Montage Group of Silicon Valley at Morgan Stanley

Greg is Founder and Managing Partner of the Montage Group. He grew up in Silicon Valley, which afforded him the opportunity to be surrounded by world-changing start-ups, affluent individuals, and venture capitalists. He learned firsthand about the multi-dimensional aspects of accumulating, preserving, and distributing wealth, which he now shares with his clients.

One of Greg’s many areas of focus is Equity Compensation. He enjoys educating both novices and veterans on how to maximize the value of what is often a large portion of their net worth. This includes the many ways to diversify out of different holdings and the value of having a well thought out plan. Providing resources and investment strategies to address the often-confusing tax implications are woven into clients’ financial plans.

Greg’s first job was pulling weeds in 3rd grade at the local shopping center. From there, he refereed various sports activities, worked at a local campground, and mastered all facets of the food service industry. These experiences cultivated a strong work ethic which enabled him to save his first few nickels and begin his investment journey. After graduating from UCLA with dual degrees in economics and business, Greg went straight into the financial advising business. He has been helping families achieve their goals ever since.

At Morgan Stanley, he holds the titles of Senior Vice President and has earned Morgan Stanley designations of Workplace Advisor, Family Wealth Advisor and Senior Portfolio Management Director – all of which required extensive advanced training. And quite often the firm calls on him for training many top advisors on various advanced strategies.

Greg and his wife Tricia split their time between The Bay Area and San Diego. They have two adult daughters both of whom are seeking advanced degrees. Greg enjoys spending time outdoors—especially on the golf course and soccer field. He is an enthusiast for many sports and plans to get back into youth coaching someday, but for now gives back through The Positive Coaching Alliance in addition to various other charitable organizations.

Danielle has always been a planner.

She grew up in Silicon Valley, fortunate to attend Archbishop Mitty High School, which gave her a better understanding of lifestyle disparity. Be it financially or emotionally, many of her classmates struggled while others did not. She fit somewhere in between, developing a certain empathy for both. She realized, she says, that even those who seemed to have it all, often did not. “Empathy” would later become a fundamental part of her Financial Planning practice.

Danielle also planned carefully for her athletic routines and getting into college. Until early adulthood, she competed across the country in world class artistic roller-skating competitions. At Santa Clara University, she graduated Magna Cum Laude, studying business and economics. She paid for college almost exclusively via grants, scholarships, and student loans, and is now a member of the University’s Alumni Association.

Her first job was as a financial advisor at a Trust and Investment firm, reading more estate planning documents than one could ever imagine. In 2006, she connected with Greg Royse, and a partnership was born.

Danielle’s knowledge about financial planning is deep and wide. She holds many industry certifications, which reflects her drive to constantly learn and better the lives of clients and their families. Please see below for explanations about those certifications.

She and her husband have four children and a miniature Bernedoodle named Tilly. The family attends and participates in multiple sporting events, with hockey, soccer, and softball topping their list. In 2024, she was named to the prestigious award of the Forbes Top Women Wealth Advisors Best-In-State.

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CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ (CFP) – Considered one of the top financial advisor credentials, the designation indicates she has taken the coursework and passed a rigorous exam, while refreshing the certification annually with continuing education.

CERTIFIED DIVORCE & FINANCIAL ANALYST™ (CDFA) – Indicates her understanding of financial issues for divorce cases, which includes the financial implications of different divorce settlement proposals.

CHARTERED SPECIAL NEEDS CONSULTANT™ (ChSNC) – Designation indicating her understanding of the unique considerations in planning for special needs families and caring for their loved ones. In helping these families formulate strategies—with honesty, integrity, compassion, and the right answers—she can guide them through the unique circumstances of estate planning, special needs trusts, life insurance, tax deductions, healthcare issues, and more.

ACCREDITED DOMESTIC PARTNERSHIP ADVISOR (ADPA) – Designation that focuses on the unique investment planning needs of couples who are considered unmarried under state law, federal law, or both.

WORKPLACE ADVISOR - A Morgan Stanley title, it indicates she’s had advance training in assisting clients regarding their grants/awards, vesting events, restricted stock units, and overall workplace benefits.

Awards Disclosure:
Named to 2024 Forbes Top Women Wealth Advisors Best-In-State Source: Forbes.com (Awarded February 2024) Data compiled by SHOOK Research LLC based on time period from 9/30/22 - 9/30/23.

Mike has the Morgan Stanley designation of “Family Wealth Advisor.” As such, he works with clients who want to protect and grow their wealth across generations, based on their family’s goals and values. It’s an area he’s both passionate about, and sensitive to, given the highly personal aspects of a family’s life.

Part of the process may include Mike facilitating family conversations. Nothing is assumed. He speaks about the complexities of transferring wealth, creates a safe space to discuss differing perspectives, and ultimately advises on specific investment and estate planning strategies. All of which is designed to perpetuate meaningful and engaged lives.

Every conversation is approached with respect – and gentle humor. He’s not above telling bad dad jokes or offering awful puns. He recognizes that talking about life’s “what-ifs” can be anxiety provoking. Humor, he likes to say, can put people at ease, and can help build trust.

