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December 1, 2025

From computer engineer to filmmaker to holistic wealth management adviser, Kevin Tostado ’06, WMCP®, FSCP®, is proof that an Olin education can take you anywhere you want to go in life.

Born and raised in San Diego, California, Tostado initially thought he was destined to study engineering at UCLA—until he learned about Olin as a junior in high school.

“My guidance counselor told me about this engineering school that was just starting up outside of Boston that I might be interested in,” says Tostado, a member of Olin’s inaugural graduating class. “When I traveled to Boston to tour MIT, I thought that I might as well check out Olin while I was there. The more I got to know it, the more I realized that it was an amazing opportunity to help create the culture of a special place.”

With an interest in computer programming and computer science, Tostado majored in electrical and computer engineering at Olin. While there, he also pursued his growing interest in filmmaking in multiple ways, such as through a summer internship at KFMB Stations in San Diego, starting the Olin Broadcasting Club, and co-writing and -directing a film called Yellow Lights with fellow alum Tom Kochem ’06.

After he graduated, Tostado went all-in on filmmaking—he began working for a San Diego-based production company and then became a producer at Imageworks. In 2011, under his company Tostie Productions, he directed and produced a documentary called Under the Boardwalk: The MONOPOLY Story, which won four regional Emmy awards. In 2014, he produced a comedy called Eternity: The Movie and the web series “Research.”

Tostado and his wife, Francys Scott (who he met at Olin), had their first child in 2016, and Tostado became the primary caregiver while she continued her career at Intuit.

“My ability to take on film work became smaller and smaller as our family grew, and it became more difficult to rely on the uncertain nature of producing as a career,” says Tostado. He prioritized his education, obtaining his MBA online from University of the People in 2020, as well as pursuing certifications in cybersecurity.

Tostado also took the Series 65 exam to learn more about the stock markets and investing, which led to New York Life Insurance Company reaching out to him in 2023 about an employment opportunity. Today, he is a licensed agent with New York Life, a financial adviser through Eagle Strategies LLC, and a registered representative through NYLIFE Securities LLC.

“New York Life provided me with an excellent education, and this work allows me to make a meaningful impact in the lives of other families and individuals,” says Tostado. “I continue to pursue different certifications to add more arrows to my quiver, and to help people navigate the red zone of retirement and to successfully come back down the mountain they’ve spent their whole lives climbing.”

Tostado works with a range of populations in his roles, including many Olin alumni as well as craft breweries in the San Diego area. He is also currently accruing the hours necessary to sit for the exam to become a certified financial planner, a goal that he hopes to attain by the end of 2026. Tostado was recognized last year by the National Association of Insurance and Financial Advisors (NAIFA) as one of the "4 Under 40" advisors in the U.S. and has earned WMCP and FSCP designations from the American College of Financial Services.

Tostado’s career arc is evidence that Olin students can and should pursue the work they are passionate about, no matter how it aligns—or does not align—with the title of their degree. He encourages current students to take advantage of their time in college as a safety net to explore any and all career paths they find interesting.

“At the time when I attended Olin, everyone received a full scholarship, so I got to take some risks with my career that I don’t think I could have done without that opportunity,” says Tostado. “The mindset of an engineer has prepared me for all the careers I’ve had: creative problem-solving, adapting to changing situations, project management, and being a leader. If I could go back and do it all again, I’d still choose Olin every time."