Howard alumna Ashley M. Fox helping investors build generational wealth

Ashley M. Fox took a big risk, leaving her Wall Street analyst position to begin her own fintech brand. There were all kinds of ways she could have fallen on her face and missed the mark.

Big risks, however, can also lead to big rewards and the savvy Fox, a Howard University graduate, succeeded beyond her wildest dreams. She just finished a four-day WealthBuilders Weekend Conference in Atlanta, where she reportedly celebrated generating $6.1 million in investments by community members.

Fox, the analyst-turned-social media finance guru, has facilitated nearly $10 million in stock market investments since 2022 since founding Empify in 2017.

Empify — a combination of the words EMPower and modIFY — didn’t get here without bumps and bruises. Many questioned Fox’s decision to leave Wall Street, and she endured losses along the way. But determination, strategic thinking and faith in her vision kept her going. Empify is now one of the fastest-growing privately owned companies in the United States.

The success at the WealthBuilders conference turned the occasion into a celebration. The legendary R&B group Jagged Edge performed, and several credible financial industry heavyweights dropped by to whisper valuable insights into the ears of those in attendance. The experts included John Jones, senior vice president of Nareit; Ryan Smith, the executive vice president of Atlanta Life Insurance; and Brian Moran, a New York Times bestselling author and coach.

All three hammered home one central truth about the path to generational wealth: Access to financial education is crucial to breaking generational curses. Fox was blessed with that knowledge when she launched Empify, the company that reportedly has facilitated nearly $10 million in stock market investments since 2017.

In this year alone, Fox reportedly led more than 100 graduates to invest more than $1.6 million during a recent 12-week curriculum. They also created $11.6 million in generational wealth and generated $55,000 in passive income.

Empify also partnered with the Community College of Philadelphia, her hometown, reportedly resulting in 40 graduates, a 380% increase in investment knowledge, and 95% of the students becoming new investors.