In August of 2026, Aspen Standard Wealth acquired Denver Private Wealth Management (Denver PWM), a boutique wealth management firm based in Denver that manages approximately $550 million on behalf of its clients. Founded in 2014, Denver PWM serves successful families, business owners, and executives with personalized financial strategies designed to help clients protect, grow, and preserve their wealth. The firm’s services include investment management, retirement planning, tax-efficient strategies, and legacy planning.
For Denver PWM Managing Partner Darin Snow, CIMA®, the decision to partner with another firm was about much more than finding a financial partner. It was about finding the right long-term home for the firm, its clients, its employees, and his family.
We recently caught up with Darin to learn more about his decision-making process, what he was looking for in a partner, and why he ultimately chose to join forces with Aspen.
Darin, you’ve stated that you had three clear constituencies in mind when preparing to transition your business: your clients, your team, and your family. With that in mind, what specifically were you looking for in a partner to make sure the needs of all those stakeholders were addressed?
I was well aware of the M&A landscape and the typical result of a firm being absorbed by an acquirer and having to change its ways to meet the expectations of a new owner. Aspen is a refreshing alternative. Aspen gave us the option to continue to be who we are, with the resources to invest and grow long into the future.
For a firm to respect what we’ve built and our legacy, while also partnering with us to scale and grow, that was a no-brainer for all of us associated with Denver PWM. We wanted to find a partner who could provide additional resources and opportunities without compromising the things that made our firm successful in the first place.
When did you start thinking about partnering with another firm? How long would you advise other RIA leaders to dedicate to the process?
I started the process at least a year before we finalized the deal with Aspen. It was important to me that we had alignment across the firm on the goals and objectives of aligning with a partner. I wanted alignment for myself, our employees, and our clients.
The process takes time, and I think that time is valuable. There are a lot of important questions to ask and considerations to work through. I’m glad we took the time to make sure everyone would end up a winner with whichever firm we ultimately planned to partner with. That is clearly the case with Aspen.
Taking the time to involve the right people and carefully evaluate potential partners gave us confidence that we were making a decision that would serve the firm well for years to come.
You could have chosen any number of firms to partner with. Why ultimately did you choose Aspen?
We chose Aspen for all the reasons mentioned above, but Aspen was also the only firm we considered that had a solution for our staff. By that I mean Aspen provides the infrastructure and support to help our team grow and develop in their careers. That was incredibly important to me.
The decision to partner with a firm impacts many different stakeholders, and I wanted to make sure my team was taken care of. We have a great group of people at Denver PWM, and I wanted a partner that would recognize their contributions while giving them additional opportunities to learn, grow, and build their careers.
For me, that was a significant differentiator. The right partnership should create opportunities for everyone involved, not simply provide a transition for the owners.
How important were succession planning and organizational culture in making your decision?
Culture was very important to me. Culture is everything at Denver PWM. It’s who we are and why our clients do business with us. We’ve worked hard to build a firm where our clients feel known and where our team can work together effectively to serve them.
The fact that our culture can and will be respected and retained at Aspen is huge. We didn’t want to lose that, and we know we won’t.
Succession planning was also an important part of the conversation. I wanted to make sure we were building something that could continue beyond any one individual and that the firm would have the resources and support to serve clients for the long term. Partnering with Aspen gives us the opportunity to preserve what has made Denver PWM successful while continuing to build for the future.
Ultimately, the decision came down to finding a partner that understood what we had built, valued the people who helped build it, and could help us take the next step without asking us to give up who we are.
Where does Denver PWM go from here? What is your vision for the future and how will Aspen help you get there?
We are incredibly excited. Our vision is to become one of the largest RIAs in Denver, and with the support and expertise of the team at Aspen, I have no doubt we will get there. And we will get there without sacrificing our culture or our high-touch approach to client service. That is a great position to be in.
