Kent is a Wealth Advisor with Avior Wealth Management.
With over 30 years in the financial services industry, Kent Kuhlmann brings deep wisdom and real-world experience to his work as a wealth manager and financial advisor. More than just navigating market cycles and financial strategies, as an out-of-the-box thinker, Kent helps clients manage the complex intersection of money and emotion. Having personally faced life’s greatest challenges—divorce, the loss of parents, estate administration, and business transitions—Kent offers a rare blend of empathy and expertise.
Kent began his financial career in 1982 with Western Financial Planning in Solana Beach, California, after graduating from San Diego State University. Following several years in Silicon Valley, including a leadership role as Director of International Marketing and Sales for a tech company, he reentered financial services in 1993 with Lutheran Brotherhood (now Thrivent Financial). Over the years, Kent co-founded Retirement Capital Strategies, a firm that grew to manage over $500 million in assets. In 2005, he led the acquisition of a Napa-based practice and later established Kuhlmann Associates Financial in 2010 to focus on building a premier wealth management experience.
In 2016, Kent joined the Carson Group and later transitioned to Avior Wealth Management, where he now serves in a leadership role for the Northern California team and holds ownership in the firm. Avior’s unique approach—integrating wealth and tax services under one roof—resonates with Kent’s long-standing commitment to holistic and personalized financial planning.
Kent holds the Certified Exit Planning Advisor (CEPA) designation, making him especially effective in guiding business owners through value-building strategies and successful ownership transitions. A lifelong entrepreneur himself, Kent understands the journey firsthand.
Born in Minnesota to Depression-era parents, Kent was raised in Mountain View, California, during the rise of Silicon Valley. His father, a former stockbroker, introduced him early to the world of investing through simulated stock portfolios—planting the seeds of a lifelong career in finance.
Beyond the office, Kent is deeply rooted in the Napa Valley community. He’s a graduate of the Leadership Napa Valley program and has served on numerous boards and committees, including the Napa Chamber of Commerce Executive Board, Trellis (the local business incubator), Napa Symphony, Napa Valley Community Foundation Finance Committee, and Jameson Humane.
Kent and his wife, Jennifer, live on a small farm in Napa with their son, Bodhi, and a menagerie of animals. They grow their own food and enjoy sharing it with friends and neighbors. He is also a proud father to two accomplished stepdaughters, Ashley and Jessica.
An adventurer at heart, Kent has raced sailboats, bicycles, and triathlons. He’s a private pilot, an avid camper, and has ridden his Harley throughout the West. From kayaking and paddleboarding to exploring the world’s diverse cultures and cuisines, he brings a spirit of curiosity and vitality to everything he does.
Kent and Jennifer are passionate about social justice, especially supporting indigenous communities and healing traditions. Together, they aspire to open a center for holistic healing and alternative medicine—uniting their financial acumen and life purpose in service to others.