Turn your tech wealth into real freedom
Turn your tech wealth into real freedom
Turn your tech wealth into real freedom
Independent, fee-only advice. No asset minimums, transparent pricing. Built for tech professionals navigating equity, taxes, and major life decisions.
Guidance on equity, taxes, investments, and life transitions, so you stay in control of your future.
Why Dunegrass
Why Dunegrass
Why Dunegrass
How we are different from traditional advisors
How we are different from traditional advisors
Modern financial planning that actually fits how tech professionals earn and think about life.
Modern financial planning that actually fits how tech professionals earn and think about life.
Modern financial planning that actually fits how tech professionals earn and think about life.
Traditional Firms
Generic, one-size-fits-all advice
Advisors who treat all clients the same and lack specialized knowledge of equity compensation, AMT, 83(b) elections, and tech career planning.
Outdated, clunky tools
Legacy systems and limited support leave clients frustrated.
Percentage fees and commissions
Layered fees and hidden commissions make it unclear what you’re paying for.
With Dunegrass
Tech-specialized expertise
Deep knowledge of equity compensation, tax optimization, and the unique decisions tech professionals face.
Tech-specialized expertise
Deep knowledge of equity compensation, tax optimization, and the unique decisions tech professionals face.
Integrated tech experience
Simple, modern tools built to keep your full financial picture in sync.
Integrated tech experience
Simple, modern tools built to keep your full financial picture in sync.
Transparent, flat pricing
No surprises — one clear rate, aligned with your success.
Transparent, flat pricing
No surprises — one clear rate, aligned with your success.
With Dunegrass:
Tech-specialized expertise
Deep knowledge of equity compensation, tax optimization, and the unique decisions tech professionals face.
Modern, integrated tools
Simple, modern tools built to keep your full financial picture in sync.
Transparent, flat pricing
One clear rate. No asset minimums. No percentage fees. No long-term contracts
Traditional Firms
Generic, one-size-fits-all advice
Advisors who treat all clients the same and lack specialized knowledge of equity compensation, AMT, 83(b) elections, and tech career planning.
Generic, one-size-fits-all advice
Advisors who treat all clients the same and lack specialized knowledge of equity compensation, AMT, 83(b) elections, and tech career planning.
Outdated, clunky tools
Legacy systems and limited support leave clients frustrated.
Outdated, clunky tools
Legacy systems and limited support leave clients frustrated.
Percentage fees and commissions
Layered fees and hidden commissions make it unclear what you’re paying for.
Percentage fees and commissions
Layered fees and hidden commissions make it unclear what you’re paying for.
With Dunegrass
Tech-specialized expertise
Deep knowledge of equity compensation, tax optimization, and the unique decisions tech professionals face.
Tech-specialized expertise
Deep knowledge of equity compensation, tax optimization, and the unique decisions tech professionals face.
Integrated tech experience
Simple, modern tools built to keep your full financial picture in sync.
Integrated tech experience
Simple, modern tools built to keep your full financial picture in sync.
Transparent, flat pricing
No surprises — one clear rate, aligned with your success.
Transparent, flat pricing
No surprises — one clear rate, aligned with your success.
Traditional Firms
Generic, one-size-fits-all advice
Advisors who treat all clients the same and lack specialized knowledge of equity compensation, AMT, 83(b) elections, and tech career planning.
Generic, one-size-fits-all advice
Advisors who treat all clients the same and lack specialized knowledge of equity compensation, AMT, 83(b) elections, and tech career planning.
Outdated, clunky tools
Legacy systems and limited support leave clients frustrated.
Outdated, clunky tools
Legacy systems and limited support leave clients frustrated.
Percentage fees and commissions
Layered fees and hidden commissions make it unclear what you’re paying for.
Percentage fees and commissions
Layered fees and hidden commissions make it unclear what you’re paying for.
