01
Preserve
Record a family video. Capture the voice, memories, lessons and stories that no document can replace—and decide who may view them.
FAMILY · STORIES · LEGACY
Leave the family in a better place.
Start with one filmed family conversation. Preserve the voices and stories that matter, prepare the right people with essential information, and bring generations together around what comes next.
Explore the Family Experience →Stories worth saving. People worth bringing together.
Why we begin
There are stories your family can only hear from you.
We spend years building a life together, gathering memories, photographs, responsibilities, and important records. Yet it's easy to assume someone else knows the stories—or where to find what matters in a difficult moment.
Whakapapa Wealth helps families take the first step: preserve a voice and a story, make essential information easier to locate, and bring loved ones into meaningful conversation.
“Imagine your grandchildren watching you tell a story in your own words.”
The Roots & Branches approach
Three meaningful steps. One stronger family foundation.
Start with what feels personal, then make it practical.
02
Organize
Identify the first people to call, the key responsibilities, and where authorized family members can find essential records.
03
Connect
Bring the right people into the conversation, share what you've recorded, and agree on a few meaningful next actions.
You don't have to do everything at once. Begin with one person, one story, and one conversation.
The family experience
A small beginning that lasts across generations.
Roots & Branches is a guided family workbook built around a filmed conversation and the practical steps that follow. It offers prompts and space to make a few important decisions together.
01
Film a family conversationChoose one person, one interviewer, and about 45 minutes. A phone on a stand and a quiet room are enough to begin.
02
Prepare for the first 48 hoursIdentify trusted contacts and where to locate important records—without putting passwords or account details in the workbook.
03
Bring the family togetherDecide who belongs in the room, what to discuss next, and who will take the next actions.
Inside the updated pilot workbook
Stories, preparedness, and connection.
The nine-page Roots & Branches pilot workbook begins with a family video interview, offers a practical emergency-readiness starting point, and ends by choosing the family's next conversation.
Keep the connection going
A family tradition worth continuing.
After the video and the first conversation, your family can choose a regular check-in rhythm to discuss with your advisor.
12 / 4 / 1Monthly · Quarterly · Annual
12 monthly touchpoints, 4 quarterly conversations, and 1 annual review.
4 / 1Quarterly · Annual
4 quarterly conversations and 1 annual review. Choose a pace that fits your family.
MARK GHERITY Founder, Whakapapa Wealth
Meet the founder
Mark Gherity
A lifetime of experience. A new purpose.
After 40 years in wealth management, I’m bringing my experience and heart to a new purpose. I grew up in Southwest Minneapolis, the fourth of six children, and learned early the importance of family.
Losing my father in 2012, my mother in 2019, and two older brothers over the past seven years has deepened my appreciation for the stories, relationships, and traditions that connect generations.
Sue and I have been married for 40 years and are now blessed with eight grandchildren, all seven and younger. Roots & Branches brings these life experiences together with a simple mission: to leave my family—and help other families leave theirs—in a better place.
“Leave my family—and help other families leave theirs—in a better place.”
For financial advisors
Help families preserve what matters beyond the financial plan.
Roots & Branches offers a starting point for preserving family stories, clarifying where essential records live, and planning conversations across generations. It can complement the work families already do with their own financial, legal and tax advisors.
Start a Conversation ↗Get in touch
Start a conversation.
Interested in exploring Whakapapa Wealth for your family, or learning how it can complement your work as an advisor? Email Mark directly to start the conversation.
Currently welcoming pilot inquiries
The current pilot introduces families to the updated Roots & Branches workbook, starting with a recorded family conversation, followed by preparedness and family connection.
A personal conversation starts here
We’d love to hear from you.
Whether you’re exploring Roots & Branches for your family or reaching out as an advisor, Mark welcomes your questions.
Email Mark directly →Or email him at
markgherity15@gmail.com
This button opens your email app with Mark’s address and a subject line already filled in. Nothing is submitted through this website. Please do not email passwords, account numbers, or sensitive family records.