

West Coast Acorn at Morgan Stanley

Our Mission Statement
Our Story and Services
Your drive and determination have fueled your trajectory of success. The wealth you have earned along the way is not just a measure of your accomplishments, it is a means of achieving the future you envision for yourself and your family.
At The West Coast Acorn Group, we understand the sweat and sacrifice that has gotten you to where you are today. We are committed to helping you not only preserve what you've built, but also plan for your next adventure, ambition or aspiration. As a financial advisory team consisting of a man and two women, and two of us being a CERTIFIED FINANICAL PLANNER™ professional, we lead with empathy and believe in a relationship-driven, planning-forward approach to wealth management.
Like you, our strength lies in our diversity. Each of us brings a different perspective and our unique mix of pragmatism, compassion, attention to detail, and big picture thinking helps ensure the advice and guidance we offer is balanced and aligned with your best interests.
Your time is a precious asset and, with so many demands on it, you may have little to spare for untangling the complexities and nuances of your finances. We are here to manage the many facets of your financial life, to help bring clarity to your decision-making and simplify wealth management.
Like everything we do, choosing the acorn as our symbol was the result of careful thought and deliberation. Appearing only on trees that have survived for 20 to 50 years, acorns symbolize patience and perseverance. They represent unlimited potential, each containing within it all that is needed to transform into a mighty oak, which is associated with strength, stability and longevity—the qualities we strive to bring to your financial life.
AWARDS & RECOGNITIONS:
- 2025 Forbes Top Women Wealth Advisors Best-In-State (Catherine DePuy)
- 2024-2025 Forbes Best-In-State Wealth Management Teams (Team)
- 2020-2024 Five Star Wealth Manager Award (Catherine DePuy)
- 2024 Five Star Wealth Advisor Award (Josh Fong)
DISCLOSURES:
- Source: Forbes.com (Awarded Feb 2025) Data compiled by SHOOK Research LLC for the period 9/30/23 - 9/30/24.
- Source: Forbes.com (Awarded 2024-2025). Data compiled by SHOOK Research LLC based on 12-month time period concluding in March of year prior to the issuance of the award.
- Source: fivestarprofessional.com (Awarded 2015-2018, 2020-2024) These awards were determined through an evaluation process conducted by Five Star Professional, based on objective criteria, during the following periods: 2024 Award - 2/13/24 - 8/30/24, 2023 Award - 2/13/23 - 8/31/23, 2022 Award - 3/7/22 - 9/2/22, 2021 Award - 2/8/21 - 9/10/21, 2020 Award - 3/2/20 - 9/25/20, 2018 Award - 3/12/18 - 9/28/18, 2017 Award - 3/9/17 - 9/27/17, 2016 Award - 4/22/16 - 9/30/16, 2015 Award - 5/7/15 - 10/5/15
- This award was issued in 2024. The award was determined based on an evaluation process conducted by Five Star Professional based on objective criteria from 2/13/24 through 8/30/24.
- Financial PlanningFootnote1
- Wealth PlanningFootnote2
- Estate Planning StrategiesFootnote3
- Stock Plan ServicesFootnote4
- Stock Option PlansFootnote5
- Planning for Education FundingFootnote6
- 529 PlansFootnote7
- Retirement PlanningFootnote8
- Cash Management and Lending ProductsFootnote9
- Fixed IncomeFootnote10
- Structured ProductsFootnote11
- Wealth ManagementFootnote12
Location
Meet West Coast Acorn
About Catherine DePuy
Catherine began her career as a Senior Research Analyst at Morgan Stanley in 1991. Prior to re-joining Morgan Stanley in 2010, Catherine served in two positions as Vice President of Equity Research, first at Josephthal, Lyon and Ross and then at The Buckingham Research Group. These experiences contributed to her deep understanding of market movements and their impact on investment management in different economic environments.
Born in New York, Catherine earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration from Boston University, where she is a member of the Alumni Association. She currently resides in Redwood City with her three children and their English Bulldog. She has served on the board of the Burlingame Mother’s Club, United Methodist Church Nursery School and Ladera Community Association. In her spare time, she is actively involved in her kids’ school and sports activities.
NMLS#: 1265106
CA Insurance License #: 0F49491
About Joshua Fong
Josh began his career at Morgan Stanley in 2019 and joined the Silicon Valley Acorn group shortly thereafter. Prior to joining the firm, he worked in his family’s hospitality business, where he learned about the challenges and opportunities of entrepreneurship and the importance of attentive, white-glove service.
Outside of the office, Josh enjoys exploring the food scene, collecting sports and music memorabilia, and watching sports—from baseball and European football to Formula 1 racing. He also likes going for runs with his Australian shepherd, Jovi.
NMLS#: 1928509
About Kirsten Kinnan
In addition to advising the team’s corporate clients, Kirsten works closely with affluent families to understand their personal and financial circumstances, identify and prioritize their goals and develop comprehensive financial plans. As a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNERTM (CFP®), she approaches financial planning as an ongoing process. Kirsten knows clients’ plans need to evolve with them and reviews their progress and evaluates changes to help them reach their goals.
Kirsten began her career at Morgan Stanley working with a team of advisors who focused on corporate retirement services and individual retirement planning for executives. She was promoted into a Regional Specialist role, covering the West Coast as the Regional Retirement Director until 2012. She then spent six years as a retirement plan client advisor at JP Morgan and a retirement investment management consultant at BlackRock before returning to Morgan Stanley in 2018.
Kirsten earned a B.A. from the University of Washington and continues to live in Washington state. Based in Seattle, Kirsten and her husband, Bruce, have two children. In her free time, she enjoys traveling and spending time with family and friends.
NMLS#: 1976988
About Mike Lam
Mike earned Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from San Francisco University and holds Series 7 and 66 licenses. Mike lives in South San Francisco with his wife and enjoys trying new restaurants and planning the next travel adventure with her.

