In an era where professional silos often separate innovation from empathy, shannon reardon swanick emerges as a rare blend of financial expert, civic technologist, and community advocate. Her journey reflects a dynamic interplay between precision and purpose — a story of how one individual can catalyze meaningful impact across industries by staying true to core values.
Rooted in Values, Raised for Impact
Shannon’s story begins not in boardrooms or at pitch tables, but in the warm, supportive environment of a values-driven upbringing. Raised in a family that emphasized education, integrity, and service, she learned early that success wasn’t just about what you achieve — it’s about who you lift along the way.
Those lessons would shape every decision she made, from the classrooms where she studied psychology and communications, to the financial institutions where she built her early career.
From Finance to Forward Thinking
Shannon first made waves in the financial world, holding strategic positions at industry titans like MetLife, Wells Fargo, and BMO Harris. Her focus wasn’t just on helping clients grow their wealth — she sought to demystify finance for those often left behind. She blended technical expertise with heart, ensuring her clients felt both heard and empowered.
Today, she continues that work as a dual-registered financial adviser and broker at Pinnacle Asset Management, part of Pinnacle Bank in Atlanta. In this role, she offers holistic financial planning that prioritizes trust and transparency — rare traits in an often opaque industry.
The Civic Technologist Within
But shannon reardon swanick were never confined to balance sheets.
Driven by a passion for equity and inclusion, she ventured into civic technology. In founding the Community Data Initiative (CDI), Shannon gave cities the tools to ethically collect and leverage data for public good — a powerful counterbalance to the often extractive nature of digital surveillance.
Her latest endeavor, Neighborhood Signals, takes that mission a step further. Using low-impact sensors and storytelling platforms, the project provides communities with real-time insights into their own environments — from air quality to foot traffic — while fiercely protecting individual privacy. It’s smart city infrastructure, with a soul.
Championing Inclusion and Empowerment
Shannon is more than a leader; she is a mentor and advocate for systemic change. She hosts financial literacy workshops, volunteers with women’s empowerment groups, and consistently amplifies voices from marginalized communities.
Whether she’s mentoring young professionals or guiding clients toward financial independence, her impact is felt on both macro and micro levels.
A Philosophy That Powers Change
At the heart of shannon reardon swanick work lies a core belief: Professional excellence should serve the greater good. Her career is a masterclass in ethical leadership, where innovation is matched by intention, and where technology serves people — not the other way around.
She often speaks about “work-life integration” rather than balance, advocating for careers that don’t force compromise but instead reflect the totality of who we are. Her approach is refreshingly holistic, and it’s no surprise that her influence continues to grow across sectors.
Legacy in Motion
Shannon’s work has earned her a rightful place in lists like Fast Company’s 100 Most Creative People in Business, but accolades aren’t her motivation. What drives her is legacy — not the kind etched in stone, but the kind that ripples quietly through communities and lives.
She’s a builder — of systems, of trust, and of futures that are just and equitable.
Final Thoughts
In a world that too often asks us to choose between doing well and doing good, Shannon Reardon Swanick stands as proof that you can — and should — do both. Her journey from finance to civic tech is more than a career trajectory; it’s a roadmap for impactful living.
As she continues to innovate, educate, and advocate, one thing is clear: Shannon isn’t just shaping her own legacy — she’s helping others write theirs.