Justin Sherman

Managing Partner

“Paragon provides personalized, dedicated services tailored to meet your unique circumstances. You can count on us as a single, dependable resource no matter what you need or when you need it.”

Justin Sherman is a Managing Partner at Paragon, leading the Family Office Services division. He and his team provide a complete range of customized services to professionals, athletes, entertainers, and their families. The team works to minimize distractions and ensure that clients can focus on what matters most to them.  Paragon’s clients include number one draft picks and Grammy-nominated artists. In 2020 alone, five NBA first-round draft picks selected Justin as their advisor, which was more than any other firm.

Justin’s team offers curated client solutions, including accounting and tax services, insurance planning, charitable giving, bill management, and credit monitoring services. Their comprehensive offerings also include general administrative and concierge services, as well as assistance with real estate and legal needs.

Paragon is competitive and driven to produce top results for each client. The team ensures that clients receive the very best service in the industry to meet their lifestyle and business needs. We consider each client as part of our family.

Prior to Paragon, Justin worked at two of the world’s largest and most successful management companies, where he advised numerous elite NBA and NFL athletes. When not serving clients, Justin enjoys spending time with his wife and daughter, and their two rescue dogs.

Kate Salsman, CFP®

Managing Partner & Wealth Advisor

“Paragon’s comprehensive service model encompasses both wealth management and family office, so you can rely on us for all aspects of your financial life.”

Kate Salsman is a Managing Partner and Wealth Advisor at Paragon, overseeing Private Wealth Management at the firm. Passionate about helping others, Kate develops and manages client family relationships. After working to create actionable financial plans, she and her team process research to build the customized portfolios clients need to achieve their goals. Kate also coordinates all of the specialists—such as CPAs and attorneys—required for managing family wealth.

Before helping to found Paragon, Kate served as a Financial Advisor and Director of Global Sports and Entertainment at Morgan Stanley for nearly 12 years. Previously, she was at Fifth Third Securities and UBS/Paine Webber.

Kate holds a Bachelor of Science in Accountancy from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. She is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ professional. Kate was recognized as a Forbes Best-in-State Wealth Advisor in 2021. She was also listed as a Forbes Top Women Wealth Advisor in 2021 and 2020. In both 2020 and 2019, she was one of Working Mother and SHOOK Research’s Top Wealth Advisor Moms.

Happily married to a high school basketball coach, Kate loves fitness and nutrition as much as she loves entertaining and cooking. She also enjoys watching her daughters doing what they love—singing and swimming for one, and horseback riding for the other. Kate is an active member at St. Paul Catholic Church in Lexington and Treasurer for Lexington Children’s Theatre.

Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards Inc. (CFP Board) owns the certification marks CFP®, CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™, CFP® (with plaque design), and CFP® (with flame design) in the U.S., which it authorizes use of by individuals who successfully complete CFP Board’s initial and ongoing certification requirements.

Emily Richards

Director of Operations

“As our client, you will see the care and passion our entire team puts into helping you with all of your financial needs.”

Emily Johns is Director of Operations at Paragon. She is responsible for organizing client relationships and executing portfolio changes. Emily loves to engage with people. She makes every client her number one priority, helping with whatever they need. Responsibility, accountability, and effective teamwork are fundamentally important to Emily.

Before joining the Paragon team in 2021, Emily worked at Morgan Stanley for nearly five years. Previously, she was a finance and accounting intern with the Cincinnati Reds.

Emily earned a Bachelor of Business Administration in Finance at the University of Kentucky in Lexington.

Emily’s greatest joy is spending time with friends and family. She delights in everything from traveling with them to enjoying casual meals together.

Hayden Estes

Wealth Management Associate

“At Paragon, I’m continually impressed and inspired by the warm, trusted relationships between our team and our clients.”

Hayden Stone is a Wealth Management Associate at Paragon. Her responsibilities include ensuring that clients receive timely responses to all correspondence and inquiries. Hayden makes a point of building collaborative working relationships with both internal and external operations, so she can be certain that confidential transactions are executed swiftly and accurately. Deeply committed to client service, Hayden enjoys her interactions with clients and pays keen attention to every detail.

As a 2022 addition to the Paragon team, Hayden brought strong ethics and a positive can-do attitude to the mix.  She is a 2020 graduate of Kentucky’s Morehead State University.

Hayden loves to travel and spend time outdoors with family and friends.