Who is Mana?

It all started with a wild dream...to build deep client relationships, to change attitudes, to democratize financial advice... 

And now we're living it at Mana! 

Chief Executive Officer, Co-founder & Lead Advisor

Cristina Livadary

Cristina specializes in marrying what matters most (i.e., your values, your intentions) with your income and assets. She will lead you through your Life Design meeting and will serve as your go-to for all things life planning related.

Cristina is a Certified Financial Planner® and Registered Life Planner®. Before Mana, she led sales and consulting efforts as a Regional Director with Russell Investments, where she consulted for and worked with over 10,000 financial advisors. After years of experience in the industry she grew dissatisfied with the wide disparities in knowledge, empathy, and skill within the advisor population. Cristina is a Bucknell University graduate, with a BA in Political Science and Spanish. She launched Mana with Stephanie in 2018 based on the belief that even greater success can be achieved by solving issues holistically - with individuals and their families. Since founding Mana, Cristina has been recognized for her accomplishments within the industry by leading organizations such as Investment News’ 40 under 40 in 2020 and Investopedia’s Top 100 Advisors in 2023. Cristina is living her own life plan, working in her dream career as a business owner and a financial life planner who does everything in her power to positively impact the lives of her clients. When she’s not hard at work, you can find Cristina in the great outdoors. She is passionate about surfing and adventuring around the world with her family and friends.

Chief Investment Officer, Co-founder & Lead Advisor

Stephanie Bucko

Stephanie spearheads Mana’s portfolio management capabilities and is the lead strategist for stock compensation, investments, and tax.

Stephanie is a Certified Public Accountant and Chartered Financial Analyst®. She graduated from Bucknell University with a BSBA in Accounting. Following her undergraduate education, she audited hedge funds in New York City with PricewaterhouseCoopers during the 2008 financial crisis, and then joined Man Group, the world’s largest publicly traded hedge fund. At Man Group she served as a risk manager for six years, handling $15 billion in hedge funds. After years of serving banks, pensions and endowments, Stephanie became interested in bringing institutional quality services to a broader population. In 2018, Stephanie launched Mana with Cristina out of the realization that investment management is only a small piece of the services that individuals truly need in a financial advisor. Since founding Mana, Stephanie has been recognized for her accomplishments within the industry by leading organizations such as Investopedia’s Top 100 Advisors of 2023. She is also a regular contributor to MyStockOptions.com, the financial advice industry’s premier site for equity compensation. When Stephanie isn't educating herself on the markets or building complex spreadsheets, you can find her outside. Her favorite days are spent on the ski slopes, riding horses, and bird watching.

Senior Financial Planner

Janet Gerlings

Janet is here to ensure that all of your financial data is accurately input, interpreted, and updated. Financial planning is her core responsibility. You’ll likely hear from her if you have a financial planning-related question. Janet attends meetings alongside Cristina and Stephanie as we work through the most important aspects of your financial life.

Janet’s approach to personal finance can best be described as practical and optimistic, driven by a deep desire to provide meaningful value to each and every client. Her background includes many years of experience in trading and risk management via the futures and options markets, as well as having been a successful small business owner. Her passion for working one-on-one with individuals and families, helping them to achieve their financial goals, led her to pursue her CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ certification. Janet is an Arizona State University graduate, with a BS in Finance. She holds the Graduate Certificate in Personal Financial Planning from Kansas State University, and earned her CFP® certification in 2016. Outside the office, Janet can be found hanging out with family and friends, entertaining her two rescue dogs, practicing yoga, or doing some local volunteer work. Although originally from Colorado, she has called the Valley of the Sun home for so long that she’s lost count of the years and considers herself an honorary native.

Financial Planner

Brody Luebkeman

Brody is your dedicated partner in keeping your financial plan up to date. He is passionate about helping you explore charitable gifting strategies and inspiring you to dream bigger. Together, you’ll create a tailored plan to take you from where you are to the life you’ve always wanted to live.

Brody holds an MS in Financial Planning, a BS in International Development, and a Graduate Certificate in Financial Life Planning, which he combines with a strong commitment to making a difference and a talent for problem-solving. For nearly a decade, he has delivered an unforgettable experience for his clients. Before joining Mana, Brody worked as a financial planner on both large and small teams, specializing in helping teachers, police officers, and firefighters with their pensions, as well as supporting cross-border families looking to live their best lives. Brody is committed to giving back to the community and served as the Pro Bono Director for the San Francisco chapter of the Financial Planning Association in 2022. One of his proudest achievements was organizing Financial Planning Day, where he led a team of volunteers to provide free financial advice to over 500 individuals from underserved communities. He currently resides in Los Angeles and calls California home. He is a creative at heart and smitten with wanderlust. He spent a year living on the road throughout the Western United States, South America, and Australia. When not traveling or working, you can find him reading, writing, tearing up a dance floor, or taking a long walk most likely by the water.

Operations Associate

Jordan Johnson

Jordan is dedicated to making your transition to Mana as smooth as possible. She is your go-to person for all matters related to account transfers. Additionally, she is your point of contact for any administrative or operational questions you may have. Her expertise and attention to detail ensure that your financial assets are in safe hands.

Jordan is our operations rockstar and in-house insurance guru. She has built her career experience through various roles from executive assistant to business manager within different industries. Driven by love of helping others, she takes pride in providing customer service and using her critical thinking skills to improve processes. When she’s not working, Jordan loves spending time with her puppies Murphy and Mia. She is passionate about traveling.

User Experience & Data Operations Specialist

Madison Elliott

Madison works as an independent contractor for Mana.

She holds a PhD in Cognitive Science, as well as an MA in Clinical Psychology, with an undergraduate background in Computer Science, Spanish Language, and Studio Art. Madison has applied her passions for empiricism, software development and design in the tech industry for over a decade. She has worked as a professional UX Researcher, Data Scientist, and Web Designer at a diverse range of businesses, helping teams from small start-ups to large corporations, including Google. Societal wellbeing and intersectional empowerment is the north star of Madison’s career, and there are clear connections between her clinical and cognitive backgrounds and Mana’s holistic planning model and client-centered approach. Madison believes that better user experiences are made possible with better research and design, and loves using her creative energy and scientific mind in the world of financial life planning. Beyond work, Madison takes her problem-solving skills to the mountains and ocean, and enjoys mentoring other outdoor enthusiasts. She is an avid skier, climber, trail runner, and surfer.