Jennifer Risher is an author, speaker, philanthropist, and investor on a mission to move money out of the taboo category and help us have much-needed conversations. Her book, “We Need to Talk: A Memoir About Wealth,” explores the impact of wealth on identity and relationships.
In sharing her story, Jennifer aims to validate the emotional complexities of money and help those with wealth move out of guilt, shame, or a desire to keep money hidden and into meaning, joy, and purpose.
Jennifer was born in Seattle, Washington, grew up in Oregon, and graduated from Connecticut College. She joined Microsoft in 1991 where she worked as a recruiter and then as a product manager. As an extra-fortunate beneficiary of the dot-com boom, she believes abundance can drive change and fuel action — and that we need to be putting more philanthropic dollars to work now.
In 2020, Jennifer and her husband, David, launched #HalfMyDAF to inspire more charitable giving. Over the last four years, they’ve contributed millions in matching funds, rallied donors and nonprofits, and created a community that has moved over $50 million to nonprofits. With the goal of creating more economic, gender and racial equity, Jennifer has also been investing with women-of-color fund managers.
Jennifer and David live in San Francisco, where David is CEO of Lyft. Jennifer loves playing and watching tennis and spending time with her two twenty-something daughters. She is on the board of Women Moving Millions and is a member of Women Donors Network and Solidaire.
Show Links
WebsitePopular Podcasts
CrimeLess: Hillbilly Heist
It’s 1996 in rural North Carolina, and an oddball crew makes history when they pull off America’s third largest cash heist. But it’s all downhill from there. Join host Johnny Knoxville as he unspools a wild and woolly tale about a group of regular ‘ol folks who risked it all for a chance at a better life. CrimeLess: Hillbilly Heist answers the question: what would you do with 17.3 million dollars? The answer includes diamond rings, mansions, velvet Elvis paintings, plus a run for the border, murder-for-hire-plots, and FBI busts.
Crime Junkie
Does hearing about a true crime case always leave you scouring the internet for the truth behind the story? Dive into your next mystery with Crime Junkie. Every Monday, join your host Ashley Flowers as she unravels all the details of infamous and underreported true crime cases with her best friend Brit Prawat. From cold cases to missing persons and heroes in our community who seek justice, Crime Junkie is your destination for theories and stories you won’t hear anywhere else. Whether you're a seasoned true crime enthusiast or new to the genre, you'll find yourself on the edge of your seat awaiting a new episode every Monday. If you can never get enough true crime... Congratulations, you’ve found your people. Follow to join a community of Crime Junkies! Crime Junkie is presented by audiochuck Media Company.
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.