BIO
Ayal Shmilovich is a Managing Partner and Founding Member of Gerber Kawasaki Wealth & Investment Management. He specializes in advising technology and AI executives, startup founders, engineers, and investors in Los Angeles and across the country, with a focus on equity-based compensation planning and high-net-worth family strategies.
Born and raised in Los Angeles, Ayal earned his bachelor’s degree from UCLA and his master’s degree from the University of Florida. With an academic background in psychology, he brings a practical understanding of how emotions and behavioral biases can influence financial decisions. He helps clients stay disciplined and data-driven, especially during periods of market volatility, rapid wealth creation, or major liquidity events.
Ayal works closely with clients who have complex planning needs, including stock options, RSUs, ISOs, ESPPs, IPO planning, concentrated stock positions, advanced tax strategies, philanthropy, and estate planning. He is known for building highly customized financial plans that reflect the unique income structures and equity packages common in the technology and AI industry. Whether a client is preparing for an IPO, navigating post-IPO liquidity, or diversifying a concentrated position, his approach prioritizes long-term wealth preservation, tax efficiency, and thoughtful investment management.
As a founding member of Gerber Kawasaki, Ayal serves on the firm’s Management Team and Investment Advisory Committee, helping guide portfolio construction and investment selection. He also co-founded the GK Technology Group and the GK Sports & Entertainment Group, expanding the firm’s expertise in high-growth and specialized industries. In addition, Ayal is a co-host of the Future Money Podcast, where he breaks down major technology and AI headlines and discusses how innovation may shape markets.
Ayal believes technology and AI should enhance the client experience, but strong relationships remain at the center of great advice. He takes pride in building long-term partnerships with clients and supporting them through major career and life transitions.
Outside of work, Ayal enjoys spending time with his son and is an avid Lakers and Rams fan. He is also active in community involvement and advocacy, including support for Israel and the Jewish community.
CA Insurance Lic:#0G76537
Designation Disclaimers
Certified Private Wealth Advisor® (CPWA®) certification is an advanced professional certification for advisors who serve high-net-worth clients. It's designed for seasoned professionals who seek the latest, most advanced knowledge and techniques to address the sophisticated needs of clients with a minimum net worth of $5 million. Unlike credentials that focus specifically on investing or financial planning, the CPWA® certification program takes a holistic and multidisciplinary approach.
Minimum qualifications to obtain and maintain the CPWA® certification include: Bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university or one of the following designations or licenses: CIMA, CIMC, CFA, CFP, ChFC or CPA license; A satisfactory record of ethical conduct, as determined by IMCA's Admissions Committee; Five years of professional client-centered experience in financial services or a related industry; Six-month pre-study educational component; In-class program at The University of Chicago Booth School of Business, or online program through Yale School of Management; Final exam for in-class portion (online, proctored); and continued education training of 40 hours every two years.
https://www.finra.org/investors/professional-designations/cpwa
MEDIA
March 26, 2026
Ayal Shmilovich - AI Rewires Wealth Advice | The Los Angles Business Journal
In a recent feature by the Los Angeles Business Journal, GK Managing Partner Ayal Shmilovich highlights how advisors at Gerber Kawasaki are leveraging AI-powered tools to improve efficiency and elevate the client experience.
March 25, 2026
Future Money: War in Iran, Private Credit in Crisis, and NVIDIA GTC
With a spiraling conflict in in the Middle East and ominous warning signs sounding from major players in the private credit industry, not even juggernaut NVIDIA and the exciting developments from its recent GTC conference could rise above the deluge of stories this month. Strap in as GK Managing Partners Ayal Shmilovich and Hatem Dhiab break down this whirlwind news cycle and explain why the US economy holds steady when the going gets tough.
March 20, 2026
GK Presents: Dealing With Stress
Stressful times demand stress-free solutions. At a moment in history marked by societal fractures and cascading crises, join CEO Ross Gerber and Managing Partner Ayal Shmilovich, CPWA® as they break down their tried and tested strategies to beat stress, stop doomscrolling, and weather the storm of market uncertainty.
March 6, 2026
GK Presents: Stop Gambling, Start Investing
Prediction markets are exploding across America, but are they really investing, or just gambling in a new wrapper? In this episode of GK Presents, our sports division exposes how these platforms operate in regulatory gray areas and why the structure is still built to favor the house, not you. Before you place your next bet, see why that same money invested for the long term could change your financial future instead.
March 3, 2026
Future Money: The SaaS-pocalypse: How to Not Get Replaced By AI
As the next wave of AI reshapes the SaaS landscape, many field experts and industry leaders are asking the same question: how do I stay relevant? GK Managing Partners and AI specialists Ayal Shmilovich and Hatem Dhiab explain why protecting your career starts with continuously expanding your knowledge and intentionally integrating artificial intelligence into your daily workflow.
February 18, 2026
Ayal Shmilovich - SpaceX IPO: Shoot For the Moon But Beware of Gravity | Gerber Kawasaki
Ahead of SpaceX’s highly anticipated IPO, GK Managing Partner Ayal Shmilovich explains the best ways for employees with company equity to mitigate long-term risk and protect their financial future.
February 6, 2026
How To Prepare For the SpaceX IPO | Ross Gerber and Ayal Shmilovich
Following the recent merger of SpaceX and xAI, CEO Ross Gerber and Managing Partner Ayal Shmilovich share how they’re advising clients in the Musk family of companies to manage their stock options.
In this discussion, they highlight the significant uncertainty that often comes with large, private-company mergers (particularly around valuation, equity, and liquidity) and caution employees who hold stock or options to seek professional guidance before making decisions. As experts in tech field, these two have lots to share!
Make sure to reach out if you have questions, and sign up for a free initial consultation today!
January 28, 2026
Future Money: How To Sell Your Business w/ Channing Hamlet
Managing Partners Hatem Dhiab and Ayal Shmilovich kick off the year with special guest Channing Hamlet, Founder and CEO of Objective Investment Banking and Valuations, to discuss the four major things business owners need to do to prepare to sell their business.
December 23, 2025
Future Money: Our 2025 Recap: Tariffs, AI, and Why Hollywood Is Out of Control
As GK Managing Partners Ayal Shmilovich and Hatem Dhiab celebrate episode fifty of Future Money, they take a moment to reflect on the year and give thanks for your support. Here’s what they got right, what they got wrong, and what they’re excited about heading into 2026.
December 5, 2025
Future Money: What To Do Before Year-End
Ahead of Thanksgiving, Managing Partners Hatem Dhiab and Ayal Shmilovich gather to express gratitude for a wonderful earnings season. In this pin-ultimate episode, the guys praise market resilience throughout the year and share important tax updates that investors should consider before the end of 2025.
October 30, 2025
Future Money: Are We In A Buble?
Following LA Tech Week, GK Managing Partners Ayal Shmilovich and Hatem Dhiab come together to pop the AI bubble. While there is undoubtably lots of hype surrounding AI’s impact on the future, the guys reflect on major tech advancements of the past in order to block out the noise and stay disciplined in their investment strategies.
October 29, 2025
Ayal Shmilovich - AI and the Ghost of Bubbles Past | Gerber Kawasaki
While some view Artificial Intelligence as a world-altering technological breakthrough, others are calling it a bubble that will lose it’s momentum in a matter of years. GK Managing Partner and Co-Host of the Future Money Podcast, Ayal Shmilovich analyzes “ghost bubbles” of the past to give his unbiased opinion on AI’s future.
