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 Richards 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 Estes 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.