Northwestern Mutual Financial Advisor and Community Organizer, James Farley, is a lifelong resident of the Rochester, New York area.
Growing up on the border of Wayne and Monroe Counties, Farley attended Charles W. Finney School in Penfield, NY prior to traveling and studying abroad.
Farley has always had a passion for entrepreneurship, From launching a private record label right out of high school, to helping build one of the Rochester Top 100 companies from the ground up. His focus, attention to detail and desire to help families and businesses realize their dreams of financial independence, led him to pursue starting his own financial planning practice as a Financial Advisor with Northwestern Mutual, where he has received numerous recognition and accreditation.
“Throughout my life I have been blown away by how many people that share a similar vision of making an impact in the community. They love this city. They want to be a part of positive change. But often, in a city with so many charitable organizations, it can be difficult to sift through them all to find a place someone feels is the best fit. That’s where Farley’s Friends comes in.”
Throughout his successful professional life, Farley has not always maintained a strong commitment to local community organizations that set the standard for arts and culture, but also charities and agencies that help serve the Rochester NY area. He has always made it a point to lead by example when it comes to mentoring support and philanthropic endeavors. Most recently in 2014, he received Causewave Community partners’ prestigious Spark Award, in addition to being named to the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation’s “Rochester’s Finest” list. In addition serving on boards such as Rehema Home Orphanage, Fairport Baptist Home and the Rochester Advertising Federation, he also supports many visual and performing arts organizations in the Upstate NY region.
Recently, in late 2015, Farley formed a 501(c)3 charity called Farley’s Friends who’s mission believes in community betterment and striving to increase the reach and resources of select nonprofit organizations, charitable groups and community programs in Upstate NY through leadership, networking and strategic fundraising events. This was the natural evolution of his successful eight year run of successful philanthropic events, which accounted for tens of thousands of dollars in additional monies for local organizations such as Gilda’s Club, Salvation Army, and Rochester Contemporary Art Center, to name a few.