Christina Lewis, an accomplished philanthropist and entrepreneur, has taken a bold step in wealth management with the launch of Beatrice Advisors, a new multi-family office. Built on her deep-rooted passion for empowering individuals to make a positive impact, Beatrice Advisors represents an extension of her family's legacy.
Drawing on her experience leading her own single-family office, BFO21, Lewis brings a blend of creativity and perseverance to the table. She is the daughter of trailblazers, with her father, Reginald F. Lewis, being the first African American to close a billion-dollar leveraged buyout deal; and her mother coming from a modest upbringing in a fishing village in the Philippines.
This legacy has inspired her drive to create what she calls "philanthrepreneurship," blending philanthropy and entrepreneurship to empower individuals through educating about wealth, teaching coding and leadership skills, and providing support for Black-led nonprofits.
Lewis is no stranger to navigating wealth management services, having done so for the past 30 years. She recalls the fear she once felt as a young woman meeting with male financial advisers. Now, she aims to provide the kind of firm that she herself would have wanted — client-centered, technology-enabled and mission-driven.
Joining Lewis in this endeavor is Meredith Bowen, a seasoned investment professional with a background in managing complex financial portfolios for ultra-high-net-worth families. Bowen was drawn to Beatrice Advisors by Lewis' vision and her own observations in wealth management, where she noticed that the sophistication applied to investment strategies often didn’t extend to the beneficiaries themselves.
A differentiated model
Lewis describes Beatrice as a firm where clients aren't just receiving a service; they become part of a community. The multi-family office model they’ve created allows clients to have a stake in the organization, fostering a shared mission and structure where client needs are front and center.
"The client is driving the car," Lewis said. "We build the dashboard and help them navigate."
One way they further that mission is through a personalized onboarding process designed to educate clients on all aspects of their financial lives. This approach particularly resonates with women and families of color, who Bowen said have often not received comprehensive, long-term financial advice.
"We need to know a lot about our clients to provide the best advice," she said. "That means engaging with them on a level that goes beyond traditional wealth management."
Technology and impact
A significant component of their strategy is leveraging technology to provide transparency and insight into clients' portfolios. The firm’s tech stack allows clients to view their holdings and set long-term goals for their investments.
"Our technology is critical to our process and to delivering value to our clients." Bowen said. "We want our clients to have the tools to thoroughly understand what they own. We believe that supporting our clients in this way will lead to them to make sound long-term investment decisions for themselves and their portfolios."
Impact investing is another core value of the firm, with an emphasis on aligning portfolios with clients' values. While traditional wealth management often imposes standardized investment strategies, Beatrice tailors impact investments to each family's priorities. This customization aligns with the growing trend among next-generation wealth holders, who increasingly demand measurable and transparent impact outcomes.
Lewis’ vision for Beatrice Advisors extends beyond providing financial services. She sees it as a platform for empowerment during the great wealth transfer, as trillions of dollars move to the next generation.
"With this new wealth," she said, "the space can benefit from a new firm."