Contact Catherine DePuy

Contact Joshua Fong

Contact Kirsten Kinnan
The Power of Partnerships
About Ryan Brown
Private Bankers partner with Financial Advisors to develop a specialized approach for managing clients’ cash flow, liquidity and financing needs, while leveraging our comprehensive suite of cash management and lending solutions.
Ryan began his career in financial services in 2006, and joined Morgan Stanley in 2011 as an Associate Private Banker. Prior to joining the firm, he was a Licensed Premier Banker at Wells Fargo Bank, N.A.
Ryan is a graduate of the University of California at Irvine, where he received a Bachelor of Arts in International Studies and a minor in Management. He lives in Half Moon Bay, California with his family. Outside of the office, Ryan enjoys playing golf, road and mountain biking, and spending time with friends and family. He also volunteers his time as a youth sports coach and at several non-profit organizations.
About Rylan Nordquist
Associate Private Bankers partner with Private Bankers and Financial Advisors to develop a specialized approach for managing clients’ cash flow, liquidity and financing needs, leveraging our comprehensive suite of cash management and lending solutions.
Rylan began his career in financial services in 2012, and joined Morgan Stanley in 2022 as an Associate Private Banker. Prior to joining the firm, he was a Private Client Banker at JP Morgan Chase.
Rylan is a graduate of Le Moyne College in Syracuse New York, where he received a double Major of Bachelor Science in Finance and Management Analysis. He lives in Seattle, Washington with his wife, Emily. Outside of the office, Rylan enjoys playing music, hiking, boating, and spending time with family and friends.
About Sydney Milewski
She earned her undergraduate degree from the University of California, Santa Barbara and received the Financial Planning Specialist® designation from the College for Financial Planning. Sydney is originally from Los Angeles, CA and currently resides in New York, NY.
Portfolio Insights
Retirement
- 401(k) Rollovers
- IRA Plans
- Retirement income strategies
- Retirement plan participants
- Annuities
Investing
- Asset Management
- Wealth Planning
- Traditional Investments
- Alternative Investments
- Impact Investing
Family
- Estate Planning Strategies
- 529 Plans / Education Savings Planning
- Long Term Care Insurance
- Special Needs Planning
- Trust Services
Business Planning
- Succession Planning
- Business Planning
- Qualified Retirement Plans
Philanthropy
- Endowments
- Foundations
- Donor Advised Funds
- Impact Investing
Financial Wellness
- Reduce employee stress,
- Improve retention and engagement, and
- Set themselves apart by offering comprehensive financial wellness benefits.
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For more information, please see the Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC Client Relationship Summary.
2Morgan Stanley offers a wide array of brokerage and advisory services to its clients, each of which may create a different type of relationship with different obligations to you. Please consult with your Financial Advisor to understand these differences or review our Understanding Your Brokerage and Investment Advisory Relationships brochure available at www.morganstanley.com/wealth-relationshipwithms/pdfs/understandingyourrelationship.pdf.
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3Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC (“Morgan Stanley”), its affiliates and Morgan Stanley Financial Advisors and Private Wealth Advisors do not provide tax or legal advice. Clients should consult their tax advisor for matters involving taxation and tax planning and their attorney for matters involving trust and estate planning and other legal matters.
4Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC (“Morgan Stanley”), its affiliates and Morgan Stanley Financial Advisors or Private Wealth Advisors do not provide tax or legal advice. Clients should consult their tax advisor for matters involving taxation and tax planning and their attorney for legal matters.
5Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC (“Morgan Stanley”), its affiliates and Morgan Stanley Financial Advisors or Private Wealth Advisors do not provide tax or legal advice. Clients should consult their tax advisor for matters involving taxation and tax planning and their attorney for legal matters.
