A. Mari Miller

A. Mari Miller is a Managing Partner and Chief Compliance Officer at Certified Planners, Inc. (CPI), an independent, fee-based Registered Investment Advisory firm headquartered in San Ramon, California. She joined the firm in 1994, building on the foundation laid by her father, Ramon "Ray" Miller, who founded CPI in 1987 with a mission to create a client-centered advisory practice grounded in an exemplary code of ethics. As a second-generation leader of the firm, Mari is committed to carrying on the founder's legacy and mission.

In addition to her role at CPI, Mari Miller is a practicing estate planning attorney. She founded her own estate planning practice, the Law Office of A. Mari Miller, in 1995, which operates alongside CPI at their San Ramon offices. Her legal education at the University of California, Hastings College of the Law (now UC Law San Francisco) emphasized estate planning, giving her a distinctive dual expertise in both legal and financial advisory services. This combined background in law and wealth management positions her to offer holistic financial planning that integrates investment advisory, estate planning, and asset protection strategies.

Beyond traditional wealth management, Miller and Certified Planners, Inc. are listed on investor platforms such as Foundersuite and Crunchbase as active angel investors participating in seed-round funding. The firm manages approximately $136.8 million in assets and applies its financial planning discipline to evaluate early-stage investment opportunities, particularly in the finance sector. CPI uses a comprehensive financial planning process that involves identifying lifestyle goals, analyzing gaps, and pooling resources -- a methodology that extends to their approach to startup investing.

A. Mari Miller and Certified Planners, Inc. operate at the intersection of traditional wealth management and angel investing. Their investment thesis appears informed by several principles:

• Stage: Seed round investments, indicating a willingness to back companies at the earliest stages of development.
• Sector Preference: Finance and financial services, leveraging the firm's deep domain expertise as a registered investment advisory.
• Holistic Due Diligence: CPI's background as a comprehensive financial planning firm suggests they bring a rigorous, fundamentals-driven approach to evaluating startups -- assessing not just product-market fit but financial sustainability and planning discipline.
• Client-Centric Values: Founded on principles of ethics and client-first service, the firm likely favors startups that demonstrate strong governance and alignment with end-user needs.
• Wealth Preservation Lens: Given Miller's estate planning and asset protection expertise, the firm may favor investments that complement long-term wealth building strategies for their client base.