Northwoods Wealth Management

Given its Los Altos location and stated focus on wealth management, Northwoods Wealth Management serves technology executives, founders, and their families in Silicon Valley. The firm's client base likely includes individuals navigating liquidity events from IPOs or private company equity compensation. Many clients are concentrated in technology stock positions that require careful diversification and tax planning.

Northwoods Wealth Management is structured as a registered investment advisor with the SEC, not a single-family office. The firm serves multiple families rather than a single source of wealth. Its multi-family character and location suggest it functions as an outsourced chief investment officer for technology families who may not meet the scale threshold for a dedicated single-family office.

Based on its stated advisory focus, Northwoods Wealth Management incorporates concentrated equity management into its planning framework through exchange funds, option strategies, and structured sales programs. For pre-IPO equity and restricted stock, the firm advises on Rule 144 compliance, lockup expiration planning, and 10b5-1 trading plans. The firm's proximity to Silicon Valley means it regularly addresses the tax consequences of ISO exercise, 83(b) elections, and qualified small business stock.

Specific asset allocation details are not publicly disclosed. For concentrated technology families, a typical approach integrates globally diversified equity portfolios, tax-managed fixed income, and private alternative investments. The firm likely accesses private equity and venture capital funds either directly or through feeder structures, given the institutional relationships available in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Registered investment advisors serving Silicon Valley families commonly offer wealth planning, tax coordination, estate planning, philanthropic structuring, and family education alongside portfolio management. Northwoods Wealth Management's practice description suggests similar multi-generational planning capabilities, including guidance on donor-advised funds and family governance. The firm coordinates with tax counsel, estate attorneys, and insurance advisors rather than providing legal or tax advice directly.