What Brio Financial Group does

Brio Financial Group (legally Brio Consultants, LLC) is a fee-only registered investment adviser founded in 1999 and headquartered at 19 Sutter Street, San Francisco, CA. The firm delivers holistic financial planning to individuals and families whose lives fall outside traditional norms — including LGBTQ+ individuals, chosen families, blended families, unmarried couples, business owners, and pre-retirees — with the founder estimating approximately 80% of clients fall into a "nontraditional" segment. Services span financial planning, investment management, tax planning and preparation, estate and charitable planning, equity compensation strategy covering RSUs, ISOs, NSOs, and ESPP, retirement planning, insurance and risk analysis, and cash flow and debt management. The firm is structured as a pure RIA with no commissioned product sales; insurance is analyzed but not sold.

The firm's technology stack is third-party rather than proprietary: eMoney for financial planning preparation, Orion for client account administration, Practifi as CRM, and Schwab and Altruist as custodians for client investment accounts, with Ethic providing primary ESG research and fund screening underpinning the Brio Pride Portfolio. The Pride Portfolio is the firm's signature differentiated product — a values-based ESG investment strategy aligned with LGBTQ+ equality and social responsibility causes. Marketing is community-embedded and organic, relying on educational events (Smarter You series, Brio Book Club, What's Next Retirement Roundtables), a blog, embedded financial calculators via Dinkytown, and Zoom-hosted virtual events, rather than paid acquisition. The firm is SEC-registered (registration number 289889) and was recognized as an InvestmentNews 2020 Excellence in Diversity & Inclusion finalist.

Brio is privately held and founder-controlled. The current team comprises approximately 21 staff — six wealth advisors, six associate wealth advisors, and nine additional staff members. Brandon Miller is the sole remaining original co-founder. Revenue is generated through recurring advisory fees under multi-year client service agreements, with no publicly disclosed fee schedule; distribution is entirely direct and high-touch, onboarding through a complimentary introductory "Make It Happen" meeting followed by personalized advisor matching.

Name

Brio Financial Group

Legal name

Brio Consultants, LLC

Website

https://briofg.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1999

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Brio Financial Group is a fee-only registered investment adviser founded in 1999 in San Francisco providing holistic financial planning, investment management, tax, estate, and equity compensation services primarily to LGBTQ+ individuals and nontraditional families.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Wealth Management and Financial Advisory

NAICS

Portfolio Management and Investment Advice (523940), Portfolio Management and Investment Advice (52394)

SIC

Investment Advice (6282)

akta.pro primary industry

Financial Planning–Led RIAs (FSAAACAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Registered Investment Advisor (RIA) Wealth Management (FSAEABAA), Investment Management Advisory (RIA) (FSAEAAAB), Portfolio Management–Led RIAs (Discretionary/Model-Based) (FSAAACAC)

Keywords

• Wealth management services
• Financial planning advisory
• Investment management
• Tax planning services
• Retirement planning advisory

Headquarters

HQ city

San Francisco

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Advisory / Planning Fees: Brio operates as a fee-only registered investment adviser (RIA). Revenue is generated through advisory fees for comprehensive financial planning, investment management, tax planning, estate planning, equity compensation strategy, and insurance analysis services.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Brio Financial Group is a fee-only Registered Investment Adviser (RIA) delivering holistic financial planning and investment management to individuals and families. Services span financial planning, investment management (including a proprietary values-based Pride Portfolio), tax planning and preparation, estate and charitable planning, equity compensation strategy, retirement planning, insurance/risk analysis, and cash flow and debt management, with particular specialization in LGBTQ+ and nontraditional clients.

