those trips grounded me. They gave me a deep sense of belonging and shaped so much of who I am today.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.stashwealth.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/itspriyamalani/?hl=en
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/StashWealth/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/priyamalani/
- Twitter: https://x.com/StashWealth/status/1299014857694621698
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/StashWealth?themeRefresh=1
- Other: https://www.stashwealth.com/podcast