People we help
People we help
People we help
We partner with tech professionals with $500k-$10 million in net worth
We partner with tech professionals with net worths of $500k-$10 million
You've built real wealth in tech. Now you need a thought partner who gets it—equity comp, tax strategy, and the big decisions ahead
Engineers
Engineers
Engineers
Creatives
Creatives
Creatives
Startup employees
Startup employees
Startup employees
Equity complexity
Equity complexity
Equity complexity
Big career transitions
Big career transitions
Big career transitions
Planning for freedom
Planning for freedom
Planning for freedom
Our roots
Our roots
Our roots
The story behind Dunegrass
Along the coast, dune grass does something remarkable. It takes constant motion and turns it into strength. Each blade slows the wind, helping sand create new formations that protect the coastline. Beneath the surface, its roots form wide networks that hold everything together through every season.
That quiet resilience is the philosophy behind Dunegrass.
___
This is not old-school financial planning. It's expert guidance built for people whose careers don't fit a preset plan—supported by modern tools and a partner who understands the psychology of tech professionals.
Your financial life isn't predictable. Career shifts, equity events, burnout, entrepreneurial pivots—you're navigating complexity and rapid change that traditional financial planning wasn't designed for.
We help you build a flexible system that adapts, informs better decisions, and grows stronger over time.
Along the coast, dune grass does something remarkable. It takes the raw forces of wind and sand — the same forces that erode the shoreline — and turns them into protection. Each blade interrupts the wind, causing sand to settle and accumulate at its base, gradually creating the dunes that guard the shore. Beneath the surface, its roots knit together in vast networks, holding everything in place through every storm. The harsher the weather, the stronger it grows.
That quiet resilience is what inspired the name Dunegrass Wealth.
We believe real wealth is not built by avoiding change, but by embracing it with a plan. Like the coastline, your financial life is shaped by shifting forces such as markets, career growth, and the changing seasons of life. The goal is not to stop the motion; it is to use it.
At Dunegrass, we help tech professionals and entrepreneurs strengthen the root system of their wealth so they have a strong foundation for whatever opportunities and storms life has in store.
Our goal is to help you design your financial life the same way: adaptive, rooted, and built to last.
Along the coast, dune grass does something remarkable. It takes constant motion and turns it into strength. Each blade slows the wind, helping sand create new formations that protect the coastline. Beneath the surface, its roots form wide networks that hold everything together through every season.
That quiet resilience is the philosophy behind Dunegrass.
___
This is not old-school financial planning. It's expert guidance built for people whose careers don't fit a preset plan—supported by modern tools and a partner who understands the psychology of tech professionals.
Your financial life isn't predictable. Career shifts, equity events, burnout, entrepreneurial pivots—you're navigating complexity and rapid change that traditional financial planning wasn't designed for.
We help you build a flexible system that adapts, informs better decisions, and grows stronger over time.
James von der Lieth
Founder and Lead Financial Coach
James von der Lieth
Founder and Lead Financial Coach
James von der Lieth
Founder and Lead Financial Coach
Meet James
James von der Lieth spent the last decade building financial technology as a product leader at fast growing startups before starting Dunegrass. His work has always focused on helping people make clearer financial decisions by simplifying complex subject matter to millions of users.
At Guideline 401(k), James helped build innovative retirement products that serve over 1 million savers, leading product launches like the Starter 401(k) and an AI assisted plan design experience. He later served as Head of Product at Mainshares, where he helped build a platform for accredited investors to invest into SMB acquisition deals.
James’s career began with entrepreneurship. He founded and sold an online bookkeeping company and then joined Ceterus in product management. In 2019, after experiencing burnout from years of grinding at tech startups, he took an eighteen month sabbatical to travel the world, and rethink what he wanted from work and life. During that time, he supported himself through Airbnb income and part time consulting, while living in Bali, Nepal, and the mountains of Colombia.
These experiences shaped Dunegrass. James blends a builder’s mindset with practical financial judgment and a deep understanding of modern tools to help tech professionals move through equity, income changes, burnout and major life transitions with clarity.
