Leaders Around Reston
Jennifer Wappaus
Dr. Rishita Jaju
Growing up in a family of entrepreneurs and having a mother who was an advisor/hedge fund manager, Jennifer Wappaus just may have been born to be a financial advisor. She started at a young age learning stock charts from her mom and writing school reports on books like “Rich Dad, Poor Dad.” After graduating from Penn State, Jennifer became a financial advisor. This was 2008, the year of the financial crisis. While all investors were concerned at the time, Jennifer noticed that women seemed to have more anxiety about the market than men investors in similar circumstances. She learned that she could help relieve her female client’s fears through coaching and education, skills learned both as a competitive lacrosse player and through training. Jennifer’s early experience counseling women investors during one of the toughest times on Wall Street inspired her true purpose as a financial advisor.
Dr. Rishita Jaju believes in the power of hard work and that a helping hand from someone at the right time can change a life or create a career path. Growing up in India and moving to the United States at the age of 18 gave Dr. Rishita a unique perspective on opportunity and gratefulness.
Jennifer specializes her financial advisory services to a few areas: women in transition, be it due to a divorce, loss of a spouse, or a lack of time to plan for themselves and entrepreneurs or family businesses. To be a successful advisor, it takes an innate desire to help others. Of course, there are the essential qualifications needed, including securities licenses. It is helpful to have a degree in finance, and there are a number of specialized designations one can obtain, such as the CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ certification. Beyond credentials, it’s important for an advisor to be a natural helper and a people person. Jennifer believes that an important characteristic of a strong leader is passion. A good leader lives, eats, and breathes what she does for a career, and her clients and coworkers can see it. Having that level of passion is contagious and inspires others to follow suit. Jennifer lives in Reston Town Center with her husband who is also a financial advisor and their two daughters.
Dr. Rishita completed her dental education at Harvard School of Dental Medicine in Boston, MA and continued to receive specialty training in Pediatric Dentistry at Children’s National Medical Center in Washington DC, where she was appointed as the Chief Resident. At CNMC, Dr. Rishita found her passion for pediatric dentistry - helping those with special needs and for working with patients who need a little extra help feeling comfortable in a dental setting. Dr. Rishita is the only pediatric dentist in the Mid-Atlantic region who has achieved Advanced Laser Proficiency Certification from the Academy of Laser Dentistry. After having worked as an associate in other practices for eight years, in 2015, Dr. Rishita opened her own pediatric dental practice in Reston—Smile Wonders—just off Sunrise Valley Drive. Dr. Rishita shares, “During dental school, my parents’ combined annual income was less than my annual tuition. Besides qualifying for scholarships and grants, I needed to be enrolled in a work-study program to afford living expenses. The rigors of medical school, dental school and holding a job helped me realize that if I put my heart and soul into something, I can achieve what I thought was ‘impossible’.” When asked about what makes a leader she says “someone who can look at the bigger picture, rather than focusing on one small specific obstacle makes a successful leader. My patients and my great office team continue to motivate me to be a better version of myself every day!” Smile Wonders gives back by participating in Give Kids a Smile initiative by American Dental Association to provide free dental care for children of Northern Virginia.
CONTRIBUTOR: Samantha Marshall, www.sweetmemphoto.com 26
AROUND RESTON MAGAZINE