As seen in Millionaire MNL, Kelsey Willock Jones is on a mission to reshape how we think about money. From Goldman Sachs to the heart of San Francisco’s startup scene, she has fused Wall Street experience with real-world empathy to create Aura Finance, a platform delivering personalized financial wellness for employees through psychology-based coaching.
Now a Techstars ’23 alumna, author, and outspoken advocate for diversity in finance, Jones has emerged as a leading voice in the intersection of mental health, wealth, and design-driven fintech.
From Goldman Sachs to Wellness Tech
Kelsey began her career at Goldman Sachs, where she rose to Vice President in Global Markets. There, she worked with hedge fund clients and played a key role in Launch With GS, an initiative aimed at funding diverse-led startups. But it was witnessing the psychological strain financial stress placed on employees that catalyzed her shift toward entrepreneurship.
In 2023, she co-founded Aura Finance, a workplace wellness platform that pairs AI with real human coaches to help employees better manage financial anxiety, budgeting, and long-term wealth creation.
Designing Empathy Into Fintech
Aura quickly gained attention not just for its mission but for its elegant execution. In 2024, it was named one of the Best Banking & Finance App Designs, standing out for its clean interface, intuitive journey, and real-time behavior-based advice.
Kelsey’s vision: finance should feel human. Aura helps users understand the emotions behind their money decisions, something no spreadsheet ever could.
Building Community Beyond the App
Outside the boardroom, Kelsey is the Founder & Editor-in-Chief of Stuck in Notes, an independent magazine exploring personal growth and creative reflection. She also writes Not Your BF’s Investment Advice, a newsletter that blends humor, self-awareness, and no-nonsense financial education.
She has also built a following across platforms like LinkedIn and Instagram by speaking honestly about the realities of burnout, inclusion, and building fintech with a conscience.
Advocating for Equity in Financial Systems
Through panels like the “Fintech Is Femme” Summit and collaborations with institutions like Goldman Sachs and Polsky Center, Kelsey continues to push for equity in access, to capital, to wellness, and to opportunity.
Her work sits at the junction of AI, design, and social responsibility, attracting attention from industry leaders, UX specialists, and wellness professionals alike.This Ex-Goldman VP Is Using AI and Empathy to Fix What Finance Got Wrong About Stress and Money