He now splits his time between Austin and Topsail Island on the North Carolina coast with his fiancée, Claire.
James von der Lieth is a product leader turned financial planner who has spent his career building technology that helps people make smarter financial decisions.
At Guideline 401(k), James helped scale the platform from 16,000 to over 50,000 businesses, leading the launches of the Starter 401(k) and an AI powered plan design experience. These innovations made workplace retirement plans simpler and more accessible to small businesses employees across the United States.
Most recently, James served as Head of Product at Mainshares, helping accredited investors participate in small business acquisition deals before leaving to start Dunegrass Wealth.
James began his career as an entrepreneur, founding and selling an online bookkeeping company called Cleardesk, which led him into product management at the acquiring startup. Feeling burnt out after 4 years at the acquiring firm, he took an 18 month career sabbatical to live abroad in Asia and South America before settling in Austin, TX to join Guideline.
At Dunegrass, he brings that same builder mindset to his work with tech professionals who want to shift from growth mode to freedom mode through thoughtful planning and a modern, technology forward approach.
James and his fiancée, Claire, split their time between their home in Austin, Texas, and the North Carolina coast, where they spend part of the year on Topsail Island enjoying the coastal backdrop and slower rhythms of beach life.
Previous roles
Head of Product at Mainshares
Sr Product Manager at Guideline 401(k)
Product Manager at Ceterus
Founder of Cleardesk (Acquired by Ceterus)
Previous roles
Head of Product at Mainshares
Sr Product Manager at Guideline 401(k)
Product Manager at Ceterus
Founder of Cleardesk (Acquired by Ceterus)
Focus areas
Focus areas
Focus areas
Coaching that supports the real financial lives of tech professionals
Coaching that supports the real financial lives of tech professionals
Tax & Cash Flow Optimization
Keep more of what you earn with a personalized, tax-efficient plan that balances lifestyle spending, saving, and investing for long-term freedom.
Career Transitions & Life Planning
Plan confidently for what’s next — from sabbaticals to new roles or leaving tech entirely. We’ll help you build a roadmap that aligns your money and your goals.
Equity & Compensation Planning
Make the most of your RSUs, ISOs, and ESPPs with clear strategies to time sales, manage taxes, and turn your equity into lasting wealth.
Investing & Wealth Building
Invest intentionally for your future with a diversified plan that grows alongside you and supports the life you’re building next.
Tax & Cash Flow Optimization
Keep more of what you earn with a personalized, tax-efficient plan that balances lifestyle spending, saving, and investing for long-term freedom.
Career Transitions & Life Planning
Plan confidently for what’s next — from sabbaticals to new roles or leaving tech entirely. We’ll help you build a roadmap that aligns your money and your goals.
Equity & Compensation Planning
Make the most of your RSUs, ISOs, and ESPPs with clear strategies to time sales, manage taxes, and turn your equity into lasting wealth.
Investing & Wealth Building
Invest intentionally for your future with a diversified plan that grows alongside you and supports the life you’re building next.
Tax & Cash Flow Optimization
Keep more of what you earn with a personalized, tax-efficient plan that balances lifestyle spending, saving, and investing for long-term freedom.
Career Transitions & Life Planning
Plan confidently for what’s next — from sabbaticals to new roles or leaving tech entirely. We’ll help you build a roadmap that aligns your money and your goals.
Equity & Compensation Planning
Make the most of your RSUs, ISOs, and ESPPs with clear strategies to time sales, manage taxes, and turn your equity into lasting wealth.
Investing & Wealth Building
Invest intentionally for your future with a diversified plan that grows alongside you and supports the life you’re building next.
Tax & Cash Flow Optimization
Keep more of what you earn with a personalized, tax-efficient plan that balances lifestyle spending, saving, and investing for long-term freedom.
Career Transitions & Life Planning
Plan confidently for what’s next — from sabbaticals to new roles or leaving tech entirely. We’ll help you build a roadmap that aligns your money and your goals.
