ALLRISE DC is a Washington, D.C.-based organization working to lift women's careers in financial services through mentoring, networking, and education.  ALLRISE DC was founded by Amy Friend, Senior Advisor to FS Vector and former Chief Counsel of the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, and Sally Miller, former CEO of the Institute for International Bankers.  They were inspired to act in response to their experiences leading women and appreciating the need for mentorship, as well as troubling data highlighting a significant drop-off of women mid-career in the sector.

ALLRISE DC hosts a speakers series on relevant topics, as well as breakfasts and happy hours where attendees at all levels of their careers can raise questions, seek guidance, and share advice in an informal setting and safe space.  The organization has grown organically over the past couple of years and enjoys broad support from women and men in financial services from the government, financial services companies — both traditional and fintechs — trade associations, law firms and consulting firms.  

Our Founders:

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Amy Friend, Co-Founder ALLRISE DC

Amy has over 25 years of experience shaping banking and consumer financial protection law and regulation.  Amy was Senior Deputy Comptroller and Chief Counsel at the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) from February 2013 to November 2017 where she served on the agency’s executive committee and oversaw all of the agency’s legal activities and licensing functions. Amy led the OCC’s strategic initiative on responsible innovation resulting in the establishment of the Office of Innovation and the fintech national bank charter. Previously, she held a number of positions in the US Congress, including Chief Counsel to the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs where she led the Committee’s work in responding to the financial crisis, including the Dodd-Frank Act, and Minority General Counsel to the House Committee on Financial Services. 

Amy currently serves as a senior advisor to FS Vector, an advisory firm that helps innovative financial companies with their compliance, business strategy and policy needs. She is on the board of directors for Varo Bank, the first fintech to become a nationally chartered mobile bank, and chairs the board of FinRegLab, a nonprofit that tests new technologies and data to inform policy and drive more inclusive financial services.

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Sally Miller, Co-Founder ALLRISE DC

Until April 2018, Sally was the CEO of the Institute of International Bankers (IIB), a trade association representing international banks conducting business in the US.  As CEO, Sally led the IIB’s advocacy efforts regarding the banking, broker-dealer, tax and BSA/AML issues faced by the IIB’s constituency.  In her seven plus year tenure, Sally managed the surge in the volume and complexity of regulation. Sally also strategically restructured the IIB, successfully positioning the association for long-term growth and viability, in part by boosting the IIB’s dues and program revenue by 44%. 

Before joining the IIB, Sally served as Senior Vice President at the ABA where she led regulatory implementation efforts regarding wholesale banking, asset management and brokerage on behalf of the banking industry. Her work during this time focused on corporate governance and executive compensation issues impacting publicly-traded banks of all sizes. Sally also served as Executive Director and General Counsel of ABASA, the ABA’s securities affiliate.

Since July 2019, Sally has served as a member of the Board of Directors of ROX Financial Inc., a technology driven asset manager disrupting the $16 trillion commercial real estate market with category defining NYSE listed securities that make targeted portfolios and single property investing accessible, transparent and liquid for everyone.