One-on-One with Dr. Paula Fellingham

Dr. Paula Noble Fellingham, author of eight books and founder of the Win Win Women Network, is now a partner with Avestix Fortuna, a leading organization that is helping to facilitate the global transfer of wealth to the next generation of investors, particularly women investors.

Avestix Fortuna’s motto is “Women Moving Trillions”. One of her areas of focus is financial education (or FinEd) and she is helping Avestix Fortuna grow by leveraging her Win Win Women database,  which includes more than 230,000,000 participants and is growing.

We sat down with Dr. Fellingham to talk about her background and her plans for the future. 

Q) You recently joined Avestix as a partner of Avestix Fortuna. What about Avestix and Fortuna attracted you to join the firm? 

Two things attracted me. First, I love working with Susan Lindeque. She is exceptional in every way. 

Second is the mission. I’ve been educating women worldwide for more than 40  years. With Avestix Fortuna, I’ll be in the financial education space, which is a fabulous, extremely timely niche that I thoroughly enjoy! 

Q) How does the approach women take in managing their financial futures differ from the approach men take?  

What a great question! In my experience, women manage their financial futures differently from men because of the influences in their lives — socially, culturally, and because of their life experiences. Five things influence how women manage their wealth and investments and how they differ from men.

Most wealthy women focus more on security and stability than men

Women often prioritize financial security over riskier, high-reward investments. Their goals are typically long-term, like saving for a child’s education, caregiving for aging parents, or ensuring retirement comfort. Women often lean more toward stability, diversification, and consistent savings strategies.

Men usually grow their wealth more aggressively through riskier investments.

Women seek collaboration and education more often than men 

Women are more likely to ask questions, seek professional guidance, and want to fully understand their options before committing to financial decisions. They value coaching, classes, or community support (like financial circles or accountability groups).

Most men, meanwhile, feel more confident acting solo or following a competitive or instinctive approach.

Women care more about career paths and pay gaps 

Because women are more likely to take career breaks for caregiving (children, aging parents) and still face a persistent gender pay gap, they often have less lifetime income, smaller retirement savings, and a greater need to stretch and protect resources. This leads to more cautious financial planning and a focus on long-term sustainability.

Most men are less cautious about their future financial plans and they don’t focus as much on long-term sustainability as women.

Values-based financial planning

Many women are motivated by purpose and values in their financial decisions. They may be more interested in socially responsible investing, charitable giving, or aligning their money with causes that matter to them.

Values-based financial planning is not as important to men as it is to women.

Women lack financial confidence  

Studies show women are just as capable — and often more disciplined — but tend to undervalue their financial knowledge and abilities to invest wisely. Their lack of confidence can delay action, but women are often excellent long-term investors once engaged.

Men are more confident with money matters (accumulating wealth and investing) than women.

Q) Can you talk about Win Win Women, which you founded and is billed as the world’s leading, interactive, live-streaming network and international community? What inspired you to start the organization?

My inspiration for creating the Win Win Women Network came from the precious women in many countries who are seeking solutions for their lives. Women everywhere yearn to speak with experts — in real time — who can help them with any challenge, at any time of the day or night, and on any subject — for free. And that’s what I built, with the help of a great team. We liked to say, “Women win when they receive solutions for their lives, and experts win when they provide those solutions. That’s Win Win Women!

Q) Win Win Women’s database includes more than 230,000,000 members. How have you been able to pull together such a massive membership roster?

That wonderful list of women are not members of Win Win Women. That’s a list of women, worldwide, whom we have accumulated through the years. Avestix Fortuna will be able to reach out to those women, and that’s exciting

Q) Win Win Women’s website includes testimonials from former Presidents Obama, Biden, current President Trump and others? Do you have anything to teach us about forming bipartisan alliances in these volatile times?  

The key to my global work is collaboration. I’ve been honored to receive awards from the past four presidents for my global work, and that’s what they honored - educating and serving women worldwide for many decades. My mission is to educate, elevate and empower women worldwide. And now - with Avestix Fortuna - I will be able to educate, elevate, and empower women in the FinEdTech space, so my mission never changes.

Q) You’ve written eight books and are now co-writing a ninth with Avestix founder and CEO Susan Lindeque. Is there a consistent theme across all of your books?

There’s not a consistent theme. I wrote Wealth Mastery for Women, Solutions for Families, The Family Book of Values and Believe It, Become It and others. I’ve written books on a variety of subjects, all written at times when I was educating women (and families) on different subjects. The book I’m co-authoring with Susan Lindeque is about In Win Win Leadership for Women.  

Q) You’ve launched the Women’s Global Alliance, the International Youth Parliament and The Women of the Middle East Network. Can you speak to barriers common to women regardless of where they call home?  
There certainly are barriers common to all women everywhere. However, in direct proportion to the development of their nation, women can have fewer — or more — barriers.

Of course, some are experienced in the U.S., however, they’re experienced more in underdeveloped nations. Across cultures, countries, and contexts, women face barriers that are not just personal or local but universal and systemic. 

Here are seven of the most tragic barriers that continue to hold women back, no matter where they live.

1. Lack of access to education

Millions of girls are denied education due to poverty, cultural norms, early marriage, or conflict. Without education, a woman’s opportunities for employment, leadership, and independence are drastically limited.

2. Gender-based violence

From domestic abuse to sexual assault, human trafficking to female genital mutilation, violence against women is a tragic global epidemic. It strips women of safety, dignity, and often, their lives.

3. Economic inequality and financial dependence

Women earn less, own less, and have less access to credit, property, and business opportunities in nearly every nation. 

4. Limited healthcare and reproductive rights

In many places, women can't access basic healthcare. Poor healthcare drastically reduces life quality and opportunity.

5. Cultural and religious oppression

Harmful traditions, patriarchal belief systems, and deeply rooted gender roles limit women's choices, voices, and freedom, sometimes under the guise of honor or tradition. In many societies, women still need permission to work, travel, or even speak in public.

6. Underrepresentation in leadership and decision-making

Women are severely underrepresented in politics, corporate leadership, media, and more. When women are not heard (represented), their needs are not prioritized in laws, policies, or public dialogue.

7. Self-doubt and generational conditioning

Years and generations of being told “you can’t” or “you shouldn’t” creates internalized barriers like fear of failure, impostor syndrome, and reluctance to lead or speak up. (These internal barriers are just as powerful as external ones and often the last to be broken.)

Q) You’ve presented at the United Nations, the World Movement of Mothers in Paris, the World Congress on Families in Geneva, and other international venues. What do world leaders need to hear today? Are there values most leaders can agree upon? 

Yes - they’re called the 17 Sustainable Development Goals, which 195 nations in the U.N. ratified in 2015. These 17 goals are to be “achieved” by 2030, yet humanity is far from achieving them. 

Next Steps

Want to know more about the efforts of Paula and Susan Lindeque to educate and empower women investors?  Visit Avestix Fortuna, a platform created to equip women with investing knowledge to help facilitate financial freedom.