Brooklyn Fi
Fee-only fiduciary financial planning for creatives and tech professionals
Website: https://www.brooklynfi.com/
Cover Block
PUBLIC
| Name | Brooklyn Fi |
| Tagline | Fee-only fiduciary financial planning for creatives and tech professionals [Brooklyn Fi] |
| Headquarters | Brooklyn, NY, United States [Brooklyn Fi] |
| Founded | 2017 [Brooklyn Fi] |
| Stage | Other |
| Business Model | B2C |
| Industry | Fintech |
| Technology | No Technology Component |
| Geography | North America |
| Growth Profile | Lifestyle Business |
| Founding Team | Co-Founders (2) |
| Funding Label | Bootstrapped |
Links
PUBLIC
- Website: https://www.brooklynfi.com/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/brooklyn-fi
Executive Summary
PUBLIC Brooklyn Fi runs a fee-only, fiduciary financial planning firm. It targets creative professionals and technology workers, a group often underserved by traditional wealth management [Brooklyn Fi, Unknown].
The firm appeals through a viable, high-touch service model grown organically over seven years. Co-founders Shane Mason, a CPA with Big Four experience, and Ally Jane Ayers, a CFP and former software developer, launched in 2017. Ayers joined as equal partner after earning her certification in 2018 [How This Accounting Firm Grew 100% YoY with Financial Planning Services | Jetpack Workflow, Unknown].
Services cover comprehensive financial planning with focus on equity compensation. The fee-only structure avoids commissions and meets fiduciary standards [Brooklyn Fi, Unknown]. A podcast and Ayers's forthcoming book build public presence and credibility [NAPFA Spring 2026 National Conference, 2026].
No funding rounds appear. Cited assets under management indicate material scale for a boutique [Brooklyn Fi, LLC | SmartAdvisorMatch, Unknown]. Over 18 months, watch for systematization beyond personal service, perhaps via scaled products or referrals.
Data Accuracy: YELLOW -- Core company description and team backgrounds confirmed via primary sources. Key operational metrics from unverified directories.
Taxonomy Snapshot
| Axis | Classification |
|---|---|
| Stage | Other |
| Business Model | B2C |
| Industry / Vertical | Fintech |
| Technology Type | No Technology Component |
| Geography | North America |
| Growth Profile | Lifestyle Business |
| Founding Team | Co-Founders (2) |
Company Overview
PUBLIC
Brooklyn Fi operates as a bootstrapped professional services firm. Shane Mason and Ally Jane (AJ) Ayers founded it in 2017 [Crunchbase]. Mason offered public accounting experience. Ayers added software development, writing, and financial planning credentials [Brooklyn Fi website] [LinkedIn (Shane Mason)].
The focus targets creatives and tech professionals in Brooklyn. This niche drove primary growth.
Ayers earned her CFP in 2018 and became 50/50 partner [Jetpack Workflow]. COVID prompted a remote model shift in 2020 [Jetpack Workflow]. Legal registration stays as Brooklyn Fi, LLC at 33 Nassau Avenue [Brooklyn Fi website].
In 2021 came The Liquidity Event podcast. Ayers's Creative Money book follows from Penguin Random House in Fall 2026 [Brooklyn Fi website] [NAPFA, 2026]. These build brand and IP in the niche.
Data Accuracy: YELLOW -- Core founding facts from Crunchbase and website. Milestones from single secondary source.
Product and Technology
MIXED
Brooklyn Fi offers comprehensive, fee-only financial planning. Services mix evidence-based investment management, tax planning, and wealth preservation under fiduciary standards [Brooklyn Fi].
No software product or proprietary tech appears in public materials.
Job postings imply use of financial planning software, CRM, and portfolio tools [Brooklyn Fi]. Podcast and blog cover 83(b) elections and 409A valuations. This signals service-led equity compensation expertise [Brooklyn Fi, August 2025] [Brooklyn Fi, Episode 88].
Data Accuracy: YELLOW -- Product from website. Tech inferred from job posting.
Market Research and Opportunity
PUBLIC
Fee-only fiduciary advice expands amid wealth shifts and distrust of commissions. Brooklyn Fi targets creatives and tech professionals with complex compensation and income.
No niche sizing appears. Broader RIA data shows scale: $128.4 trillion AUM for 44.8 million clients in 2023 [Investment Adviser Association, 2024]. The equity compensation segment grows within this.
Targets include professionals with equity, small business owners, HENRYs [Brooklyn Fi website].
Equity in tech pay demands 409A, tax, liquidity advice. Gig economy adds volatile income needs. Fiduciary rules favor fee-only models [Brooklyn Fi website].
Robo-advisors hit mass-affluent. Wirehouses serve high-net-worth on commissions. Many targets self-educate or skip advice. Firm content fills this gap.
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Total RIA Industry AUM (2023) | 128.4 $T |
| Total RIA Industry Clients (2023) | 44.8 million |
Scale offers runway. Success needs niche capture, not broad share.
Data Accuracy: YELLOW -- Sizing from trade report. Niche application inferred. Targets from website.
Competitive Landscape
MIXED Brooklyn Fi competes in fragmented personalized advice. It stresses trust-based relationships over tech.
