Workshops
About Your Instructors
Michael G. Kothakota, Ph.D., CFP®
Dr. Michael Kothakota is a financial planning researcher and practitioner who bridges the gap between academic rigor and real-world application. He holds a Ph.D. in Personal Financial Planning from Kansas State University, and an M.S. in Predictive Analytics from Northwestern University.
Dr. Kothakota teaches ethics, regulation and financial mathematics Columbia University, and has taught behavioral finance, and research methods, at New York University. He previously served as Head of Research at CFP Board.
As CEO of WolfBridge Wealth since 2008, Dr. Kothakota integrates evidence-based research with client service. His scholarly work has been published in leading journals including the Journal of Financial Planning, Financial Planning Review, and Journal of Financial Counseling and Planning. He has received multiple best research paper awards from FPA and AFCPE. Dr. Kothakota brings expertise in research design, statistical analysis, and practical application of empirical methods to complex financial questions.
Jessica J. Wery, Ph.D.
Dr. Jessica Wery is an experienced researcher and educator specializing in education and applied research methodologies. She earned her Ph.D. in Curriculum & Instruction, from North Carolina State University, where her dissertation centered on meta-analysis of single subject design intervention studies with students with emotional and behavioral disorders.
Dr. Wery has extensive experience in both academic and applied research settings. She served as Assistant Professor at Elon University and has taught courses at multiple institutions including UNC-Chapel Hill, NC State University, and Western Carolina University. As Research Director at DataTactix and Research & Evaluation Consultant for the NC Department of Public Instruction, she designed and implemented rigorous evaluation protocols and data collection methodologies.
Her research has been published in premier journals including Behavioral Disorders, Assessment for Effective Intervention, and Annals of Dyslexia. Dr. Wery brings deep expertise in single-case research design, educational assessment, and translating research findings into practical applications. She is co-owner of WolfBridge Wealth, where she leads empirical research projects examining financial outcomes and decision-making.
This course equips practitioners to design, implement, and analyze rigorous single-case research capable of identifying causal intervention effects. Through asynchronous modules and live-virtual discussions on design logic, measurement of dependent and independent variables, intervention fidelity, visual and statistical analysis, and research-quality standards, participants learn to generate actionable, ethical evidence that improves client outcomes and bridges the research-to-practice gap.