Team Citrine
Ryan S. Cole, CFP®
Founder, Chairman
Ryan began investing at the age of 18 while earning his degree in business and management of technology at Clarkson University. Through his studies and over 20 years of investment experience, Ryan became a firm believer in tax-efficient investing and low-cost portfolio management. His financial know-how eventually led him to be a resource for friends and family, and he quickly discovered his passion for helping others with financial planning and investing.
Previously, Ryan worked as a financial planner at Ameritas Investment Corporation where he earned his series 65 license. In 2014, he left Ameritas to found Cole Wealth Advisors, which evolved into Citrine Capital when Jirayr joined in 2016.
Ryan is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER® professional with a specialty in equity compensation, taxation, and financial independence. He currently serves as the Managing Director of Citrine Capital.
Born and raised in Philadelphia, Ryan has the pragmatism and objectivity of an East Coaster balanced by an easygoing, holistic attitude adopted from twelve years in the San Francisco Bay Area. Outside of work, he enjoys goofing around with his wife and four children, ice hockey, cycling, great food, craft beer, and lots of espresso.
Jirayr R. Kembikian, CFP®
Co-Founder, Managing Director
Jirayr Kembikian, CFP® is a wealth advisor, managing director, and co-founder of Citrine Capital. He specializes in navigating the complexities of equity compensation, private investments, and Bitcoin wealth strategies. With over a decade of experience guiding clients through liquidity events and complex financial decisions, Jirayr brings a grounded yet forward-thinking perspective to building and preserving wealth.
He began his career with one of the nation’s largest banks, where he witnessed firsthand the enduring impact of thoughtful financial planning. Before launching Citrine Capital, he was a financial planner at Ameritas Investment Corporation, where he helped hundreds of individuals, families, and small businesses design and implement plans to reach their goals.
Jirayr is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER® and holds a degree in finance from San Francisco State University. Born and raised in Marin County, he remains active in his community through board service and local organizations. Outside of work, he is passionate about mountain biking, hiking, photography, international travel, and staying active in the outdoors.
Samantha Mockford, CFP®, AFC®
Associate Wealth Advisor (she/her)
Sam studied economics at the University of California, Davis, then spent 14 years mentoring college students, spending 8 of those years overseas. Since joining Citrine, Sam has achieved the ACCREDITED FINANCIAL COUNSELOR® and CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER® certifications.
She’s developed a reputation as a friendly nerd who will cheerfully help anyone make a budget based on their values. Sometimes reality can be scary, but she believes a good financial planner should allay anxieties and get people excited about the future.
Sam lives with her husband and two sons in Sacramento, where she skis, swims on the local masters team, and finagles space on their small kitchen table for tabletop games and copious homemade baked sweets. Her happy place is her backyard, where she gardens and swings around on their ninja course.
Kiersten Peshek, CFP® (they/them)
Lead Wealth Advisor
Kiersten started their journey towards a financial planning career in 2018 after learning about the basics of personal finance and how that knowledge can be used to help folks flourish personally and financially. Having always wanted a career helping others, this sparked a passion to become a fee-only financial planner to provide their clients with the guidance and advice needed to reach personal and financial goals.
Prior to joining Citrine Capital, as a career changer, Kiersten had varied job experience in mortgage servicing, real estate appraisals, and as a tech professional.
Today, Kiersten is a Lead Wealth Advisor with Citrine Capital, where they serve as a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER® and Investment Advisor Representative (IAR) specializing in company equity, LGBTQ+ planning, and FIRE planning.
As someone with a passion for helping others, Kiersten also volunteers as a Financial Coach with Habitat for Humanity Atlanta and is on the FPA of Georgia’s DEI Committee for 2024 whose goal is to bring more diverse people into the financial planning profession by doing outreach on college campuses around Georgia.
Kiersten holds a degree in English and Spanish from Illinois State University as well as a Financial Planning Certificate from DePaul University. Born and raised in Illinois, Kiersten now lives in Columbus, Georgia with their husband and cute, black cat named Pounce. Kiersten is passionate about reading, yoga, baking, travel, supporting the LGBTQ+ community, and all things Financial Independence, Retire Early (FIRE).
Favorite books: The Lord of the Rings Trilogy, Sister Outsider, Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking, Work Optional, the Heartstopper series, and Laziness Does Not Exist.
Melanie Askey, MBA
Client Service Team Lead
Melanie is passionate about business strategy and thrives on creating streamlined, automated, and consistent processes that drive organizational efficiency. With an analytical mindset and a people-first approach, she brings balanced insight to every professional interaction.
A former collegiate soccer player at the University of Lynchburg, she earned multiple academic and athletic honors and later completed her MBA at Loyola University Maryland, including an international study tour in Chile.
