Jennifer Tescher

Jennifer Tescher

Founder and Chief Executive Officer Financial Health Network
jtescher@finhealthnetwork.org

Jennifer Tescher founded the Financial Health Network in 2004, pioneering the movement to improve financial health for all. As CEO, Jennifer focuses on the long-term vision of the organization and financial health ecosystem, exploring new frontiers in financial health, influencing discussions among business and policy leaders, and expanding the movement’s shared impact. She plays a leading role in rallying business leaders to build a world where all people can thrive financially – especially the most vulnerable among us. 

An entrepreneur, innovator, and powerful voice for change, Jennifer has worked relentlessly over the last two decades to turn financial health from a niche concept to a national priority. Her efforts have galvanized a movement of financial services providers, employers, policymakers, and innovators fiercely committed to the financial well-being of those they serve. Under her leadership, the Financial Health Network has illuminated financial struggles and disparities, built a movement of nearly 500 organizations, and catalyzed a wave of new solutions – ultimately improving the lives of more than 200 million Americans. 

Jennifer drives the national discussion on financial health through frequent media and speaking engagements, including as the primary host of the EMERGE Everywhere podcast and as a columnist for Forbes. She is regularly quoted in the national and financial press, such as The New York Times, CNBC, NPR’s Marketplace, Fast Company, and American Banker. Prior to founding the Financial Health Network, she gained valuable experience collaborating across sectors, engaging with evidence, and shifting perspectives as a journalist for the Charlotte Observer and in the financial sector at ShoreBank.

A longtime Chicago resident, Jennifer earned a master’s degree in public policy from the University of Chicago. She also holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University. She currently serves as Vice Chair of Elevate and as a board member of FORWARD and Attune. She also serves as an advisory board member for several organizations, including the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, Bank of America, U.S. Bank, and the Chicago chapter of Facing History & Ourselves.

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In the wake of George Floyd’s murder, many large companies made commitments to advance equity. Nearly four years later, those commitments have largely faded away – despite the strong link between equity and business outcomes, innovation, and long-term value creation. How can we urge corporate America to make racial and economic equity a foundational part of their businesses, so that all of us can prosper? Listen to Jennifer’s conversation with Michael McAfee, President and CEO of PolicyLink, about the pivotal role of corporations in promoting inclusion and key steps for embedding equity into business standards.

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The last few years have given us a glimpse at technology’s vast potential to improve financial, physical, and mental well-being. Can it help us achieve financial health for all? Truly advancing equity through technology requires meaningfully investing in founders of color, women founders, and others who bring lived experience to tackle persistent disparities. Tune in to hear Nasir Qadree, Founder and Managing Partner of Zeal Capital Partners, share how Zeal is democratizing venture capital and what it will take to increase investment in underrepresented founders and markets.

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Is artificial intelligence the key to providing personalized financial advice for all? While companies like Credit Karma are tapping into AI’s vast potential to help customers manage their money, the technology also raises weighty questions about how to use it responsibly. In this episode, Credit Karma CEO Kenneth Lin speaks with Jennifer about how the company has embedded AI into its solutions, the biggest opportunities and challenges right now, and what an AI-enabled future might look like.

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Greg Cunningham | Rewiring How DEI Gets Done

Diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives across corporate America are facing a backlash from a growing chorus of voices. But as historically marginalized groups continue to fall further behind financially, creating a more equitable financial system has never been more urgent. So where do we go from here? Hear from Greg Cunningham, Senior Executive Vice President and Chief Diversity Officer for U.S. Bank, as he reflects on his own DEI journey and what it really takes to embed equity into business practices.

Reflecting on 20 Years of FinHealth

It’s been two decades since the Financial Health Network and a national movement to improve financial lives were founded. As we celebrate 20 years of creating financial change, what does the future hold? Listen in as longtime finhealth champions Ellen Seidman of the Urban Institute, Arjan Schütte of Core Innovation Capital, and Tilman Ehrbeck of Flourish Ventures reflect on our journey and what we can do next to make the biggest difference in financial health.

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Uniting for FinHealth: Building a Future of Equitable Systems

As we approach our 20 years of the movement, we reflect on the immense strides we have made thus far. However, the challenges we face are greater than any individual, team, company, or industry can solve alone. Come explore novel avenues of collaboration and the construction of equitable systems that cater to the requirements of those facing financial adversity.

Jennifer Tescher | Leaning Forward for FinHealth

The road to financial health for all is long, and Financial Health Network President & CEO Jennifer Tescher has been walking it for almost two decades. In that time, she’s learned that lasting change requires diverse ideas and voices. She started EMERGE Everywhere with that vision, and over the past year, she’s hosted finhealth visionaries making change across sectors. Listen to this special solo episode to hear Jen’s thoughts on the progress of financial health – and her hopes for the year ahead.