Mike was recruited by Morgan Stanley in 2009. Prior, he worked in Silicon Valley and had a career in journalism and media management. This, among other things, taught him how to distill complex concepts into easily accessible ideas, a skill quite useful in his current role.

He was born and raised in Kansas City. He spent most summers working at his grandfather’s powdered egg facility. He went west for college, undergrad – with wild hair – at UC Berkeley, and MBA – with short hair – at Stanford’s Graduate School of Business.

He's an avid cyclist, swimmer, and yoga enthusiast (the latter allows for the two former) and has served on several non-profit boards. His wife Patty is a psychologist. They live in Palo Alto, where they raised their four sons and many dogs.

When it comes to both politics and finance, Suna has always had an international perspective.

She was born and raised in the beautiful city of Istanbul, Turkey, and earned her undergraduate degree at Bilkent University in the country's capital of Ankara. She majored in international relations and economics and gained a strong understanding of global politics, world history, and international financial markets. Her career in finance began in 2004 as an international corporate banker.

After moving with her husband to the Bay Area in 2006, Suna obtained a Diploma Degree in International Business at UC Berkeley. In 2013, she became a financial advisor, and in 2023, joined Morgan Stanley. Her clients are like extended family to her, and she ensures that their decisions are consistent with their goals, risk tolerance, and concerns.

In addition, she goes over four key concerns:

- Preserving wealth
- Being tax-smart
- Generational planning
- Charitable giving

Suna is a Certified Financial Planner (CFP^®), which is considered one of the top financial advisor credentials. She speaks four languages – English and Turkish fluently, and German and French conversationally.

In her free time, she enjoys traveling and spending time with her family, husband Jonathon, daughters Ava and Sara, and their goldendoodle, Tarcin, which means "cinnamon" in English.

Jezza is an Assistant VP and Business Development Director and has been in the financial industry since 2011. She spearheads business development for our team and works closely with clients on executive and equity compensation. She has a degree in Economics from Cal State East Bay.

Prior to joining Morgan Stanley in 2019, Jezza held positions as a Private Client Investment Associate at J.P. Morgan, and as an Advisor Associate at BancWest Investment Services.

When not in the office, she enjoys hiking, playing sports, blowing off steam doing Mixed Martial Arts, and volunteering at various non-profit organizations.

Justin is The Montage Group’s Director of Investments and the team’s lead portfolio strategist. He does research and analysis to make sure your investment strategies give you the best chance of achieving your unique goals. He’s been in the business since 2009, and has worked at Merrill Lynch, Stifel Nicolaus, and UBS. He joined Morgan Stanley in 2015.

Justin grew up in Los Angeles, moving to the Bay Area to earn his bachelor’s degree in Finance from Santa Clara University. While not working, Justin enjoys hiking, cycling, rock climbing, basketball, tennis, and golf. In addition, he likes to spend time at beaches and parks, getting lost in museums, watching live theater, viewing movies, being a food and restaurant enthusiast, and rooting for his favorite professional sports teams.

Vanessa started working while in high school as a salesclerk at the bag and purse company Coach. She describes her younger self as “super shy” and was quite tentative when approaching customers. Over the years, though, she learned how to engage and connect with her customers by listening and asking questions about themselves.

In 2012, and for the next nine years, Vanessa worked as a bank teller for Citibank. While still there as a full-time employee, she completed her bachelor’s degree in business from Cal State East Bay. She had two goals at the time: Learn more about the financial industry. And help her family overcome financial hardships. She successfully did both, creating a very strong work ethic.

All of which impressed the Montage Group at Morgan Stanley, which she joined in 2021 as a Client Service Associate. When clients call, she’s likely the one who picks up, and it seems, always with a smile, and often creating meaningful connections.

Outside of work, Vanessa loves spending time with her French bulldogs, Milo and Beau. She’s obsessed with traveling around Europe and learning more about its history, culture and architecture. She also loves being in nature and visiting national parks like Sequoia and Yosemite.

Jessalyn was raised by hard-working immigrants in San Jose who didn’t have a lot of money. Because of this, it was a priority for her to raise cash in every way possible including selling candy bars and homemade lunches at school. With interest in the kitchen, she began working in fast food to help the family’s finances. When she was 21, her mom passed away, and her income became even more crucial to her dad and siblings. Working her way up the food chain, she became a manager at McDonald’s, followed by a couple other restaurants. After completing her Hospitality Management program at Mission College, she was hired by Facebook/Meta cafes where she was a Head Chef.

Over the next 13 years and working several jobs at once, she decided it was time to try something else. That “something else” turned out to be going back to school. She enrolled and completed an intensive, one-year technology training program with Mission College called “Year Up” where she gained experience in Data Analytics and Program Management. She was then matched for an internship at E*TRADE by Morgan Stanley in Menlo Park. In 2024, she was introduced to the Montage Group, where she is now a Client Service Associate.

In her spare time, Jessalyn delights in spending time with her family, dog Milo, and baby tortoises Raphael and April. Jessalyn enjoys working out, participating in group fitness classes, and going to the beach. She also likes to satisfy her sweet tooth with tasty desserts. No surprise for a former chef. Her current favorite is the Lady M chocolate cake, but that can always change. Be sure to ask when you talk with her.