The Athena Alliance Group at Morgan Stanley

Maria Shtabskaya makes a lasting impression on everyone she meets with her lightheartedness, insight, guidance and hard work. She is a local West Hollywood resident who has established herself over the past 19 years as a valuable financial advisor at the Morgan Stanley Wealth Management branch in Beverly Hills. Maria is a sought out, featured guest speaker where she educates and motivates the members of many organizations she serves. She continues to give back to her community and has been recognized by Kidsave, Cops 4 Causes and the City of West Hollywood. Many clients seek her knowledge and experience with their investments through funds gained by inheritance, divorce settlements or personal injury settlements. She also helps with retirees and those close to retiring, anyone who has a 401(k), real estate financing or cash management questions that need her support and help. When asked why she does the work that she does, Maria says, “My goal is to help you become a better investor by paying attention to your life and listening to your specific needs. When you work with me at Morgan Stanley, I utilize some of the smartest minds on Wall Street to help provide you with a proper investment strategy based on suitability.” This commitment to client success recently earned Maria the “2015, 2016, and 2017 Five Star Wealth Advisor” recognition by Los Angeles Magazine, the definitive resource on the people and culture that define Los Angeles.

My individual website: https://fa.morganstanley.com/maria.shtabskaya/index.htm

Rebecca Beck grew up in a small town in Washington state where she learned the value of hard work and determination. Rebecca began
her working career as a teenager on the construction side with her father, which led to an internship at the Washington State Patrol Aviation Unit where she cleaned and waxed airplanes. From there she got an internship at the United Nations, and shortly thereafter got her first job in the wealth management industry as an entry level position at a Registered Investment Advisory firm. Management saw her potential and recognized her hard work. Within a matter of years, she was promoted to an Associate Vice President. Rebecca is now a Financial Advisor at Morgan Stanley in their Beverly Hills office and holds licenses in General Securities (Series 7), Investment Advisor (Series 66) and SIE. Rebecca also graduated with her master’s degree in Wealth Management from Columbia University.

In 2023, Rebecca and Maria Shtabskaya joined together and founded The Athena Group at Morgan Stanley to accommodate underserved communities with their wealth management needs and financial planning. This female led group works with successful women in business, female executive leaders, entrepreneurs, and established business innovators. Rebecca and Maria assist and support clients in the startup and entrepreneurial field as well as established business owners who benefit from The Athena Group’s experience as they navigate their burgeoning business from growth to exit.

For Rebecca, the most important part of wealth management is the client experience and ensuring a holistic approach to meeting their long-term and short-term goals. Rebecca understands her clients have worked hard to get where they are, and they deserve confidence when it comes to their finances. Rebecca and her team center their approach on an individual client basis by evaluating their unique goals to see them to and through retirement.

In addition to her work at Morgan Stanley, Rebecca is active in her community and regularly volunteers in her off time. She packaged food for elderly seniors during the pandemic in collaboration with Hollywood Food Coalition and Hollywood Harvest. She previously sat on the programming board for StartOut where she helped organize events for LGBTQ Startups. She is currently a board member of PodShare for Social Good which helps keep newly emancipated foster youth stay housed and get much needed services.

Rebecca found her passion for wealth management when she saw how underrepresented communities were not getting the level of service they needed and deserved. She saw how few female advisors there were in the industry, and she wanted to be part of the shifting demographic. Rebecca says the reason she is in this industry is simple “Our clients work hard their entire lives and deserve to have someone looking out for their best interest when it comes to financial planning and wealth management. This means having a plan in place and constantly reassessing their goals, which gives them confidence and clarity when it comes to their financial future.”

Rebecca currently resides in Playa Vista, California with her family and enjoys rock climbing and making art in her spare time.