Leadership, Legacy, and Doing Wealth Differently
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Christina Lewis
This story is part of the Architects of Impact series, highlighting stories of innovation that demonstrate how our Community is mobilizing to ensure a world that works for all people and the planet.
When Christina Lewis founded Beatrice Advisors, she wasn’t just stepping into the world of wealth management; she was reshaping it. As the daughter of the late Reginald F. Lewis, the trailblazing businessman who led TLC Beatrice International and became the first Black American to build a billion-dollar company, Christina inherited more than a legacy. She inherited an opportunity—and responsibility—to build something of her own that could be both a force and a model for impact.
Starting Out, in Community
Since joining Forward Global in 2021, Christina has been an active voice in our Community of values-aligned wealth holders. She participates in our Next Gen and Family Table action labs, two of Forward Global’s member-driven groups that focus on generational transition and navigating wealth with intention.
Being an engaged member of Forward Global has helped Christina take on transformation at her family’s foundation. “From the beginning, I felt at home here,” she says. “It’s my favorite community, made up of strategic philanthropists who care enough to put themselves out there and be in community with others. That takes bravery.”
Equipped with knowledge and support from our Community, she has helped bring in best practices and catalyzed a transformation in how her family foundation board operates. “Key parts of a family foundation are evolution and generational change,” she says. Christina even brought her board to the center of the action—she invited them to Forward Global’s virtual Summit, so they could see firsthand the collective expertise and energy fueling her ideas and plans.
Next, she took on her “biggest challenge”: getting consensus from the board on succession. Now, Christina holds the role of Vice Chair of the Lewis Foundation, a position that was created for her to steer the organization into the future.
From Legacy to Leadership
While each family’s situation is unique, Christina’s story resonates with others in the next generation of wealth holders: it’s her turn to help shape the world for the better.
With her work at the Lewis Foundation, her active role in Forward Global, and her founding of Beatrice Advisors, she’s forging a model of wealth that is as ambitious as it is intentional.
Christina’s approach as a leader is personal, precise, and purposeful. She leads Beatrice Advisors as a wholly women- and POC-owned, independent firm—intentionally diverse, intentionally values-driven. Yet Beatrice Advisors is reaching an even broader group than Christina originally imagined. Their team not only serves ultra-high-net-worth individuals but also institutions and private endowments. And it’s growing.
“I love the chance to help families with wealth become successful and preserve their legacy,” she says. “We invest their money in a high-quality way and commit to understanding our clients—their goals, needs, values, and who they are. In doing that, we help them do more, outperform, make better decisions, and develop strong trust-based relationships.”
Launching Beatrice was a bold choice to break the mold. “The market we serve has grown and broadened,” she says. “At first, I saw helping those without access as how we would do good in the world. But now I see that we’re offering something to a much wider array of people.”
Her goals for Beatrice are outsized and long-range: “I want to build a company that 50 years from now is still private, profitable, and good for humanity… a model for the industry.” She envisions a future where Beatrice innovates with technology to make white-glove services more accessible, without compromising on quality or values.
For Christina, that clarity came from going all in: “Since I went 100% into helping people, my life has been so much better. I’ve been more successful, achieved more in my career—everything is better.”
Looking at all that she’s accomplished in the past few years, Christina’s vision goes far beyond building a successful firm.
“Legacy, purpose, and individuality—the merging of those things,” she says. “Embracing who you are and where you’re from can be a source of strength. You can do it your own way. It can look so many ways.”
In Christina’s words, the Forward Global Community gave her “the bravery” to step fully into who she is. The result: a leader who’s not just honoring her legacy, but shaping the future.
