About

Kate Mielitz, Ph.D., AFC®, CDP®

Privileged Conversations

A Passion For Helping

Kate Mielitz, Ph.D., AFC®, CDP® has 25 years of experience in financial services, including collections, bankruptcy, fraud, financial counseling and education, public speaking, and higher education. She earned a Ph.D. in Personal Financial Planning from Kansas State University and her bachelor’s degree in Broadcast Journalism and master’s degree in Interpersonal Communications from the University of Wyoming. Dr. Kate obtained her Accredited Financial Counselor (AFC^®) certification from the Association of Financial Counseling and Planning Education, AFCPE^®, in 2009 via the FINRA Education Foundation Military Spouse Fellowship. She is also a Certified Money Habitudes Trainer

From 2018 to 2021, Dr. Kate served as an assistant professor in the family financial planning program at Oklahoma State University. She has also worked for AFCPE, Family Promise of the Mid-Willamette Valley, Consumer Credit Counseling Services, and Beyond Finance among other organizations.

Mielitz established the consulting firm Privileged Conversations, LLC in early 2024, originally intending for this firm to be a slow roll out and part-time gig while she (finally) got caught up on her retirement contributions. But, after an unexpected layoff provided an enormous amount of time for self-reflection and a desire to emphasize the work that makes her heart sing, Dr. Kate reviewed the family finances, talked everything over with her husband and children, and LAUNCHED! Her passions are teaching, speaking, training, and mentoring professionals who want to connect better with the people they serve.

Mielitz’s area of research expertise focuses on vulnerable populations. Her ground-breaking research in the area of personal finance and transitioning inmates has been influential in the personal finance and criminal justice fields. She has been cited in numerous popular media outlets including Yahoo Finance, CBS News MarketWatch, GoBankingRates, Time Magazine, and U.S. News and World Report.

In 2024 Dr. Kate was awarded the Rising Professional Award for the Personal Financial Planning Ph.D. program at Kansas State University. In 2021, she was nominated for the Merrick Foundation Teaching Award at Oklahoma State University. In 2020 she won AFCPE’s Mary Ellen Edmondson Educator of the Year Award after a strong nomination by two of her students. Also, in 2019, Mielitz won the FINRA Education Foundation Military Spouse Mentor of the Year Award and in 2015 was awarded the Cary M. Maguire Fellowship in Applied Ethics from the Cary M. Maguire Center for Ethics at The American College.

Mielitz obtained her Certified Diversity Professional, CDP^® in 2023. She is committed to making personal finance accessible and inclusive for in-person and online communities. In her spare time, she sits on the Education Advisory Board for the Tourette Association of America, where she also volunteers.

In her spare time, Dr. Kate enjoys reading, working out, playing with her dogs, binge-watching shows with her husband, avoiding the dishes and laundry, cooking, singing along with the radio, and misidentifying most singers as they come on the radio. She firmly believes that making friends as an adult is difficult but worthwhile, that a strong foundation in personal finance makes most goals possible, and that she has (somehow) improved her grandmother’s homemade macaroni and cheese.

"Accessibility to qualified professional help, especially in regards to money, is imperative to strengthening communities. I’m ready to help you expand accessibility to meet your current and future clients where they are!"

-Kate Mielitz, Principal and Founder

Testimonials

What clients, Students, and Organizations say about working with Kate.

"Talented educator. High-energy speaker. Life-long learner. Dr. Kate Mielitz is a joy to work with – she is creative, passionate, and reliable. As an educator and speaker, Dr. Kate lights up a room. She marries solid educational content with an infectious energy, humor, and authenticity that captivates her audience. Her unique experience as a financial educator, researcher, and practitioner, allows her to approach a problem from multiple angles, but she never neglects the humanity of an issue. She understands the importance in recognizing and embracing differences, and is a staunch advocate for those who are marginalized, underserved, and neurodiverse. If you’re looking for a speaker, an educator, or a trainer, I highly recommend Dr. Kate!"

