About

Meet Our Team

Behind the Support:
Meet Our Compassionate Team

Get to know the dedicated individuals at Wings for Widows who bring empathy, expertise, and unwavering support to those journeying through widowhood.

Founder & Executive Director

Chris Bentley, MBA, CFP®, CRPC®, CLU®, BFA

Financial Advisor (Retired) | Veteran | Author | Educator | Speaker

Chris is a graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy and a Navy veteran. After a decade with Pepsi and Coca-Cola, Chris turned his attention to the financial services industry. After a career as a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ professional with a full-service advisory and wealth management practice with Ameriprise Financial in the Twin Cities, Chris retired in June 2022 to lead Wings for Widows into the future.

As a financial advisor, Chris helped many clients put their financial house in order after the loss of a loved one. After working with Liane Laurion, widowed in 2017, and hearing about how many women like her were struggling after losing their spouses, Chris realized he could do more and founded Wings for Widows in 2018. (Read Our Story)

Chris has considerable experience with public charities. He was a board member of the Make-A-Wish Foundation of Minnesota for three years and an officer with the Minnesota Chapter of the U.S. Naval Academy Alumni Association for more than eight years. For almost two decades, he has given back to his community through other charitable organizations, including PEASE Academy, Mobility Worldwide, Fraser, Pinky Swear, Cornerstone, Feed My Starving Children, and 360 Communities.

In his spare time, Chris enjoys traveling, music, cycling, boating, and sailing, and time with his wife Susie, his large family, and friends.