Getting Rich Together

Syama Bunten

By 2030, women are projected to inherit more than $30 trillion in wealth. That's power and possibility—but here's the catch: women still earn just 85 cents on the dollar, and we don't get a 15% discount when we shop. Financial literacy and confidence haven't kept up with the times. That's where Getting Rich Together comes in. I'm Syama Bunten. After my divorce, I wrote to fifty women asking to talk about money. Ninety-five percent said no. But the few who said yes changed everything. They became my wealth expanders—showing me new ways to think about money, power, and what's possible.

They were, in essence, my personal wealth catalysts -- something we can all be for each other as we unlock the wisdom inside. This podcast brings those conversations and that catalyst to you. Each week, you'll meet women across industries and backgrounds—investors, founders, leaders, and creatives—who are redefining wealth on their own terms. Their stories are here to expand your vision, unlock your wisdom, fuel your confidence, create a wealth catalyst in your own life, and remind you that wealth isn't built alone. It's built together.

  1. 3 DAYS AGO

    How to Stop Playing It Safe and Start Betting on Yourself with Shelley Kuipers, Co-Founder of The 51

    Join your host Syama Bunten as she sits down with Shelley Kuipers, a prolific investor, entrepreneur, and co-founder of The 51—a venture platform unlocking the economic potential of women across Canada.  From her unconventional upbringing as a forest ranger's daughter in Northern Alberta to becoming a tech industry pioneer in the late 80s, Shelley's journey is defined by calculated risk-taking and fierce independence.  After spending a decade treating someone else's company like her own, she learned a pivotal lesson: what would happen if she gave that same energy to herself? Since 1999, she's been exclusively a founder or co-founder, building ventures that challenge the status quo. Now, with The 51 growing from 75 women in her kitchen to 48,000 across Canada, Shelley is redefining who gets capital, who builds wealth, and what legacy truly means. Key Topics: Why working hard for someone else will always have a ceiling. How to break into industries that weren't built for you. What shifts in your relationship with money and legacy when you start thinking beyond yourself and toward future generations Why the most powerful wealth-building opportunity isn't competing for a slice of the existing pie. What it actually takes to build a movement from scratch. How to stop underestimating your own qualifications and start showing up as the capital steward you already are. Why passion projects hit differently once you have the skills, capital, and confidence to execute.   Connect with Shelley Kuipers online: Website: https://www.the51.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shelleykuipers/   Find more from Syama Bunten: Attend a Salon near you: wealthcatalyst.com/salons/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/syama.co/ Join Syama's Substack: https://thewealthcatalystwithsyama.substack.com/ Website: https://wealthcatalyst.com Download Syama's Free Resources: https://wealthcatalyst.com/resources Wealth Catalyst Summit: https://wealthcatalyst.com/summits Speaking: https://syamabunten.com Big Delta Capital: www.bigdeltacapital.com

    44 min
  2. 24 FEB

    Healing Our Relationship With Money with Sara Vetter

    In this deeply personal and expansive conversation, Syama Bunten sits down with Sara Vetter, CEO of the Soul of Money Institute and longtime partner to author and activist Lynne Twist, to explore how our earliest experiences with money shape who we become—and how healing that relationship can unlock purpose, power, and profound impact. Sara shares her journey from growing up in a wealthy but emotionally restrained family, through Silicon Valley affluence and personal collapse, to a spiritual awakening that redefined her life's work. Together, they unpack how silence around money, identity loss, illness, divorce, and reinvention ultimately led Sara to a soul-aligned relationship with wealth—one rooted in sufficiency, service, and embodiment. This episode is a masterclass in money as a mirror, leadership through vulnerability, and what becomes possible when women reclaim both their financial agency and their aliveness. Key Topics: How growing up with wealth but never discussing money created a lifetime pattern of financial avoidance and dependence The moment lupus, meningitis, and divorce became the catalyst for discovering spiritual awakening and authentic purpose Why feeling like a fraud in the beginning of your transformation is part of becoming who you're meant to be The power of showing up for yourself when no one else understands or supports your path of reinvention How leading others through uncharted territory reveals your own hidden strength and authentic voice Why bringing embodiment, pleasure, and play into serious wealth work creates sustainable transformation Why protecting our planet is the ultimate wealth strategy—no planet, no us   Connect with Sara online: Website: https://soulofmoney.org Support the Amazon: https://pachamama.org Find more from Syama Bunten: Attend a Salon near you: wealthcatalyst.com/salons/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/syama.co/ Join Syama's Substack: https://thewealthcatalystwithsyama.substack.com/ Website: https://wealthcatalyst.com Download Syama's Free Resources: https://wealthcatalyst.com/resources Wealth Catalyst Summit: https://wealthcatalyst.com/summits Speaking: https://syamabunten.com Big Delta Capital: www.bigdeltacapital.com