"I have struggled with debt for the majority of my adult life. My spending habits have not always been the best, neither has my outlook on credit. I've tried to get out of debt on my own, but had no clue where to even begin. That is, until I met Kate. Kate not only relieved me from living in shame of my financial decisions, but she assisted me in identifying root causes for falling deeper into debt. With Kate's guidance, I am no longer making the same mistakes as before. Kate has empowered me to be in control of my finances and not depend on credit like I had been. Through Kate's support, counseling, and vast knowledge, I am well on my way to a more healthy relationship with money and ultimately financial freedom."

"Kate is a financial counselor angel. She helped bring back to life a better flow when it comes to managing my finances. I was at a crisis in where I was financially where I was able to meet Kate through a program. She was very thorough in mapping out a clear and cut out budget and thought of so many things that was so minute to me that was added to my budget. I am grateful for the phenomenal financial work that Kate has provided for me that has honestly changed the trajectory of my finances for the better. Thank you Kate for doing what you do! Highly recommend for sure!"

"Since working with Kate in December of 2023, a weight has been lifted off my shoulders. She has taken the time to educate me on money management and paying off debt while still being able to enjoy my life. I can finally see the light at the end of the tunnel! Thanks to Kate, I'm proud to say I am on the right track financially."

"Dr. Mielitz is an inspiring and incredible instructor, who links theory to practice, and provides relevant real-world examples of how the course material relates to current events...I always appreciated how Dr. Mielitz’s classes challenged me to think critically and introspectively about the course material."

"I would first like to say that Dr. Mielitz is a wonderful instructor and is passionate about what she does. She isn’t there just to teach us but to help us as we become adults and move into the next season of life."

"Dr. Mielitz not only helped me through my college experience, but she also helped encourage and help me throughout my adult life. Dr. Mielitz is committed to her students, whether they are in her classroom or were in her classroom in the past. Dr. Mielitz will be a life-long support to any and all of her students throughout their professional and personal lives following their experience in her classroom."

"…To teach a diversity course called Financial Perspectives throughout the United States to a large group of fraternity men was a daunting task…(d)ue to the fact that it compelled the vast majority of the class to recognize their privilege and the advantages afforded to them due in part to their demographics. Dr. Mielitz handled the questions, comments, and concerns of each student with commendable grace and thoughtful contemplation. Dr. Mielitz not only helped me and my fellow classmates learn about the nuanced history of the American economic system, but she also encouraged us to be empathetic to those who come from underprivileged backgrounds. All with a type of elegance that I only know Dr. Mielitz to possess."

"Dr. Mielitz is one of those rare teachers that combines academics with heart, passion, and experience to motivate one to action. She inspired me to be like her. Her teaching is practical and resourceful. She didn't simply teach us the information on finances, budgeting, mortgage, debt, debt consolidation, and more but she gave us resources of what is available to families or individuals who are going through difficulties. She is professional, yet personable, very encouraging and always available. She is very loved and appreciated by the students. I am grateful I took her class and crossed her path. I felt that I grew from her class as a student but also as a better person."

Leading The Way in Navigating cultural differences

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Credentials

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Education

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Why choose us?

Benefits of choosing
Privileged Conversations

Kate's Favorite Resources

Helpful Information

Resource

This book has been fundamental in my understanding and teaching emerging professionals on how to navigate personal finance. It’s a must read for anyone who wants to better understand the foundations of our banking and borrowing system.

Resource

Inequality is present in so much of our lives, but we often don’t see what’s right in front of us. This book is a terrific resource to better understanding the inequality that is faced by so many Americans today.

Resource

This may be the best qualitative research I’ve ever read. Matthew Desmond’s ability to connect with people and tell their stories…all backed up with resources and insights…is life-changing. If you want to understand the housing crisis in America, this is the best place to start.

Resource

We have to commit to #EndPoverty together. Matthew Desmond is the foremost expert in helping people (professionals or otherwise) understand the impacts of poverty in an accessible, gripping read.

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The Elephant in the Room is an easy read by formatting, but the content of the story will hold you fast and make you think. A terrific foundational story that tells the power of having tough conversations and provides a roadmap to starting those important discussions.