Before joining Citrine, Melanie spent a decade at BGE HOME, advancing to Marketing Manager and leading integrated marketing strategy. She was selected for Exelon’s Emerging Leaders Program and later founded Askey Consulting, specializing in business and marketing strategy.
Outside of work, Melanie enjoys hiking with her favorite podcast or Taylor Swift song, reading, snacking on guacamole and corn chips, playing with her dog, or cheering on her children in sports.
Nick Loeffelman, CFP®
Lead Wealth Advisor
Nick began his financial planning journey through the University of Missouri’s CFP® Registered Financial Planning program. While in school, he participated in several financial planning events, including winning a comprehensive planning competition. Alongside his coursework, Nick co-owned and operated a small business in his community, which he successfully sold upon graduation before relocating to California.
He was drawn to financial planning for the way it combines the technical elements of finance with the opportunity to help families bring their goals to life. His expertise lies in guiding clients through the complexities of equity compensation and liquidity events and translating those into actionable strategies.
Before joining Citrine Capital, Nick began his professional career in mortgage banking, working closely with clients to identify the best solutions for their financial needs.
Growing up in a military family, Nick experienced life and culture around the world. He now lives in Huntington Beach, California, where he enjoys skiing, surfing, woodworking, and exploring nearby hiking trails.
Becca Reimnitz, CFP®
Paraplanner
Becca is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER® who holds a B.A. in Finance. Becca joins the team with over a decade of experience working in finance, marketing and operations. Prior to joining Citrine, Becca worked as a financial advisor at an investment advisory firm in the bay area.
Becca is passionate about empowering people to take control of their finances and live their best life. She values education and volunteers in her spare time through Advisors Give Back, and by teaching financial literacy in her community.
Becca is from upstate New York, and now lives in Mammoth Lakes, California with her husband Nick. Outside of work, she likes to spend time in the mountains - hiking, biking, backpacking, and skiing. She also enjoys time with friends and family, traveling, hosting dinner parties, listening to music, attending shows, and learning new tricks on the aerial hoop.
Comprehensive Wealth Management & Financial Planning Services
Wealth Management
Financial & Tax Planning
Equity Compensation & Startup Planning
Our Investment Philosophy
1) Embrace Market Pricing
Financial science has taught us that the market is an effective information-processing machine. Each day, the world equity markets process billions of dollars in trades between buyers and sellers - and the real-time information they bring helps set prices.
2) Don’t Try to Outguess the Market
The market’s pricing power works against stock pickers and market timers: Only 17% of US-domiciled funds beat their benchmarks over the past 20 years. In contrast, by using information in prices, 84% of Dimensional funds have beaten their benchmarks in that time.
3) Resist Chasing Past Performance
Some investors select funds based on their past returns. Yet, past performance offers little insight into a fund’s future returns. For example, most funds in the top 25% of previous five-year returns did not maintain a top-25% ranking in the following five years.
4) Let Markets Work for You
The financial markets have rewarded long-term investors. People expect a positive return on the capital they supply, and the stock and bond markets have provided growth of wealth that has more than offset inflation, as this chart of the past 50 years shows.
5) Target Higher Returns
Academic research into decades of stock and bond returns has identified long-term drivers of outperformance. By investing systematically in the areas with higher expected returns, you can aim to beat the market.
6) Diversify Internationally
Holding a globally diversified portfolio can broaden your opportunities beyond your home market - putting you in a better position to capture higher returns wherever they appear.
7) Avoid Market Timing
Research has shown there's no reliable way to time the market - targeting the best days to be invested or moving to the sidelines to avoid the worst days. It has also shown the impact of being out of the market even for a short time. Staying invested helps ensure you’re in position to capture long-term gains.
8) Manage Your Emotions
When markets go up and down, many people struggle to separate their emotions from investing. Reacting to current market conditions may lead to making poor investment decisions.
9) Look Beyond the Headlines
Daily market news and commentary can challenge your investment discipline. Some messages stir anxiety about the future, while others tempt you to chase the latest investment fad. When headlines unsettle you, consider the source - is it news or entertainment? Do yourself a favor and tune out the noise.
10) Control What You Can Control
Work with your financial advisor to stay focused on actions that add value. While you can’t control which way the market will turn, following time-tested principles can lead to a better investment experience.
Disclosures: Past performance is no guarantee of future results. Indices are not available for direct investment. Index performance does not reflect the expenses associated with the management of an actual portfolio.
Diversification does not eliminate the risk of market loss. There is no guarantee investment strategies will be successful. This information is for illustrative purposes only.
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Our Process
Our comprehensive approach to wealth management focuses on the four cornerstones that are essential to the creation and conservation of wealth: asset protection, cash flow optimization, asset growth, and tax mitigation.
