The Wisdom Dove Group at Morgan Stanley

Brendan Dove co-founded the Wisdom Dove Group at Morgan Stanley with the intention of helping individuals and families preserve, grow, and ultimately transfer their wealth through thoughtful, goals-based planning. He provides personalized advice, consistent communication, and a disciplined framework designed to help clients remain focused on their long-term objectives, even as markets and life circumstances evolve.

Prior to joining Morgan Stanley, Brendan worked at J.P. Morgan for over 15 years. In 2021, he partnered with Pragya Acharya and Courtney Benavides to establish the Wisdom Dove Group at Morgan Stanley in order to gain access to the firm’s broad and deep platform of resources, where he continues to serve clients as an Executive Director and Alternative Investments Director. Most recently, Brendan was honored in 2025 by Forbes as a Best-In-State Wealth Advisor.*

A CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER^® professional, Brendan graduated from Wake Forest University with a Bachelor of Science in Business.

Outside the office, he enjoys golf, fishing, hunting, and perfecting Texas-style barbecue. Brendan and his wife, Brittany, live in Dallas with their three children.

*2025 Best-In-State Wealth Advisors
Source: Forbes.com (Awarded 2025) Data compiled by SHOOK Research LLC based 12-month time period concluding in June of year prior to the issuance of the award.

Pragya Acharya is a Senior Vice President and Financial Advisor with the Wisdom Dove Group at Morgan Stanley, bringing more than 15 years of financial services experience to her clients. She specializes in helping individuals and families navigate complex financial decisions through thoughtful, goals-based wealth planning designed to preserve, grow, and ultimately transfer wealth across generations.

Pragya co-founded the Wisdom Dove Group alongside Brendan Dove and Courtney Benavides with a shared vision: to deliver personalized advice, disciplined portfolio strategy, and consistent communication that empowers clients to remain focused on their long-term objectives—even as markets and life circumstances evolve.

The team was recently recognized among the Forbes Best-In-State Wealth Management Teams for 2026,* ranking in the Top 100, underscoring its commitment to excellence in client service and outcomes.

Born and raised in Nepal, Pragya immigrated to the United States with her husband in 2002 to pursue higher education. She began doctoral studies in Sociology at Texas A&M University before choosing to pause her academic path to focus on raising her two children. Prior to joining Morgan Stanley in 2021, Pragya spent a decade at JPMorgan Chase, where she advanced to Private Client Advisor, she launched her career in financial services at where her analytical training and deep understanding of human behavior became foundational to her advisory approach.

Her background in sociology informs her of the way she works with clients, recognizing that financial decisions are never just about numbers, but about values, family dynamics, risk tolerance, and legacy.

She is committed to building trust-based, long-term partnerships and providing clarity during times of both opportunity and uncertainty.

Pragya is also a Charter Member of the International Athens Collin Lions Club, where she is actively involved in charitable initiatives and community service. A significant focus of her volunteer efforts includes advancing financial literacy education for women—helping equip them with the knowledge and confidence to make informed financial decisions and build long-term security.

She is based in Dallas, where she lives with her husband and their two children. Outside of work, she enjoys spending time with family and friends, hiking, traveling, and exploring new cultures.

At the heart of her work is a simple belief: financial confidence creates freedom—and with the right guidance, families can build not only wealth, but legacy.

*Source: Forbes.com (Awarded January 2026). This ranking was determined based on an evaluation process conducted by SHOOK Research LLC (the research company) in partnership with Forbes (the publisher) for the period 3/31/24–3/31/25.

For more than 40 years, Barbara Crabtree has guided individuals and families as they prepare for and navigate retirement. She begins every relationship by listening—taking the time to understand each client’s goals, concerns and vision for the future—then designs a personalized wealth plan intended to help turn those priorities into practical next steps. “It’s my job to do the worrying so you don’t have to,” she explains, underscoring her commitment to clear communication and long-term partnership.