No named direct rivals surfaced. Alternatives for targets split three ways.
Traditional wirehouses like Morgan Stanley or Charles Schwab offer scale but commissions. Digital RIAs like Empower or Betterment for Advisors mix tech and advice at lower cost.
Boutique RIAs match closest, often local with niches like equity comp.
Edge comes from specialization and founders. Ayers's developer-author background fits creatives. Mason's CPA tax skills add depth [Brooklyn Fi website].
This ties to personal reputation, hard to copy but founder-limited.
Exposures include missing tech/marketing scale of digital RIAs. Brooklyn branding may limit beyond NY, despite remote ops [Jetpack Workflow].
In 18 months, productized expertise wins. Ayers's book could draw national clients [Penguin Random House, Fall 2026].
Data Accuracy: YELLOW -- Positioning from messaging and market. No cited rivals.
Opportunity
PUBLIC
Success yields dominance in high-earning creatives/tech pros. They pay for specialized, conflict-free advice.
Core path: national brand for knowledge workers. Targets with equity and HENRY traits distrust wirehouses [Brooklyn Fi]. Ayers's book and NAPFA talk extend reach [NAPFA, 2026].
| Scenario | What happens | Catalyst | Why it's plausible |
|---|---|---|---|
| National Remote Advisory | Scales remote to SF, Austin, Seattle vs local RIAs. | Ayers's book tour Fall 2026. | Lists SF advisors. COVID remote worked [Brooklyn Fi] [Jetpack Workflow]. |
| Specialized Equity Compensation Practice | Go-to for pre-IPO RSUs, 409A, tax. Corporate ties possible. | Hire/partnership for comp expertise. | Podcast covers. Mason CEP, PwC [Brooklyn Fi website]. |
Reputation flywheel: clients yield cases, amplified by podcast/blog. Yields pricing power, low CAC [Brooklyn Fi].
Comps: RIAs acquired at 2-3x revenue. Cited AUM $130-370M implies multi-million revenue at 1% fee [FinanceHQ, Kitces.com]. National scale attracts roll-ups.
Data Accuracy: YELLOW -- Scenarios from focus/activities. Assets from unverified sources.
Sources
PUBLIC
[Brooklyn Fi] Your Trusted Financial Advisors in Brooklyn | BKFi | https://www.brooklynfi.com/
[How This Accounting Firm Grew 100% YoY with Financial Planning Services | Jetpack Workflow] How This Accounting Firm Grew 100% YoY with Financial Planning Services | https://www.jetpackworkflow.com/blog/how-this-accounting-firm-grew-100-yoy-with-financial-planning-services/
[Crunchbase] Brooklyn FI - Crunchbase Company Profile & Funding | https://www.crunchbase.com/organization/brooklyn-fi
[Brooklyn Fi website] AJ Ayers | https://www.brooklynfi.com/ajayers
[LinkedIn (Shane Mason)] Shane Mason, CPA, CFP - Gemifi | LinkedIn | https://www.linkedin.com/in/shanemasoncpacfp/
[Brooklyn Fi, LLC | SmartAdvisorMatch] Brooklyn Fi, LLC | SmartAdvisorMatch | https://smartadvisormatch.com/financial-advisor/brooklyn-fi-llc-0
[Brooklyn Fi] Evidence-Based Investment Management | https://www.brooklynfi.com/investing
[Brooklyn Fi] What We Do | https://www.brooklynfi.com/what-we-do
[Brooklyn Fi] What Is Brooklyn Fi? | https://www.brooklynfi.com/what-is-brooklyn-fi
[Brooklyn Fi] Contact Us | https://www.brooklynfi.com/contact-us
[Brooklyn Fi] Jobs - Financial Planner | https://www.brooklynfi.com/jobs-financial-planner
[Brooklyn Fi, August 2025] How To Do an 83(b) Election | https://www.brooklynfi.com/blog/how-to-do-an-83b-election
[Brooklyn Fi, Episode 88] Episode 88: Let’s Not Die Rich | https://www.brooklynfi.com/episode88
[Investment Adviser Association, 2024] Investment Adviser Industry Snapshot 2024 | https://www.investmentadviser.org/resources/investment-adviser-industry-snapshot/
[NAPFA, 2026] Keynote Speakers - NAPFA Spring 2026 National Conference | NAPFA | https://www.napfa.org/conferences/napfa-spring-2026-national-conference/keynote
[FinanceHQ] Brooklyn Fi: Investment Advisor Firm | FinanceHQ | https://financehq.com/brooklyn-fi-investment-advisor-firm/
[Kitces.com] Fast-Growth Hiring Challenges Of Scaling From Scratch To $5M | https://www.kitces.com/blog/fast-growth-hiring-challenges-of-scaling-from-scratch-to-5m/
[Brooklyn Fi] Financial Advisors in San Francisco | https://www.brooklynfi.com/financial-advisors-in-san-francisco
[Brooklyn Fi] Seven Years of Brooklyn Fi | https://www.brooklynfi.com/blog/7-years-of-brooklyn-fi
Articles about Brooklyn Fi
- Brooklyn Fi Manages Hundreds of Millions for Creatives — The bootstrapped advisory firm has quietly amassed hundreds of millions in assets under management for clients in tech and the arts.