Atmaram D Varavadekar

Melissa Osuch is a financial advisor with Strategic Advisors of Illinois, holding a Series 66 designation and 20 years of industry experience. She has been with Strategic Advisors of Illinois since 2006 and has also worked at LPL Financial LLC since 2011. In addition to her advisory role, she is involved in accounting and tax preparation services through AMM Accounting Services. Strategic Advisors of Illinois provides investment advisory and financial planning services to individual and high-net-worth clients, focusing on pre-retirement and post-retirement planning. The firm offers discretionary asset management, tiered ongoing financial planning, and educational seminars, constructing customized portfolios primarily through a wrap-fee program that integrates advisory services and trade execution.

I am the founder of DIYFi Advisors LLC, a fee-only advisory firm in Chicago. I work with young professionals and recent graduates on financial planning, investing and portfolio decisions. I hold the Series 65 license and work on a flat-fee or hourly basis. I do not sell products or charge a percentage of assets. Before starting DIYFi, I spent nearly a decade in economic consulting at Bates White and Econ One. There I analyzed complex financial and economic data for litigation matters. I also worked as a product manager at Capital One. I hold an economics degree from the University of Chicago and an MBA from MIT Sloan. My approach is built on evidence: low-cost index funds, tax efficiency, and clear plans that clients can carry out on their own. The "why" answer is built from what I know about your approach, not from a personal story. If something specific got you started, like your own student loans at Sloan or friends asking you for help, one sentence about it would make the answer much stronger. I can also put together a short profile of your writing style so future drafts sound more like you.

Emil Aldaddah is a Co-Founder, Chief Investment Officer, and Managing Partner at Momentum Wealth Management, with nearly two decades of experience delivering institutional-caliber investment management solutions. He specializes in developing tailored strategies for ultra-high-net-worth individuals, family offices, trustees, entrepreneurs, and private foundations. At Charles Schwab and Morgan Stanley Wealth Management, Emil managed portfolios totaling over $1.7 billion in assets under management, including $380 million in advisory services, serving individuals with net worths exceeding $1 billion, family offices, and public figures. His approach integrates asset management, financial planning, estate strategies, and alternative investments, helping clients preserve and grow wealth across generations. Prior to founding Momentum Wealth Management, Emil held roles at Avatar Securities, where he managed over $175 million in long/short equity exposure and developed algorithmic trading strategies applying statistical arbitrage and market-neutral equity approaches, and at Blackmore Partners, where he advised on M&A transactions and capital raises up to $500 million for C-suite leadership and private equity firms. Emil holds a BS in Finance from DePaul University and completed advanced studies at the University of Nicosia. He maintains Series 7, 66, and 56 registrations. Fluent in Arabic, he has served on the Young Visions Board of the Israel Cancer Research Fund and is a member of the Chicago Leadership Alliance.

John Nowak CFP® practitioner specializes in retirement planning for seasoned professionals; providing guidance to turn decades of saving into a Tax-Wise, Income-Smart, Experience-Rich retirement. He is a fiduciary who focuses on all aspects of your retirement journey: - turning savings into a retirement paycheck - reducing expected taxes over time - claiming Social Security and Medicare - aligning your portfolio with your lifestyle and bucket lists - enjoying your life while reducing regrets - leaving a legacy, not a burden and confusion for your family John works primarily with couples and single-women across the country who are looking for personalized planning and holistic advice for their retirement. Your ideas, vision, and concerns are our primary focus. John founded Alo Financial Planning in 2018 after becoming a planner in 2007, and following a career in accounting. He is a proud alum of the University of Illinois, graduating with honors in 1999 and a degree in Accountancy.

Vincent DeCrow is a financial advisor at RISE Investment Management, LLC (dba RISE Investments) with 7 years of direct industry experience. He holds the Series 65 designation and has worked at RISE since 2019, following roles at Origin Investments and Duff & Phelps, LLC. RISE Investments provides discretionary investment management and financial planning services to individuals, high-net-worth clients, families, trusts, businesses, retirement plans, and non-profit organizations. The firm emphasizes long-term equity ownership, tax efficiency, and diversified portfolio construction, offering access to private placements and manager-of-managers solutions.

As a CFP® professional and founder of Illuminate Wealth Management, I work with business owners, executives, and professionals who are navigating complex financial decisions. My goal is to help you understand your options, avoid costly mistakes, and create a strategy that supports the life you're working so hard to build. Over the years, I've developed a particular passion for helping clients make smart decisions around equity compensation. Whether you're dealing with RSUs, ISOs, stock options, ESPPs, or a major liquidity event, I help clients think through the tax implications, manage concentration risk, and create a plan that connects today's decisions with their long-term goals. I also work closely with business owners who are balancing the demands of running a company while trying to make thoughtful decisions about growing and protecting their personal wealth. When your business, taxes, retirement goals, investments, and family finances are all connected, financial planning becomes about much more than investments alone. While equity compensation and business planning are often what bring people to me, my role is much larger than solving a single financial challenge. I help clients think through retirement, taxes, investments, cash flow, and long-term wealth planning so they can make decisions with confidence and stay focused on what matters most. My approach is simple: bring clarity to complexity and help people make confident financial decisions. I believe good planning should help you spend less time worrying about money and more time focusing on what matters most to you.