    52 min
  3. 17 FEB

    Building Wealth With Intention (Not Flash) with Dawn Dobras

    What does it really take to build wealth through discipline, strategy, and long-term thinking—while still creating meaningful impact? In this episode, Syama Bunten sits down with third-generation entrepreneur, C-level executive, and angel investor Dawn Dobras, whose career spans fashion retail, creative industries, and board leadership. Dawn shares how early lessons in financial literacy, competitive drive, and strategic planning shaped her rise from an entry-level role in fashion retail to investing in and mentoring female and diverse founders. This conversation isn't about flashy wins. It's about building financial security early, thinking like an operator, and using wealth as a tool to empower others and create lasting change. Key Topics: Chasing the entrepreneurial spirit from a very young age Maxing out the 401k as early as possible It's never too late to start investing and learning more about it Being a conversation starter about investing among women peers Owning your expertise and fully realizing your potential Getting more savvy about the investments you make Teaching kids to be productive and to always be moving forward every day Creating a butterfly effect to help others harness their power for exponential change   Connect with Dawn online: Website: https://www.capitalf.vc/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dawndobras Instagram: @dawndboras   Find more from Syama Bunten: Attend a Salon near you: wealthcatalyst.com/salons/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/syama.co/ Join Syama's Substack: https://thewealthcatalystwithsyama.substack.com/ Website: https://wealthcatalyst.com Download Syama's Free Resources: https://wealthcatalyst.com/resources Wealth Catalyst Summit: https://wealthcatalyst.com/summits Speaking: https://syamabunten.com Big Delta Capital: www.bigdeltacapital.com

    44 min
  4. 10 FEB

    The Long Game of Wealth: Real Estate, Risk, and Reinventing Life with Anne-Michelle Wand

    What does it really look like to build wealth—slowly, intuitively, and unapologetically on your own terms? In this episode, Syama Bunten sits down with real estate investor, developer, and global entrepreneur Anne-Michelle Wands, whose life story spans single motherhood, salon ownership, real estate mastery, and ultimately building a legacy in Panama. Anne-Michelle shares how she went from sleeping in a hallway with two young sons to owning multiple properties across the U.S., Hawaii, and Central America—by trusting herself, spotting gaps others missed, and choosing ownership again and again. This conversation isn't about overnight success. It's about resilience, intuition, and designing a life where money supports freedom—not the other way around. Key Topics: Breaking the Silence Around Women & Money Early Money Imprinting & Entrepreneurial Roots Nonlinear Paths to Wealth (Motherhood, Survival & Reinvention) From Employee to Owner: Building Businesses That Create Freedom Real Estate as a Wealth Multiplier Scaling from Local to Global Investing Lessons From Risk, Failure & Resilience Abroad Legacy Wealth & Purpose-Driven Investing Connect with Anne-Michelle Wand online: Website: https://www.passive-profit-partners.com/ LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/cr8grtsuccess?originalSubdomain=pa Find more from Syama Bunten: Attend a Salon near you: wealthcatalyst.com/salons/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/syama.co/ Join Syama's Substack: https://thewealthcatalystwithsyama.substack.com/ Website: https://wealthcatalyst.com Download Syama's Free Resources: https://wealthcatalyst.com/resources Wealth Catalyst Summit: https://wealthcatalyst.com/summits Speaking: https://syamabunten.com Big Delta Capital: www.bigdeltacapital.com

