WillKate

What WillKate does

WillKate is a boutique wealth management and family enterprise advisory firm headquartered in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, with a second office in Aberdeen. Founded in 2013 by Agatha "Aggie" Johnson — a third-generation family business member who named the firm after her parents Wilfred and Catherine Kappenman — the company operates with a small team (1-10 employees, three named client-facing professionals: the founder, a behavior/culture consultant, and a family enterprise advisor). It is registered as an investment advisor in South Dakota and serves multi-generational family businesses, family offices, and high-net-worth individuals in person at its South Dakota offices and virtually across the United States.

The firm's service offering centers on a proprietary Six Elements of Wealth framework (Financial, Heritage & Values, Human Talent, Structural, Family, and Community capital) developed over three decades of practice. Core products include the Family Enterprise Office advisory, Wealth Planning, Multi-Generational Wealth Planning, Financial Planning, and Investment Management, with specialized tracks for Agriculture & Farming Legacy families and Family-Owned Businesses. Delivery follows a structured three-phase process (Discovery, Systemize, Optimize) for multi-year family enterprise engagements. Technology integrations include eMoney for client-facing financial planning, Pontera for held-away account management, and Citrix ShareFile for secure document exchange; there is no proprietary AI or machine-learning capability.

WillKate generates revenue through recurring subscription-style advisory fees and bespoke professional services engagements. Investment management is gated behind a financial or multi-generational wealth planning subscription, creating bundled, integrated fee structures. Pricing is quote-based and not publicly disclosed; prospective clients are routed through a free 30-minute consultation intake form. Go-to-market is sales-led and consultative, supported by content marketing (blog, newsletter, podcast appearances), earned media in Family Business Magazine, conference participation with the Prairie Family Business Association, and organic social channels. Distribution is exclusively direct, with no resellers or third-party channels.

Name

WillKate

Legal name

WillKate

Website

https://will-kate.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2013

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

WillKate is a Sioux Falls, South Dakota-based wealth management and family enterprise advisory firm serving multi-generational family businesses and high-net-worth families across the United States through a proprietary Six Elements of Wealth framework, fee-only fiduciary planning, and bespoke governance and succession consulting.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Wealth Management

NAICS

Portfolio Management and Investment Advice (52394), Trusts, Estates, and Agency Accounts (52592)

SIC

Investment Advice (6282), Services-Engineering, Accounting, Research, Management (8700)

akta.pro primary industry

Family Office Advisory (Single/Multi-Family) (FSAEAAAI)

akta.pro secondary industries

Family Wealth & Multi-Generational Planning RIAs (HNW/UHNW-lite) (FSAAACAH), Estate Planning, Trust Structuring & Governance (FSAAADAF), Next-Gen Education & Family Learning Programs (FSAAADAM)

Keywords

• Wealth management services
• Family enterprise advisory
• Multi-generational planning
• Succession planning
• Investment advisory

Headquarters

HQ city

Sioux Falls

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Wealth Planning & Management Fees: WillKate operates as a Registered Investment Advisor in South Dakota, charging fee-only advisory fees for financial planning, investment management, and multi-generational wealth planning services. Investment management clients must subscribe to either Multi-Generational Wealth Planning or Financial Planning services as a prerequisite.
2. Family Enterprise Office Consulting: Bespoke family enterprise consulting engagements covering family alignment strategy, governance design, succession planning, leadership development, and family office modeling. Engagement scope is tailored per family and typically spans multi-year relationships across three phases (Discovery, Systemize, Optimize).

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

WillKate provides fee-only wealth management and family enterprise advisory services for multi-generational families and family-owned businesses. Its offerings center on the proprietary Six Elements of Wealth framework (Financial, Heritage & Values, Human Talent, Structural, Family, and Community capital), delivered through financial planning, investment management, and a Family Enterprise Office service that addresses family alignment, governance, succession, and legacy continuity.

