I am Denise Dukette, founder of Phoenix Path to Prosperity.  My personal goal is to find ways to help people align their financial lives with meeting their personal goals and needs.  From my own experiences as well as the experiences of people close to me, I understand directly how complicated the relationship with money is – we might feel like we don’t have enough for what we need and want to do, or we feel like we have a lot but can’t get comfortable with how to manage it and how to enjoy it.  I want to help people understand their personal goals and desires, their current financial situation, and their pathway to creating a financial scenario that works for them, now and into the future.

My background is in commercial banking and risk management.  I worked for banks in Massachusetts and Connecticut in a variety of roles in commercial lending and risk management.  I spent two years in economic development, assisting small business owners.  I volunteered for VITA for 10 years, providing free income tax preparation.  In 2024, I felt that it was time to move into a more personal and direct connection with people, bringing my knowledge to individual clients.

Connecticut has been home since 1985 but isn’t where I started.  I was born in Detroit Michigan, and have lived in California, Michigan, Vermont, Massachusetts, and Rhode Island.  I have a Bachelors degree in economics from Wheaton College (MA) and an MBA from University of Connecticut.  I also attended two college semesters in Vienna, Austria, studying international economics.

I love to travel, both in the United States and internationally.  I enjoy experiencing new places, meeting people and appreciating the life around me.  I love to read, which is another form of travel – a book can take me to a completely different place and time and teach me new things. I am a lifelong volunteer, including camp counselor, softball coach, Girl Scout leader, VITA, and being on the board of various human service organizations.  I firmly believe that if we all do a little, together we are doing a lot. People are so important in my life, from friends and family to making a connection with a person I meet in passing.  We are all interconnected and can share ourselves and our experiences in positive ways.

Financial Coaching is my path to bringing my knowledge and expertise to individuals who want to understand financial information more clearly, to chart their goals and desires, and to develop their own healthy framework around money.

I look forward to working with you!