Equity & Compensation Planning
Make the most of your RSUs, ISOs, and ESPPs with clear strategies to time sales, manage taxes, and turn your equity into lasting wealth.
Investing & Wealth Building
Invest intentionally for your future with a diversified plan that grows alongside you and supports the life you’re building next.
Pricing
Pricing
Pricing
Choose your path: one-time clarity or ongoing partnership
Choose your path: one-time clarity or ongoing partnership
Clear pricing, simple structure, no long term commitments
The Clarity Review
One-time deep dive to get clarity and direction for your next move.
$1,500
$1,500
one time payment
Complete financial analysis with personalized roadmap
Complete financial analysis with personalized roadmap
Complete financial analysis with personalized roadmap
90-minute live strategy session with James
90-minute live strategy session with James
90-minute live strategy session with James
Detailed written plan with prioritized action steps
Detailed written plan with prioritized action steps
Detailed written plan with prioritized action steps
One month of unlimited follow up support
One month of unlimited follow up support
One month of unlimited follow up support
Best for: One-time strategic guidance. You get the plan, you execute it.
Quarterly Coaching
Ongoing partnership for accountability as you adapt your plan and navigate life changes.
$500
$500
per quarter for first 10 members
per quarter
Everything in The Clarity Review
Everything in The Clarity Review
Everything in The Clarity Review
Four live strategy sessions each year with James (one per quarter)
Four live strategy sessions each year with James (one per quarter)
Four live strategy sessions each year with James (one per quarter)
Unlimited email support between sessions
Unlimited email support between sessions
Unlimited email support between sessions
Continuous plan updates as your situation changes
Continuous plan updates as your situation changes
Continuous plan updates as your situation changes
Best for: Ongoing accountability and expert guidance as your life changes
How it works
How it works
How it works
A modern approach to planning—where human judgment meets powerful tech
A modern approach to planning—where human judgment meets powerful tech
Built by someone who's spent a decade designing financial technology
01
Intro & fit call
A relaxed video call to talk about your goals, explore how coaching works, and explore whether working together makes sense. No prep needed.
Intro & fit call
A relaxed video call to talk about your goals, explore how coaching works, and explore whether working together makes sense. No prep needed.
Intro & fit call
A relaxed video call to talk about your goals, explore how coaching works, and explore whether working together makes sense. No prep needed.
Onboarding & data collection
Complete a quick online intake and upload your key financial documents securely.
Onboarding & data collection
Complete a quick online intake and upload your key financial documents securely.
Onboarding & data collection
Complete a quick online intake and upload your key financial documents securely.
02
03
Plan review & recommendations
Review your plan together on a video call, clarify your priorities, and outline the next steps that support your goals.
Plan review & recommendations
Review your plan together on a video call, clarify your priorities, and outline the next steps that support your goals.
Plan review & recommendations
Review your plan together on a video call, clarify your priorities, and outline the next steps that support your goals.
Review progress and adjust priorities (Optional)
Each quarter, we check in on your progress, explore what has changed, and adjust your priorities as needed.
Review progress and adjust priorities (Optional)
Each quarter, we check in on your progress, explore what has changed, and adjust your priorities as needed.
Review progress and adjust priorities (Optional)
Each quarter, we check in on your progress, explore what has changed, and adjust your priorities as needed.
04
FAQ
FAQ
FAQ
Answers to your most common questions
How does your consulting process work?
What industries do you specialize in?
How long does it take to see results?
Do you offer one-time consultations?
Can small businesses afford your services?
How do I get started?
How does your consulting process work?
What industries do you specialize in?
How long does it take to see results?
Do you offer one-time consultations?
Can small businesses afford your services?
How do I get started?
How does your consulting process work?
What industries do you specialize in?
How long does it take to see results?
Do you offer one-time consultations?
Can small businesses afford your services?
How do I get started?