Product overview

WillKate operates as a unified wealth management and family enterprise advisory firm offering integrated services. The core offerings include the Family Enterprise Office (addressing family alignment, governance, and succession across generations) and Wealth Planning (fee-only fiduciary services across six wealth elements). Specialized services target Agriculture & Farming Legacy and Family Businesses, while modular service components include Multi-Generational Wealth Planning, Financial Planning, and Investment Management. The company also provides an educational resource, The 100-Year Plan guidebook. All services integrate the proprietary six-element wealth framework covering financial, heritage & values, human talent, structural, family, and community capital.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Family Enterprise Office Comprehensive advisory service for family enterprises addressing competing personal, work, and business needs across generations. Includes family alignment strategy, talent development, ownership strategy, shared wealth strategy, business strategy, and family office purpose services.
• Wealth Planning Fee-only fiduciary wealth management focused on six-element wealth stewardship, helping individuals and families protect multi-generational wealth, plan after a business sale, and align wealth with family values and purpose.
• Agriculture and Farming Legacy Services Specialized advisory for multi-generational farming operations covering purpose and vision development, family business policies, accountability, conflict management, succession planning, and next-generation leadership on the farm.
• Family Businesses Services Guidance for family business dynamics including crafting foundational purpose and values, harmonizing relationships, and aligning objectives for legacy fortification across generations.
• Financial Planning Comprehensive financial planning connecting all areas of life with a broader view of wealth. Includes financial literacy coaching, a custom comprehensive financial plan, dedicated team, ongoing support, and access to the eMoney client portal.
• Multi-Generational Wealth Planning White-glove bespoke wealth planning securing family legacy across generations. Includes wealth continuation, legacy planning, family patterns of wealth decision making, heir education, family wealth mission statement, private placement aggregation, wealth transition coaching, and business succession planning.
• Investment Management Custom investment portfolio management designed around individual financial plans. Features investment philosophy focused on asset allocation and behavioral finance coaching to help clients stay on track toward goals.

Quantifiable outcome

• Families successfully transition to second generation while maintaining family harmony — as evidenced by client testimonials
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Prairie Family Business Association (PFBA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWillKate is an active member of the Prairie Family Business Association. Founder Aggie Johnson was interviewed by PFBA and hosted a breakout session at PFBA's 31st Annual Conference alongside client case study co-presenters. This is a regional industry association serving family businesses in South Dakota and the broader Midwest.
• WISH Design Co.minorOthersWISH Design Co. is credited as the website design firm for WillKate. The credit appears in the footer: 'A WISH Design Co. website.' This is a creative/design services vendor relationship.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Cresset: Cresset is a multi-family office offering integrated investment advisory, family governance, and legacy services to ultra-HNW families — directly comparable to WillKate's family-enterprise office and multi-generational wealth planning services.
• Tolleson Wealth Management: Tolleson Wealth Management is a family-office-focused RIA serving ultra-HNW families with multi-generational planning and investment management — directly comparable to WillKate's holistic, family-enterprise approach.
• Pitcairn: Pitcairn is a multi-family office providing wealth management, family governance, and next-generation education for HNW families — a strong direct peer given WillKate's emphasis on multi-generational planning and heir education.
• Oxford Financial Group: Oxford Financial Group is a Midwest-based RIA and family-office serving HNW families with wealth planning, investment management, and family legacy services — closely comparable to WillKate's geographic positioning and integrated service model.
• Mariner Wealth Advisors: Mariner provides family-office-style wealth advisory to HNW individuals and families including financial planning, investment management, and legacy planning — overlapping heavily with WillKate's core offerings but operating at national scale across multiple U.S. offices.
• Cerity Partners: Cerity Partners is a national RIA providing wealth management, tax, and family-office services to HNW individuals and families — overlapping with WillKate's planning-plus-investment offering, though at significantly larger scale and broader service breadth.
• Aspiriant: Aspiriant is a national, family-office-oriented RIA serving HNW families with integrated wealth planning, investment management, and multi-generational advisory — a close comparable to WillKate's bundled, holistic family-enterprise model, though at substantially greater scale.

Broad incumbents

• BNY Wealth: BNY Wealth is a major incumbent offering private banking, investment management, and family-office services — overlapping with WillKate's bundled planning-and-investment model but as part of a much broader financial services franchise.
• Northern Trust Wealth Management: Northern Trust is a large incumbent providing wealth management, trust, and family-office services to HNW/UHNW families — a broader competitor with overlapping multi-generational wealth planning and family governance capabilities, but operating at global institutional scale.

Others

• Focus Partners (Focus Financial Partners): Focus Partners is a wealth management aggregator partnering with many RIAs and family-office firms — relevant as a potential strategic/acquirer counterpart for WillKate given its RIA-and-family-enterprise focus, rather than as a direct service-line competitor.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/willkateadvisors
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/willkate

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 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 WillKate