Jennifer Tescher
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.