6When Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC, its affiliates and Morgan Stanley Financial Advisors and Private Wealth Advisors (collectively, “Morgan Stanley”) provide “investment advice” regarding a retirement or welfare benefit plan account, an individual retirement account or a Coverdell education savings account (“Retirement Account”), Morgan Stanley is a “fiduciary” as those terms are defined under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, as amended (“ERISA”), and/or the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 (the “Code”), as applicable. When Morgan Stanley provides investment education, takes orders on an unsolicited basis or otherwise does not provide “investment advice”, Morgan Stanley will not be considered a “fiduciary” under ERISA and/or the Code. For more information regarding Morgan Stanley’s role with respect to a Retirement Account, please visit www.morganstanley.com/disclosures/dol. Tax laws are complex and subject to change. Morgan Stanley does not provide tax or legal advice. Individuals are encouraged to consult their tax and legal advisors (a) before establishing a Retirement Account, and (b) regarding any potential tax, ERISA and related consequences of any investments or other transactions made with respect to a Retirement Account. Individuals should always check with their tax or legal advisor before engaging in any transaction involving 529 Plans, Education Savings Accounts and other tax-advantaged investments.
7Investors should consider many factors before deciding which 529 plan is appropriate. Some of these factors include: the Plan’s investment options and the historical investment performance of these options, the Plan’s flexibility and features, the reputation and expertise of the Plan’s investment manager, Plan contribution limits and the federal and state tax benefits associated with an investment in the Plan. Some states, for example, offer favorable tax treatment and other benefits to their residents only if they invest in the state’s own Qualified Tuition Program. Investors should determine their home state’s tax treatment of 529 plans when considering whether to choose an in-state or out-of-state plan. Investors should consult with their tax or legal advisor before investing in any 529 Plan or contact their state tax division for more information. Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC does not provide tax and/or legal advice. Investors should review a Program Disclosure Statement, which contains more information on investment options, risk factors, fees and expenses and possible tax consequences.
8When Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC, its affiliates and Morgan Stanley Financial Advisors and Private Wealth Advisors (collectively, “Morgan Stanley”) provide “investment advice” regarding a retirement or welfare benefit plan account, an individual retirement account or a Coverdell education savings account (“Retirement Account”), Morgan Stanley is a “fiduciary” as those terms are defined under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, as amended (“ERISA”), and/or the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 (the “Code”), as applicable. When Morgan Stanley provides investment education, takes orders on an unsolicited basis or otherwise does not provide “investment advice”, Morgan Stanley will not be considered a “fiduciary” under ERISA and/or the Code. For more information regarding Morgan Stanley’s role with respect to a Retirement Account, please visit www.morganstanley.com/disclosures/dol. Tax laws are complex and subject to change. Morgan Stanley does not provide tax or legal advice. Individuals are encouraged to consult their tax and legal advisors (a) before establishing a Retirement Account, and (b) regarding any potential tax, ERISA and related consequences of any investments or other transactions made with respect to a Retirement Account. Individuals should consult their tax advisor for matters involving taxation and tax planning and their attorney for matters involving trust and estate planning, charitable giving, philanthropic planning and other legal matters.
9Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC is a registered Broker/Dealer, Member SIPC, and not a bank. Where appropriate, Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC has entered into arrangements with banks and other third parties to assist in offering certain banking related products and services.
Investment, insurance and annuity products offered through Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC are: NOT FDIC INSURED | MAY LOSE VALUE | NOT BANK GUARANTEED | NOT A BANK DEPOSIT | NOT INSURED BY ANY FEDERAL GOVERNMENT AGENCY
10Fixed Income investing entails credit risks and interest rate risks. When interest rates rise, bond prices generally fall.
11Structured Investments are complex and not appropriate for all investors. An investment in structured investments involves risks. These risks can include but are not limited to: fluctuations in the price, level or yield of underlying asset(s), interest rates, currency values and credit quality, substantial loss of principal, limits on participation in appreciation of underlying asset(s), limited liquidity, credit risk, and/or conflicts of interest. Many structured investments do not pay interest or guarantee a return above principal at maturity. Investors should read the security’s offering documentation prior to making an investment decision.
12Morgan Stanley Wealth Management is the trade name of Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC, a registered broker-dealer in the United States.
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