Elizabeth Schieldt Hagen

Having spent the first decade of my career with a large wealth management firm in Seattle, I launched Kindness Financial Planning in 2021 to work with fewer clients and focus on widows, widowers, caregivers, and families affected by major health events. Their stories resonate with me because my dad was diagnosed with Stage IV Lung Cancer on July 18, 2016. He has had brain radiation, chemotherapy, and immunotherapy. We have navigated oncologists, surgeons, palliative care doctors, neurologists, endocrinologists, pain clinics, psychiatrists, social workers, pain clinics, nutritionists, and more. Since then, I’ve been drawn to people going through similar situations. I enjoy our conversations, hearing what is important, and helping them navigate the uncertainty life throws at them. Through these conversations, I have learned that when faced with loss and grief, brain fog usually takes over. What was once easy becomes challenging. Sometimes, only one person was involved in the financial decisions and the survivor needs another layer of support. I meet people where they are, listen, and organize what needs to be done to build financial security. I help people make sense of what is urgent and what can wait. Together, we’ll do tax planning, review estate plans, build customized investment portfolios to create the income they need, and more. Then, I am with them every step of the way. I graduated Summa Cum Laude from Seattle University. I hold the CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ designation, Chartered Life Underwriter® designation, and I am a Registered Life Planner®. Outside of work, you can find me playing tennis, running with my wife, biking, hiking, attempting to play the guitar, or cooking.

Eric Adler is the principal of Adler Financial in Madison, WI, holding a Series 66 designation with 12 years of industry experience. His work history includes roles at Ameriprise Financial Services, Coordinated Capital Securities, and his current position as Director of Finance at AFLatex Technologies, a company focused on technology for processing and stabilizing natural rubber and latex. At AFLatex, he manages the finance department overseeing contract details, accounting, taxes, and financing. Adler Financial provides investment management and financial planning services to a diverse client base, including individuals, trusts, pension plans, charitable organizations, and corporations. The firm employs a combined fundamental and quantitative analysis approach to tailor portfolios and offers services such as pension consulting and tax preparation.

Mark Ziety is a CFP®-certified financial advisor with 18 years of industry experience. He is the sole advisor at WisMed Financial, Inc., where he has worked since 2020. Prior to that, he was with Ellenbecker Investment Group, Inc. and Shakespeare Wealth Management, Inc. from 2009 to 2020. WisMed Financial, Inc. is a fee-only registered investment adviser serving individuals, employer-sponsored retirement plans, and institutional clients. The firm combines tailored asset allocation with both passive and active strategies, integrating financial planning and portfolio management while accommodating socially conscious investing and client-specific restrictions.

Stephen Tone is the principal advisor at Tone Financial Advisors, LLC in Stoughton, Wisconsin. He holds a Series 65 credential and has 20 years of industry experience. In addition to his financial advisory role, he operates Tone Software Solutions, LLC, a company that develops and sells software for managing poultry shows. Tone Financial Advisors serves individuals, families, churches, and nonprofit institutions with discretionary investment portfolio management focused on long-term asset allocation. The firm integrates a conservative Christian worldview and offers biblically responsible, socially responsible, or values-neutral portfolios.

Rex Jones is the sole advisor at Rex Leigh Jones, an independent firm based in Madison, WI. He holds a Series 63 designation and has five years of industry experience, with his firm operating since 1996. Rex Leigh Jones provides investment advisory services to individuals, trusts, small businesses, and charitable organizations, focusing on mutual funds, ETFs, individual stocks and bonds, and fixed income securities. The firm emphasizes fundamental analysis and long-term investing, managing accounts on a non-discretionary basis with tailored solutions based on clients’ risk tolerance and objectives.

Brandon Ben Hanania is a CFP®-designated financial advisor with independent firm Spruce Hill Capital in Madison, WI. He has two years with Spruce Hill Capital and prior experience at firms including American Family Insurance and Creative Planning. Hanania holds the Series 65 and has a background that includes both insurance and asset management roles. Spruce Hill Capital serves individuals, couples, and families with tailored investment advice and discretionary portfolio management, emphasizing ETF-based portfolios and a combination of macroeconomic and technical analysis for tactical allocation. The firm offers ongoing asset management as well as standalone financial planning and hourly consulting services.