    46 min
  5. 3 FEB

    Why More Women Should Buy Businesses Instead of Start Them with Jeanne Wang

    What if building wealth didn't mean starting from scratch—or doing it alone? In this episode Syama sits down with investor, advisor, and mentor Jeanne Wang to explore a powerful (and still under-discussed) path to wealth: buying and operating existing businesses. Jeanne shares her journey from growing up in a small Pennsylvania farm town, to Wharton, to decades in private equity—before intentionally shifting her focus toward supporting women as owners, operators, and investors. Together, Shama and Jeanne unpack the emotional, financial, and identity-level decisions that shape women's wealth journeys, especially mid-career. This is a conversation about legacy, risk, confidence, and why women owning businesses isn't just good for returns—it's good for communities. Key Topics: Why signing bonuses and performance guarantees matter more than base salary in your first negotiation The power of choosing diverse experience and strong culture over the highest-paying job offer How to evaluate career opportunities through the lens of working with highly motivated people The critical difference between building a business from scratch and buying an established one How to build wealth through alternative assets while maintaining a risk-averse mindset The importance of financial literacy education and creating investment competitions with your family Why legacy is measured by the number of women you help into ownership, not personal accolades Connect with Jeanne Wang online: Website: https://www.villagesearchpartners.com  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeannewang1/    Find more from Syama Bunten: Attend a Salon near you: wealthcatalyst.com/salons/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/syama.co/ Join Syama's Substack: https://thewealthcatalystwithsyama.substack.com/ Website: https://wealthcatalyst.com Download Syama's Free Resources: https://wealthcatalyst.com/resources Wealth Catalyst Summit: https://wealthcatalyst.com/summits Speaking: https://syamabunten.com Big Delta Capital: www.bigdeltacapital.com

    44 min
  6. 27 JAN

    Breaking the Scarcity Mindset & Building a Business on Your Own Terms with April Uchitel, Founder of The Board

    April Uchitel is the founder of The Board, a pioneering fractional executive community connecting top-tier talent with brands that need specialized expertise. With a prolific 30-year career spanning Violet Grey, DVF, and leading tech startups, April has built some of the most coveted brands in fashion and beauty. Her journey from managing a Contempo Casuals in Boulder to running global sales strategy for multimillion-dollar companies is a testament to the power of relationships, resilience, and finally betting on yourself. In this conversation, April reveals how growing up watching her salesman father navigate feast-or-famine finances created a scarcity mindset that kept her at companies far too long—and how she finally broke free in her 50s to build her life's work. You'll discover the moment she realized equity matters more than salary, why she moved her family cross-country to chase freedom over titles, and how she's redefining what fractional work means for burned-out executives and growing companies alike. April shares why the future is fractional, how to ask for what you're worth when you don't know the game, and why surrounding yourself with community is the antidote to the isolation of entrepreneurship. Key Topics: How a scarcity mindset from childhood kept her in stable jobs too long—and cost her wealth The wake-up call that equity and ownership matter more than any salary increase Why she left a half-million-dollar CEO role to build something with true agency Moving from fear-based decision making to designing life on your own terms The fractional revolution—why specialized expertise beats bloated org charts Building a membership-based business that bootstraps without VC pressure Why community and human connection are your greatest competitive advantage Regulating yourself as a founder when the buck stops with you on everything   Connect with April online: Website: https://www.wearetheboard.co/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/april-uchitel-2b56b414/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/apriluchitel/?hl=en   Find more from Syama Bunten: Attend a Salon near you: wealthcatalyst.com/salons/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/syama.co/ Join Syama's Substack: https://thewealthcatalystwithsyama.substack.com/ Website: https://wealthcatalyst.com Download Syama's Free Resources: https://wealthcatalyst.com/resources Wealth Catalyst Summit: https://wealthcatalyst.com/summits Speaking: https://syamabunten.com Big Delta Capital: www.bigdeltacapital.com

    49 min
  7. 20 JAN

    Establishing Wealth That Lasts with Lindsay Hadley, Managing Director of Harbor Fund

