“This industry is not going to diversify itself,” said D’Andrea Kinley. “That’s why I’m working for FARE.”
FARE — the Financial Alliance for Racial Equity — is a high-profile initiative to draw Black college students into financial services careers. It is supported by a coalition of a dozen firms, including Nationwide, where Kinley works supporting wholesalers who primarily sell life insurance, retirement plans and annuities.
“If we don’t do this work, the number of diverse candidates applying for jobs would be fewer,” she said of the collaboration she helps lead with historically Black colleges and universities. Working on FARE is now her full-time position.
“I grew up in a rural area that’s on the edge of Appalachia and in an all-white town,” Kinley said. “I wasn’t exposed to Black excellence in leadership positions in my community, like many of my friends were, some of which attended HBCUs. And although I excelled in school, I couldn’t see myself, or others who looked like me in this industry, so it wasn’t an area I ever considered for my future career path.” A key element of her work with FARE involves coaching students to bring their best to interviews.
“We’re trying to build a pipeline of diverse candidates,” Kinley said. “If you don’t, how are you going to have more diverse hires?”
— Bruce Kelly