CYNTHIA DIBARTOLO, ESQ. is the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Tigress Financial Partners. She guides the overall strategy and direction of Tigress where she has parlayed her extensive corporate and securities experience into a new generation of mission-driven financial services firms. In her professional life, Cynthia has nearly 40 years of accomplishment-laden practice working in finance. She spent more than two decades aligned with Fortune 500 companies, driving achievements in revenue growth, brand expansion and new offerings. Her ability to set the overall vision and strategy for a company propelled her career spanning from Bear Stearns to Merrill Lynch to Smith Barney (now branded Morgan Stanley) and on to Citigroup. Her impressive track record in sales, compliance and risk management contributed significantly to the firms’ profitability. Cynthia is a 9/11 survivor who in 2009 become suddenly disabled after a battle with recurrent head and neck, This life challenge prompted her to found Tigress Financial Partners, the nation’s only certified disabled (DOBE) and woman-owned and operated (WBENC) financial services firm. Tigress is a fully licensed investment bank, broker dealer, NYSE floor broker and registered investment advisor dedicated to the principles of diversity and inclusion. Tigress offers Proprietary Research, Investment Banking, Sales & Trading, Capital Markets, Asset Management and Wealth Management services. Tigress offers distribution to institutional and high-net worth clients, In July 2021, Cynthia and Tigress Financial Partners made history becoming the first disabled and woman-owned floor broker and member of the New York Stock Exchange in the Big Board’s 229-yr history. In November 2022, Cynthia and Tigress became the first DOBE & WBENC firm to partner with BlackRock, the world's largest asset manager, to launch mission-driven cash management solutions that empowers Tigress’ institutional clients with the ability to mobilize their cash for positive social change. Cynthia was profiled by Forbes in their CEO Series in an article entitled “A Tigress in a Shark Tank.” Forbes described Cynthia as "one tenacious Tigress…her father’s words inspired her to pick herself up from tragedy and start a business. Both the woman and her story are unique, amazing and forcefully inspiring." Cynthia is committed to paying it forward. Cynthia holds extensive outside business affiliations. She serves of Rev. Jesse L. Jackson, Sr. She is the Founder & Chairperson of the Diversity Broker- Dealer & Asset Management Coalition, an advocacy and thought leadership group that strives for best practices in diversity and inclusion on behalf all certified diverse Broker-Dealers & Asset Managers. She was selected to the Executive Task Force for The Wall Street Journal: Women in the Economy, a select group of 200 influential CEOs, luminaries and subject- matter experts, chosen to create a business-based, action plan to address making better use of female talent to promote economic growth. She is currently Vice President of the Women’s Syndicate Association. In her role as Chairperson of the Greater NY Chamber of Commerce, representing the interests of more than 40,000 business and civic leaders, Cynthia served as a Business Leader to the White House Business Council for the Obama Administration. She shared the panel at the Comptrollers Summit with along with New York State Comptroller Tom DiNapoli, and New York City Comptroller Scott Stringer to discuss advancing diversity and inclusion in financial services. Cynthia also served as a Business Leader for New York State Governor’s Ten Points-Women’s Initiative, which aims to break down barriers to women's full participation in society and create a positive and sustainable meritocracy in business. She served as the leading business advocate for the NYC and NYS Minimum Wage Increase speaking before the Governor and members of the Senate, as well as the Mayor of New York City. As part of her mission, Cynthia provided Testimony to the Independent Democratic Conference of New York State on the issue of Campaign Finance Reform. She was the previous recipient of the Common Cause Champion of Democracy Award. Common Cause and it’s over 400,000 members are one of the most effective and respected organizations working for political change in America, seeking to restore the core values of American democracy and empower ordinary people to make their voices heard in the political process. She was the previous recipient of the Distinguished Leadership Award from A Better Balance, a national organization dedicated to advancing the rights of working families. Cynthia has written numerous op-ed articles that have been published in the NY TIMES, NY Times Digest and TIMES UNION on “Campaign Finance Reform”, “Providing Access to Capital for Small Business", “Increasing Minimum Wage” “Pregnant Workers Fairness Act” and “Women’s Equality”. Cynthia testified before House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi and Representative Carolyn Maloney on Paid Family Medical Insurance Leave. She participated along with Senator Kristen Gillibrand in the Women’s Economic Empowerment Summit. Cynthia provided testimony before a Congressional Briefing hosted by Senator Robert Casey, Senator Jeanne Shaheen and Congressman Jerry Nadler on Making Pregnancy Discrimination a Thing of the Past: The Pregnancy Discrimination Act at 35 & the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act, as well as, providing testimony to the Independent Democratic Conference of the New York State Senate Hearing on “Restoring the Voters’ Trust in New York State Government”. Cynthia was invited by Rev. Jessie L. Jackson, Sr., to serve as Chairperson for the Annual Wall Street Project Economic Summit and remains in that role for more than 10 years. She was also selected to serve on the Small Business Majority Summit at the White House. Cynthia testified at the White House on Campaign Finance Reform before the White House Office of Public Engagement and participated in the White House Leadership Summit along with Valarie Jarrett, Senior Advisor to the President and Ambassador Robert Holleyman, Deputy United States Trade Representative with respect to International Trade Policy. Cynthia testified before Congressional House Financial Services Committee on “Diversity Includes Disability: Exploring Inequities in Financial Services for Persons with Disabilities, Including Those Newly Disabled Due to Long-Term COVID”. Cynthia is among the fifty Wall Street seasoned professionals profiled in the book Transforming Wall Street: A Conscious Path for a New Future. The book combines fresh insight, intelligence, and experience from fifty leading Wall Street luminaries, together with a panel of academic experts and Teachers of Consciousness. Cynthia recently served as the inspirational keynote speaker on Resiliency for Morgan Stanley, Bloomberg LP, TIA, Caterpillar, Guggenheim Partners, Cognizant Technologies, and for numerous Unions, Public Pensions and Fortune 500 companies. She was of Counsel to Eaton & Van Winkle, LLP and is currently on the Board of Consultors for Villanova University, Charles Widger School of Law. Cynthia was recently appointed to the Advisor Board of the National Association of Securities Dealers (NASP where she previously served on the Board of Directors. Cynthia was named a Member of BNY Mellon | Pershing Minority Business Enterprise Council, as well as a former Member of the Board of Directors of Siebert Financial Corp (NASDAQ: SIEB). Cynthia was named a Congressional Nominee to West Point Military Academy. She attended Wagner College on Scholarship, graduating with Honors with a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and Theatre and went on to earn a Juris Doctorate from Villanova University, Charles Widger School of Law. She holds FINRA Series SIE, 7, 24, 63 and 99 Licenses. She was previously admitted to the New York, New Jersey and Connecticut State Bars. |