    Lindsay Hadley is the Managing Director of Harbor Fund, the first venture capital-shaped 501(c)3 investing in films and television that change culture for good. She's the founding executive director behind Global Citizen, brought the first $17 million to the organization, and has spent her career galvanizing A-list celebrities, billionaire philanthropists, and major corporations around causes that matter. Her journey from witnessing extreme poverty in post-Soviet Russia to raising $12 million in her first year at Harbor Fund is a masterclass in applied faith and relentless purpose. In this conversation, Lindsay reveals how growing up in a conservative Mormon community where women were expected to be stay-at-home mothers shaped her resistance to traditional career paths—and how becoming the primary breadwinner created painful but necessary conversations in her marriage. You'll discover the inflection point when she sold her dream home for double what she built it for, moved to Hawaii, and completely reimagined her relationship with money and mental health. Lindsay shares why she left the "eat what you kill" consulting treadmill to build residual income, how she's now matching philanthropists with Hollywood's elite to fund purpose-driven storytelling, and why changing one person's world matters as much as changing the world. Key Topics: How witnessing extreme poverty in post-Soviet Russia shaped a lifelong paradigm about money and privilege Navigating the painful cognitive dissonance of being the primary breadwinner in a traditional marriage The financial inflection point of selling a home for double and rethinking wealth strategy at 40 Moving from "eat what you kill" consulting to building residual income streams Why the most powerful engine in the world is Hollywood—and how to hijack it for good Creating the first venture capital-shaped nonprofit investing in films that change culture Building a $100 million fund to become top 1% of independent film financing Why dangerous love and being fully known matters more than any professional legacy Connect with Lindsay online: Website: https://www.capitafinancialnetwork.com/team/lindsay-hadley LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lindsay-hadley-6796a748/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lindsayshadley/?hl=en   Find more from Syama Bunten: Instagram: @syama.co, @gettingrichpod Join Syama's Substack: https://thewealthcatalystwithsyama.substack.com/ Website: https://wealthcatalyst.com Download Syama's Free Resources: https://wealthcatalyst.com/resources Wealth Catalyst Summit: https://wealthcatalyst.com/summits Speaking: https://syamabunten.com Big Delta Capital: www.bigdeltacapital.com

    48 min
  8. 13 JAN

    Negotiate Like Your Future Depends On It with Lynnette Khalfani-Cox, The Money Coach

    Lynnette Khalfani-Cox is known to millions as "The Money Coach"—a New York Times bestselling author, award-winning journalist, and one of the most trusted voices in personal finance. Her journey from sharing bunk beds with four sisters in a two-bedroom apartment to building a multi-million dollar financial education empire is a masterclass in self-advocacy and strategic negotiation. In this conversation, Lynnette reveals the moment that changed everything when it came to negotiations, pathways to landing dream jobs, and how layoffs can be catalysts for more success. Lynnette shares her framework for negotiating from strength rather than need and why she's now amplifying trusted voices to reach 10 million people through the Financial Influencer Network. Key Topics: Why employers expect you to negotiate—and what it signals when you don't The power of admitting what you don't know while proving what you can deliver How to negotiate from a position of strength instead of need or greed The career-defining mistake of not getting agreements in writing Transforming a corporate "baseball bat" layoff into entrepreneurial freedom Why legacy is measured in lives touched, not accolades earned Building wealth at scale by amplifying trusted voices through collaboration The "each one teach one" approach to creating generational financial impact Connect with Lynnette online: Website: https://lynnettekhalfanicox.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lynnettekhalfanicox/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lynnettekhalfanicox/?hl=en   Find more from Syama Bunten: Instagram: @syama.co, @gettingrichpod Join Syama's Substack: https://thewealthcatalystwithsyama.substack.com/ Website: https://wealthcatalyst.com Download Syama's Free Resources: https://wealthcatalyst.com/resources Wealth Catalyst Summit: https://wealthcatalyst.com/summits Speaking: https://syamabunten.com Big Delta Capital: www.bigdeltacapital.com

    1h 1m

About

By 2030, women are projected to inherit more than $30 trillion in wealth. That's power and possibility—but here's the catch: women still earn just 85 cents on the dollar, and we don't get a 15% discount when we shop. Financial literacy and confidence haven't kept up with the times. That's where Getting Rich Together comes in. I'm Syama Bunten. After my divorce, I wrote to fifty women asking to talk about money. Ninety-five percent said no. But the few who said yes changed everything. They became my wealth expanders—showing me new ways to think about money, power, and what's possible.

They were, in essence, my personal wealth catalysts -- something we can all be for each other as we unlock the wisdom inside. This podcast brings those conversations and that catalyst to you. Each week, you'll meet women across industries and backgrounds—investors, founders, leaders, and creatives—who are redefining wealth on their own terms. Their stories are here to expand your vision, unlock your wisdom, fuel your confidence, create a wealth catalyst in your own life, and remind you that wealth isn't built alone. It's built together.

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