Cassandra Lipp

Girish Gupte is a financial advisor at Magnus Financials LLC with a Series 65 designation and one year of industry experience. He has prior business experience spanning various ventures including insurance and real estate companies that he has been involved with since 2008. Magnus Financials LLC serves individual investors and small businesses by providing financial planning, non-discretionary portfolio advisory, and targeted consulting such as small-business valuations. The firm’s investment approach focuses on strategic asset allocation informed by top-down and fundamental analysis, with advice delivered on a non-discretionary basis and tailored to client preferences.

Kartik Patel is a financial advisor at Simplify Investments with eight years of industry experience and holds a Series 65 designation. He is also the president of Data Express Inc., an information technology consulting firm where he provides IT consulting and business strategy analysis, including work with a client in the financial sector. Simplify Investments offers portfolio management services to private individuals, families, and small businesses, focusing on fundamental, value-oriented analysis using a concentrated portfolio of stocks, ETFs, and bonds. The firm serves a notable number of non-U.S. clients and emphasizes addressing currency risk and overseas investment considerations.

Bryan Thomas is the sole advisor at Financial Solutions, LLC in Oak Hill, VA, holding a Series 65 designation with seven years of industry experience. He has worked at Financial Solutions since 2018 and concurrently serves as Vice President at Jones Lang LaSalle, Inc., specializing in commercial real estate services. Financial Solutions provides comprehensive financial planning to individuals and families, covering areas such as cash flow, retirement, education funding, estate and tax considerations, and risk management. The firm emphasizes a long-term, passive investment approach with fundamental analysis, offering written financial plans and educational workshops while clients retain full discretion over implementation.

Sunil Pai is a CFA® charterholder and the sole advisor at Proforza Advisors LLC, with 16 years of industry experience. He has led Proforza Advisors since its founding in 2012. Pai is also the managing member of Quantworks, LLC, a now dormant investment-related business. Proforza Advisors provides fee-based investment management primarily to institutional clients such as pension funds and endowments, as well as high net worth individuals. The firm utilizes a systematic, quantitative Active Risk-Based investing (ARBi) methodology that employs algorithms to construct and actively rebalance portfolios of liquid ETFs and stocks.

Brian Abatemarco is a CFP® with eight years of industry experience, currently serving as the sole advisor at CedarStream Wealth, LLC in Herndon, VA. His prior roles include positions at Abacus Wealth, Nexhelm AI, Creative Planning, and Mercer Global Advisors. CedarStream Wealth, LLC is a fee-only independent advisory firm serving individuals and high-net-worth clients with investment management and financial planning. The firm employs a modern portfolio theory approach using passive index funds, third-party model portfolios, and discretionary rebalancing, while offering tailored planning services and leveraging multiple model marketplaces to support its client base.

John Herr is a financial advisor with Alpha Strategies Corporation in Sterling, VA, holding Series 63 and Series 66 licenses and having 21 years of industry experience. He has been with Alpha Strategies Corporation since 2010. The firm provides discretionary portfolio management and integrated financial planning to individuals, pension and profit-sharing plans, trusts, charitable organizations, and corporations. Alpha Strategies manages approximately $47.9 million across about 86 client accounts, employing modern portfolio theory to construct diversified portfolios with both traditional and alternative investments, and retains all portfolio management in-house.