Our Team

As a highly collaborative team, the principals of Conversant Wealth bring together individual expertise that enhances the integrated solutions we deliver for our clients. As you’ll read in our bios, We have years of experience in building customized financial plans, developing asset allocation strategies, managing active equity accounts, and managing a family business.

Our valuable skills come together in our shared commitment to distinguish our firm through unparalleled client service.

Jeremy Niederstadt

Founder

Marina Bauk

Client Service Associate

Shawn Hawkins

Wealth Advisor

Jeff Courtemanche

Founder

Jeremy Niederstadt

Founder

 A common thread that connects my professional career with my personal and family life is my enjoyment in helping others excel. Over the course of my 20+ years in wealth management, first at Raymond James and primarily at Merrill Lynch, I have been committed to helping my clients achieve their goals through smart planning and sound asset management. Whether it’s financial strategies for retirement, education funding or estate and legacy planning, I’m excited to coach my clients and see their aspirations become reality. Since my undergraduate days at Oakland University, where I graduated with a finance degree and four years of success on the golf team, I have looked to instill excellence in others. I have been volunteering as the Assistant Men’s Golf Coach for the St. Mary’s College Division I men’s golf team since 2007; to date, we’ve won three WCC conference championships and played in two NCAA National Championships. I also seek to constantly improve myself, which has helped me earn several designations, valuable in my work with Conversant Wealth clients: I am a Certified Financial Planner (CFP), Chartered Financial Consultant (ChFC), and Certified Plan Fiduciary Advisor (CPFA). I live in Orinda, California, with my wife, Jillian, and our three sons, Paxton, Camden, and Remy. Although I watch and play a variety of sports, golf is a true passion.

Marina Bauk

Client Service Associate

 Before joining Conversant Wealth, I worked in financial services for 14 years at Bank of America. During the last four years there, I was a Private Banking Associate. As part of the relationship management team, I worked directly with our financial advisors, and served as the primary contact for our high-net-worth family clients. This experience made me especially aware of the importance of family when it comes to managing financial affairs.

I am originally from Bosnia and earned my bachelor’s degree in Sociology at California State University, East Bay. I love watching and playing tennis, but my true passion is my daughter, Anastasia. My family and I currently reside in Pleasant Hill, California.

Shawn Hawkins

Wealth Advisor

 As a mother of two young children, I understand firsthand the importance of building a strong financial foundation for the future. My passion has always been helping people reach their goals, and I bring that same dedication to financial advising.

With 15 years of professional experience—12 years as a fitness trainer, followed by three years in real estate transactions—I’ve spent my career guiding individuals and families toward success. My background in fitness taught me the importance of discipline, strategic planning, and long-term commitment, all of which are essential in financial planning. My experience in real estate gave me a deep understanding of one of the biggest financial decisions families make: homeownership.

As a financial advisor, I leverage my expertise in goal-setting, financial education, and personalized strategy to empower families to take control of their financial well-being. I’m committed to coaching my clients through every step of their financial journey, helping them build confidence and security for the future.

I was born and raised in Alamo, CA, and now live in Concord with my husband, Taylor, our two daughters, Naomi and Isabel, and our rambunctious rescue dog, Odin.

Jeff Courtemanche

Founder

 You can trace my love for the stock market back to my college days at California State University, Chico, where I earned a degree in Finance. My introduction to financial services was a summer internship, working in the securities and sales trading department at First Interstate Bank in San Francisco. The hooks were in, and after graduation, I began my 26+ year career at Merrill Lynch. Investment management has become a personal passion, and I love to work with clients to design, construct and monitor their portfolios, with the specific intention of meeting their goals while reflecting their personal values and concerns about risk. I’ve always been serious about my job, and deep in my career, I went back and earned a Master’s in Financial Analysis and Investment Management from St. Mary’s College of California (Dean’s Award). This type of commitment colors my personal life as well. Whether it’s my love of cycling or playing guitar or playing golf (avidly!). And having been born and raised in Newburyport, Massachusetts, I remain a lifelong Boston sports fan. I live in Danville, California, with my wife, Nicole, and our three daughters Michaela, McKenna and Mya. We’re especially proud of our three rescue dogs, Mabel, Lucy and Phoenix.