James Schaefer

Jeffrey Thomas is a financial advisor at Alpha Asset Management in Akron, Ohio, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses with 35 years of industry experience. He has worked at Alpha Asset Management since 1996 and American Heritage Securities Inc since 2013. Thomas is also president of JCT Investment Counsel, a fee-based investment management firm. Alpha Asset Management is a fee-based registered investment advisor serving primarily individual clients and a limited number of institutions. The firm employs a discretionary portfolio management approach focused on large-cap equities, investment-grade bonds, and investment-company securities, combining top-down secular-cycle analysis with bottom-up security selection.

Peter Laakso is a financial advisor at Priority Investment Management LLC in Akron, OH, holding a Series 65 credential with 11 years of industry experience. He previously worked for Meridian Capital Management Group, Inc. for 10 years and was self-employed for six years. Priority Investment Management LLC offers discretionary asset management and portfolio management services to individuals, corporations, and business entities. The firm employs multiple analytical methods and generally pursues long-term purchase strategies with periodic rebalancing and tax-loss harvesting during quarterly reviews.

Larry Kline is a financial advisor at Gateway Wealth, Inc. in Stow, Ohio, with 38 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 66 licenses and has worked previously at FSC Securities Corporation and Osaic Wealth, Inc. In addition to his advisory role, Kline is a CPA involved in tax return preparation and tax planning. Gateway Wealth, Inc. provides comprehensive financial planning and portfolio management services to individual clients, including high-net-worth individuals, as well as pension and profit-sharing plans. The firm employs a long-term investment approach with discretionary management, emphasizing mutual funds and utilizing both fundamental and technical analysis.

Ryan Bayonnet is a Certified Financial Planner® and founder of Hyland Wealth Management, a Fee-Only, Registered Investment Advisory firm in Green, Ohio. Ryan founded Hyland to empower professionals and families to discover and reach their life goals while building a stable financial future. Through years of education and industry experience, he has acquired in-depth expertise in many areas of wealth management, specifically in retirement planning, tax planning, and investment management. He is a graduate of both the University of Akron and the Ohio State University. His work as a financial advisor has been cited in numerous news organizations including the Wall Street Journal, the New York Times, the Washington Post, and many more. Ryan serves clients locally and virtually across the country.

Patrick Sullivan is the principal of Sullivan Pinnacle Advisors, Ltd. in Akron, OH, with 23 years of experience in the financial industry. He has been the owner of Sullivan Company, a CPA firm, since 1984, where he devotes part of his time to investment advisory work. Sullivan holds a Series 63 designation. Sullivan Pinnacle Advisors operates through a co-advisory relationship with an SEC-registered investment adviser, offering wealth management, financial planning, trust wealth management, and retirement plan consulting services. The firm combines financial planning with investment advisory and fiduciary services, emphasizing retirement plan consulting and independent manager selection without taking custody of client assets.

Garrett Boone is a financial advisor at Fortifi Capital, LLC in Akron, Ohio, with 17 years of industry experience. He holds a Series 66 designation and has led Fortifi Capital since 2016. Outside of his advisory role, he owns and operates gbtechlab LLC, a full stack software engineering business, working primarily on contract and freelance projects. Fortifi Capital provides portfolio management and financial planning services to individuals, high-net-worth clients, charitable organizations, small businesses, and corporate clients. The firm uses a quantitative, ETF-based approach that includes tactical adjustments with derivatives and options, and it is notable for serving corporate accounts and developing proprietary software to support its investment process.