Barby entered the industry in 1978 and has remained with the firm through every evolution into today’s Morgan Stanley. Her decades of market insight, combined with the rigorous training required to earn the CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER^® certification and her designation as a Financial Planning Specialist, enable her to deliver thoughtful guidance on investments, income strategies and comprehensive planning considerations.

Service extends beyond the office. Barby co-chairs the Morgan Stanley Dallas Women’s Network and has been an active member of the Zonta Club of Dallas for more than 20 years, advocating for the empowerment of women and girls locally and worldwide. Away from work she enjoys cooking, traveling, Pilates and time at her Texas Hill Country retreat with her partner Sid, their two dogs and three cats.

Alicia Blencke is a Senior Vice President and Financial Advisor who is passionate about helping individuals and families pursue greater confidence in their financial futures. Fascinated by the markets since childhood, Alicia combines analytical skill with a relationship-driven style, taking the time to understand each client’s goals, values and concerns before recommending strategies. She believes that deeper insight leads to more thoughtful decisions and strives to make every conversation clear, collaborative and reassuring.

Drawing on more than 20 years of investment‐focused experience, Alicia seeks to guide clients through life’s transitions—whether preparing for retirement, funding education, or planning a legacy. Her team approach brings a range of perspectives to the planning process, helping to create comprehensive strategies aligned with what matters most to each client. Alicia’s favorite moments are face-to-face meetings where she can celebrate progress and adjust plans as clients’ lives evolve.

Committed to giving back, Alicia supports the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, Doctors Without Borders, the North Texas Food Bank and The Trevor Project. Away from the office, she enjoys lake time and travel with her wife, Nancy, and their lively dogs, Molly and Stella.

Emily joined Morgan Stanley in the autumn of 2020 and has enjoyed working with clients to create customized solutions for their individual financial situations. As a former educator, Emily understands the importance of working with clients to educate, help, and empower them to steward their finances well. Her own greatest assets are the relationships she builds with her clients. Together she and her clients are able to build on that relational foundation to identify goals and make plans for the future.

Courtney began her career in 2014 after earning her business degree. She later served as a Private Client Banker and then an Investment Representative at JPMorgan Chase, where she deepened her knowledge of banking, lending and investments. In 2021, she joined Morgan Stanley’s Wisdom Dove Group alongside teammates Brendan and Pragya, providing planning insights, portfolio support and attentive service.

A FINRA-registered representative, Courtney holds the Series 7, 6 and 66 licenses, is an Insurance-licensed professional, and has earned the designation of Financial Planning Specialist. She graduated from Oklahoma State University with a B.S. in Business Management and a minor in Marketing.

Originally from Flower Mound, Courtney now lives in Allen, Texas, with her husband, Alex, and their dog, Lucy. Away from the office, you’ll often find them cheering on OSU football, exploring local patios or planning their next travel adventure.

Stephanie joined the firm in July 1999 as an associate working for a large portfolio manager in the Dallas complex. While in this role, she gained tons of experience researching stocks, building spreadsheets to monitor daily performance, creating financial, retirement and educational plans for client meetings and assisting clients with their banking and technology needs. She also worked for other advisors throughout the complex and gained extensive knowledge in branch generated stock plans (heavy trading), assistant syndicate coordinator, estate planning and running LifeView goal analysis plans.

Stephanie transferred to the bank side in October 2007 to work for Citi Trust as an Assistant Trust Officer. Citi had just installed new trust technology and her first project consisted of transferring all the old data to the new system and then training the trust team on the new technology. When Citi Trust sold their trust division in October 2013, Stephanie transferred back to the brokerage side and has been in the Dallas complex since then.

Stephanie’s hobbies include learning new technology, bank fishing, watching Marvel movies, making homemade glazed pecans, and weekend video calls with her family. She is also a Veteran and enjoys researching new veteran benefits and then sharing the details with her husband Michael and two sons who are also veterans. Stephanie was born and raised in Maryland but after 25+ years now considers Texas her home.