Product overview

Brio Financial Group is a registered investment advisory firm (RIA) offering holistic financial planning services as a single integrated platform. The core offering includes Financial Planning, Investment Management (with the named Pride Portfolio ESG strategy), Tax Planning & Preparation, Estate & Charitable Planning, Retirement Planning, Equity Compensation Strategy, and Insurance & Risk Management. The Pride Portfolio, their signature values-based investment product, is offered in partnership with Ethic for ESG research. All services are designed for nontraditional situations including chosen families, LGBTQ+ clients, and complex financial structures. The firm operates as a pure RIA with no commission incentives, providing fee-based advisory services.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Pride Portfolio A values-based ESG investment strategy that supports LGBTQ+ equality through ESG criteria, built in partnership with Ethic for primary research and fund screenings. Offered to clients who want their portfolio to reflect their personal values.
• Holistic Financial Planning Comprehensive holistic financial planning covering cash flow management, debt management, retirement planning, and coordination with tax, estate, and investment strategies tailored to nontraditional lives and complex situations.
• Investment Management Discretionary portfolio strategy aligned with client values, goals, and lifestyle, including diversified portfolios, regular rebalancing, tax-loss harvesting, and risk management, with both the Pride Portfolio ESG option and traditional portfolio choices.
• Tax Planning and Preparation Year-round tax strategy designed to minimize tax liability, integrating tax implications into investment decisions, equity compensation, charitable giving, and retirement contributions, with coordination with CPAs and California state tax expertise.
• Estate and Charitable Planning Estate and charitable planning that protects chosen family and supports client causes, including proactive coordination with estate attorneys for trusts and legal structures reflecting real relationships, and strategic giving through donor-advised funds and appreciated stock donations.
• Equity Compensation Strategy Expert guidance on RSUs, stock options, ISOs, NSOs, and ESPP, including tax impact modeling before exercises, strategic timing coordination with company equity teams, and diversification plans to avoid triggering tax bills.
• Retirement Planning Customized retirement plans based on individual vision of freedom, including retirement readiness modeling, Social Security optimization, healthcare pre-Medicare planning, and withdrawal strategies with scenario modeling.
• Insurance and Risk Management Commission-free insurance and risk needs analysis covering life, disability, long-term care, and umbrella liability, coordinated with the overall financial plan to determine whether clients are over-insured or under-protected.
• Cash Flow and Debt Management Helps clients understand their financial rhythm, make intentional spending decisions, and use debt strategically, with scenario planning to show trade-offs without restrictive budgeting approaches.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 25 years of serving clients — firm founded in approximately 1999
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration8 records

Feature1 record

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• EthiccoreTechnology or IntegrationFor select clients, Brio has partnered with Ethic, an unaffiliated independent advisory firm, to offer Brio's Pride strategy — a custom, values-based ESG investment approach aligned with LGBTQ+ equality and social causes. Brio relies on Ethic for primary research and fund screenings and primarily uses Ethic's metrics when constructing the portfolio. Fees and billing are detailed in Ethic's ADV Part 2A and separate advisory agreement.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Modern Wealth Management: RIA specifically serving LGBTQ+ clients and nontraditional families with holistic financial planning. Direct competitor with similar niche specialization, fee-only model, and values-aligned positioning, making it the most apples-to-apples comparable for Brio.

Broad incumbents

• Carson Group / Carson Wealth: Large national RIA platform serving individual clients with holistic financial planning, investment management, and tax/estate services. Comparable business model (fee-only advisory, planning-led) but operates broadly with partner offices rather than as a niche LGBTQ+ specialist.
• Edelman Financial Engines: Largest independent RIA in the U.S., providing comprehensive financial planning and investment management to individuals across the country. Comparable RIA structure and planning-led service model but operates at massive scale across mainstream segments.
• Creative Planning: Large fee-only RIA offering holistic wealth management, tax, and estate planning to high-net-worth individuals and families. Operates the same fee-only advisory model with comparable service breadth but at much greater scale and without LGBTQ+ specialization.
• Moneta Group: Fee-only RIA providing comprehensive financial planning, investment management, and tax/family-office services to high-net-worth individuals. Comparable client-service model and holistic planning emphasis but operates at significantly larger scale nationally.
• United Capital Financial Partners / Goldman Sachs Personal Financial Management: Large financial planning firm (now under Goldman Sachs) serving mass-affluent and HNW households with holistic planning and investment advice. Comparable RIA-style planning and investment model but integrated into a global financial institution.

Emerging players

• Ellevest: Values-based wealth management firm focused on women's financial empowerment. Comparable niche-driven, values-aligned investment approach and inclusive advisory culture; similar in targeting a historically underserved community but distinct in the specific niche.
• Facet Wealth: Tech-enabled RIA offering financial planning on a subscription/membership basis for individuals across geographies. Comparable direct advisory and planning-led model, distinguished by digital-first delivery rather than Bay Area in-person service.

Regional players

• Wealthsimple: Canadian tech-forward wealth manager offering investment management and planning to retail and HNW clients with a strong values/ESG orientation. Comparable direct, values-aligned wealth model but serves Canadian rather than U.S. clients.

Others

• Sanctuary Wealth: Partnership platform providing wealth management firms with operational, technology, and investment infrastructure support. Relevant to Brio as a potential future partner for growth/recruiting advisors rather than as a direct competitor.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/BrioFG

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Brio Financial Group