We expect our financial advisors to have an in-depth understanding of financial markets and investment products, of retirement planning and college funding. David Kassir expects even more of himself. “A mentor once told me, a great financial advisor has the mind of a capitalist and the heart of a social worker,” says the CEO of Manna wealth Management. “That encapsulates who I strive to be as a human being.” For Kassir, being a financial advisor means taking the time to listen and understand each client’s unique needs and concerns, even if that takes hours in person or on the phone. It means providing each client with customized, individualized service, independent research and personal money management, and “being real and open with prospective new clients.” “I see every person who sits in front of me as someone’s mother, someone’s daughter, which makes my business very personal and very real,” says Kassir, who has a special affinity for working with “fiercely independent” women. “When people work with me, they’ve got a partner they can call 24/7, and I am there for them. That’s the depth of my commitment, a thousand percent.”

As an independent Financial Advisor associated with Wells Fargo Advisors Financial Network, Manna enjoys “the freedom to work with a multitude of clients in various ways,” Kassir says. “Whatever we do is in the best interest of our clients. We’re not beholden to whatever a corporate office tells us to do.” At the same time, the practice has access to the products, services and support of a top financial firm. “Becoming a contractor with Wells Fargo Advisors was a strategic decision,” Kassir explains. “We use the brokerage arm of this 100-plus-year-old bank to custody our accounts. So in the event of another financial crisis, I’m comforted by the fact that my clients’ accounts are being held by a large, conservative institution.”

“Suddenly the markets began turning around, and market values began to go up, so the newly rebranded Manna Capital Management went on an upswing,” Kassir recalls. “Plus, I’ve always been one of those guys who lean toward a problem when everyone else is running the other way. I follow my gut, and it’s often right.” A committed philanthropist, Kassir believes in giving back to the community that has helped make him so successful over the years. He and his wife have contributed to a number of charitable causes, including Capital Caring, the “very special” Washington, D.C., area hospice that cared for his mother at the end of her life, and a halfway house for disadvantaged children.

“I want my business to be built on love, trust, care and kindness,” Kassir says. “There’s always a human element in what we do.”