Ryan joined Northwestern Mutual in 2000, first as an intern, then as a full-time advisor after graduating from college. He quickly worked to expand his knowledge by obtaining multiple designations, including the CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ designation. Ryan founded Ascend Wealth Management to deliver on our promise to be at the center of our clients' financial lives for generations to come.

Ryan is passionate about creating actionable solutions to complex challenges. He develops deeply rooted connections with our clients and finds purpose in our work, particularly when clients make remarks such as "we couldn't have done this without you."

In his personal life, Ryan grew up in Kansas City, MO, and attended Northwest Missouri State University, where he played football and double majored in Economics and Business Management. While at Northwest Ryan met his wife, Susie, and together they have two beautiful daughters, Clara and Cena. In Ryan's free time you can find him cycling, golfing, or watching his daughters at their dance recitals and competitions. He also enjoys a good nonfiction book and is always looking for a good book recommendation!

Katherine joined Northwestern Mutual upon graduating from The University of Kansas in 2009. Although her degree focused on corporate finance, Katherine found her way into the world of personal financial planning during an internship with another firm her Junior and Senior years. From then on she knew financial planning was the right direction for her and sought out a firm that always put its clients at the forefront. Katherine values both the personal relationships and connections that develop through financial planning along with the complexity and technical nature of the work. She enjoys the fact that there is always more to learn and new challenges to overcome. Katherine has worn many hats within the firm over the years and has obtained multiple designations.

Katherine and her husband, along with their three daughters, spend a lot of their time outdoors enjoying all that nature has to offer. They love to travel, particularly to the beach and the mountains, and stay busy with their two dogs.