Alessia Wealth Management Group

Jason Friedman works closely with the team’s clients to develop highly customized, holistic wealth management solutions to address the complex challenges of managing significant, multigenerational wealth.
A CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER,™ Jason, has been named by Forbes as one of New York's "Best-In-State Private Wealth Advisors" from 2020 through 2024. Jason has also earned the Morgan Stanley Senior Investment Management Consultant and Family Wealth Director designations. He began his career at Morgan Stanley in 2003 and became a partner with The Alessia Group in 2008. Jason received his B.A. from the honors college at the University of Maryland. He went on to earn his MBA at NYU’s Stern School of Business in 2007, where he was elected Beta Gamma Sigma, a distinction awarded to the top 15% of business school graduate students. Born and raised in New York, Jason and his wife, Fara, live in Scarsdale, NY with their two sons.

​2020-2024 Forbes Best-In-State Private Wealth Advisors
Source: Forbes.com (Awarded 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024). Data compiled by SHOOK Research LLC based 12-month time period concluding in June of year prior to the issuance of the award.

Often working with younger members of the team’s multigenerational clients, Larry Rhea, A CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™, was named by Forbes as one of New York's "BEST-IN-STATE NEXT GEN Wealth Advisors" in 2022, 2023, and 2024 for his work in creating highly customized and holistic wealth management solutions. Prior to joining The Alessia Group in 2015, Larry began his career as an Analyst in Morgan Stanley’s Wealth Advisor Associate program. During this time, he was responsible for modeling financial planning solutions for Morgan Stanley’s top New York City advisors and their clients. Larry received his B.S. in business management and finance from Fordham University’s Gabelli School of Business, where he also earned Patriot League Academic All-American honors while lettering four years on Fordham’s football team. A proud alum, he currently serves on Fordham University's Alumni Association Advisory Board. Larry is also a passionate member of Morgan Stanley's Multicultural Employee Networking Groups business strategy and membership committee. Larry and his wife, Kristin, live in Pelham, NY with their son and daughter.

​Forbes America’s Top Next-Gen Wealth Advisors & Top Next-Gen Wealth Advisors Best-in-State
Source: Forbes.com (Awarded 2022, 2023 & 2024). Data compiled by SHOOK Research LLC based on 12-month period concluding in Mar of the year the award was issued.

Leveraging many years of experience, Sophie Klepner has provided comprehensive wealth management solutions tailored to the needs of families, women, and the next generation since 2016. With a strong focus on empowerment and education, she prides herself on helping her clients make confident and well-informed decisions on consequential matters.

Working to develop a robust understanding of each client’s needs and ambitions, Sophie creates and maintains highly customized strategies that range from estate and tax planning to investment management and generational wealth transfers. She works diligently to simplify her clients’ financial lives and make sure that their portfolios remain aligned with their evolving needs and aspirations.

Prior to joining The Alessia Group in 2024, Sophie served as a Senior Wealth Strategy Associate at UBS. She graduated from the University of Miami with a bachelor’s degree in business administration and went on to earn designations as a Certified Investment Management Analyst (CIMA^®), Certified Divorce Financial Analyst (CDFA^®) and Chartered Retirement Planning Counselor (CRPC^®).

Sophie grew up in Blue Bell, Pennsylvania and attended Germantown Academy. She currently resides in Brooklyn with her husband, Marc, and their dog, Monty. An avid dog and art lover, you can always find her at the local dog park or exploring galleries and museums throughout New York.

NMLS#2658577

Olivia Cohen, CDFA^®, CRPC^®
Financial Advisor

Drawing on six years of experience in the financial services industry, Olivia Cohen crafts customized wealth solutions for a diverse clientele of high-achieving families and individuals. She enjoys working with all members of her client families, particularly empowering women to help make informed wealth planning decisions and educating younger generations in financial literacy.

Olivia places communication at the center of her practice. She seeks to gain an in-depth understanding of what is most important to each client so she can customize strategies to support their specific needs and aspirations. Combining her own perspective with the vast resources of the firm, Olivia delivers comprehensive plans that are rooted in investment strategy, but often span estate and tax planning strategies, insurance, cash management, borrowing, and virtually every other aspect of her clients’ lives.

Prior to joining the Alessia Wealth Management team at Morgan Stanley in 2024, Olivia served as a Wealth Strategy Associate at UBS. She graduated from the University of Miami, majoring in marketing and finance, and has been working to expand her professional knowledge ever since. She holds designations as a Chartered Retirement Planning Counselor (CRPC^®) and a Certified Divorce Financial Analyst (CDFA^®).

Olivia is an active fundraiser and supporter of the University of Pennsylvania’s Abramson Cancer Center, where both of her parents underwent treatment. Born in Philadelphia and raised in Voorhees, New Jersey, Olivia now resides on the Upper West Side of Manhattan with her fiancé, Jacob, and their sheepadoodle, Otis. She loves trying restaurants throughout New York City and spending time outdoors playing tennis and skiing.

Gianna Palazzo, a Vice President and Group Director for The Alessia Group, supports the team's advisors and clients by finding solutions to complex administrative issues and contributing to a warm, professional and responsive service environment. Gianna develops, implements, and manages various business processes required to achieve the team's overall strategy by focusing on our overall level of service and helping ensure a superior client experience. Gianna began her career at Morgan Stanley in 2000 and joined The Alessia Group in 2005. She received her B.A. in psychology from Brooklyn College. Born and raised in Brooklyn, New York, Gianna resides in New York City with her partner, Jason.

Jeanne Competiello, an Assistant Vice President and Director of Investments for The Alessia Group, is tasked with designing and producing strategy reports and synthesizing client data to develop customized financial plans. Jeanne also focuses on producing tailored reports for clients and implementing investment strategies in a tax and fee efficient manner using the robust Morgan Stanley platform.  Jeanne began her career at Morgan Stanley in 2011 after receiving her B.S. in business administration and marketing from Wagner College. Born and raised in Staten Island, New York, Jeanne currently resides in New York City with her husband Billy.

Cassidy Kaznowski supports the team’s efforts to deliver an outstanding service experience to each and every one of their clients. Cassidy began her career at Morgan Stanley in 2021 and graduated from Monmouth University in 2020 with a degree in Psychology. Cassidy has two corgi puppies named Cooper and Andi and has a deep love of pets. Cassidy also enjoys reading, learning new things and is a cheerleading coach for local 9 and 10-year-olds.