James Alexander Smith

Hi, I'm Kevin. I'm a financial advisor in Washington, D.C., and the founder & CEO of Illumint. In 2017, I launched Illumint to offer financial planning for Millennials. I specialize in helping our generation answer the question, "Are we going to be ok financially?" For you, this may mean investing more of your savings. Or smartly managing an inheritance. Perhaps you want to put your kids on the right track financially. My work as a Certified Financial Planner™ draws on my past finance experience. I previously held financial roles in the NFL and in the commercial real estate industry. The birth of my first child, though, inspired me to become a financial advisor for Millennials in Washington, DC. Around this time, I noticed that couples like us lacked good options for financial advice. The limited advice that we did receive wasn't specific to our stage in life. And the industry's compensation structure often wasn't in our best interest. I wanted to see more fee-only financial advisors. I wanted to see financial advisors with expertise in student loans and renting vs. buying. I wanted financial planning to start making inherited IRAs, Health Savings Accounts, and 529 plans work for our generation. I work hard to put myself in a position to answer any questions that Millennials have on topics like these. To this end, I serve as a resource for many journalists. Over the years, I've provided insight to the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, CNN, NPR, and NBC News. And I've written for Forbes, Yahoo! Finance, Kiplinger, and Fatherly. I've also worked with employers and brands on a variety of Millennial-driven personal finance events and projects. I've partnered with John Hopkins University, Nestle, and General Assembly, among others. I'm proud to hold an undergraduate business degree from Georgetown University (Hoya Saxa!). I later added an MBA in finance from Georgia Tech (THWg!). Last, but certainly not least, I'm the father of two young boys, who couldn't care less about any of this stuff. They only care that I play with them after school.

Ben Arie is a Series 66-licensed financial advisor with Independent Financial Group, LLC, based in North Bethesda, MD. He has two years of industry experience and previously worked at Plotkin Financial Advisors and APEX Home Loans. Outside of advising, he is involved in selling life and health insurance. Independent Financial Group, LLC is a dual-registered broker-dealer and SEC-registered investment adviser serving individuals, charities, corporations, and plan sponsors. The firm offers a variety of advisory programs through its AccessPoint platform and third-party asset managers, providing both discretionary and non-discretionary portfolio management.

Simeon’s role is to help clients create a coordinated financial strategy that aligns their investments, taxes, retirement income, and long-term goals into one cohesive plan. A big part of his approach is helping clients simplify complexity and make confident decisions during periods of uncertainty.

Jessica Horner is a CFP® professional at Tender Wealth with experience that includes roles at Chevy Chase Trust and JMH Financial LLC. She also runs an after-school program combining ultimate-frisbee instruction with basic financial literacy lessons. Tender Wealth provides financial planning and consulting services to individuals and high-net-worth clients, offering educational seminars and workshops on financial literacy, budgeting, and retirement planning. The firm focuses on comprehensive planning and supports clients in implementing recommendations through custodians or brokers of their choice.

Timothy Wesling is a CFP®-certified financial advisor with 22 years of industry experience. He is the sole advisor at Wesling Financial Planning Services Corp. in Alexandria, VA, and has worked at Morgan Stanley DW Inc. since 2003. Wesling Financial Planning Services Corp. serves individual clients, including high-net-worth individuals, offering portfolio management, comprehensive financial planning, 401(k) and qualified-plan advisory services, as well as divorce-planning advice and tax preparation. The firm integrates fundamental analysis with both long-term and short-term trading strategies, providing customized Investment Policy Statements and maintaining discretionary trading authority for ongoing engagements.

Alexander Levy is a CFA® charterholder and holds a Series 63 license, currently serving as the sole advisor at Noordzee Capital LLC with one year of industry experience. He has held management roles at Jetway Intel LLC, a news media and market intelligence firm focused on the airline and aerospace industries, and at Noordzee Consulting LLC, which provides research and consulting services. Noordzee Capital offers advisory services mainly to institutional clients, employer retirement plans, family offices, and high- and ultra-high-net-worth individuals, including a significant non-U.S. client base. The firm’s investment approach centers on fundamental analysis supported by economic and technical tools, providing portfolio management, financial planning, retirement plan consulting, and sector-specific research.