Jennifer Risher is an author, speaker, philanthropist, and investor on a mission to move money out of the taboo category and help us have much-needed conversations. Her book, “We Need to Talk: A Memoir About Wealth” explores the impact of wealth on identity and relationships. In sharing her story, Jennifer aims to validate the emotional complexities of money and help those with wealth move out of guilt, shame, or a desire to keep money hidden and into meaning, joy, and purpose.
Jennifer was born in Seattle, Washington, grew up in Oregon, and graduated from Connecticut College. She joined Microsoft in 1991 where she worked as a recruiter and then as a product manager. As an extra-fortunate beneficiary of the dot-com boom, she believes abundance can drive change and fuel action — and that we need to be putting more philanthropic dollars to work now. In 2020, Jennifer and her husband, David, launched #HalfMyDAF to inspire more charitable giving. Over the last three years, they’ve contributed millions in matching funds, rallied donors and nonprofits, and created a community that has moved over $33 million to nonprofits.
Jennifer and David live in San Francisco, where David is CEO of Worldreader, a nonprofit he cofounded with a mission to create a world where everyone is a reader. Jennifer loves playing and watching tennis, spending time with her two twenty-something daughters, and is a member of Women Donors Network and Solidaire.
Photo by Kelly Vorves