Joseph Decastro Garcia

Driven by a deep passion for finance and investing, Praveen brings a unique blend of experience to his work. As a South Asian immigrant, he navigated the complexities of building a successful 15-year career in Silicon Valley, including co-founding a startup and most recently serving as a Software Engineering Manager at Google. In parallel, he dedicated over a decade mastering various asset classes, from traditional stocks and bonds to value-add commercial real estate and alternative investments like private equity and venture capital. Having achieved financial independence through diligent saving and strategic investing, Praveen is now committed to empowering others to take control of their financial futures by drawing on his own hard-earned wisdom. Empower Financial is an independent, fee-only advisory that provides financial planning and investment consultation to individuals, trusts, estates, retirement plans, small businesses, and a variety of institutional and nonprofit clients. The firm employs a Core + Satellite investment approach, focusing on client risk profiles and asset allocation recommendations, while clients generally execute trades themselves.

Joseph Scerbo is a financial advisor at PRIMERICA ADVISORS and holds Series 6, 63, and Series 65 licenses. Joseph Scerbo works with business owners, self-employed professionals, and people who hope to start their own business one day. He helps clients with investment advising, retirement planning, and business retirement plans, along with retirement distributions and survivor education. He brings that perspective from firsthand experience as an entrepreneur. In January 2003, he founded and ran his own electrical and HVAC contracting company, where he navigated both the 2008 financial crisis and the COVID pandemic while keeping his employees working. That background gives him a practical understanding of the day-to-day challenges business owners face. In 2024, Joseph pivoted into offering securities, bringing his experience as an employer and small business owner to his work with clients. He operates on a fee-based model and focuses on helping business owners plan for retirement and beyond. Primerica Advisors manages a wrap-fee asset management program primarily serving individual investors, including both non-HNW and high-net-worth clients, as well as corporate and charitable clients. The firm uses model-delivery strategies created by unaffiliated asset managers and provides advisory services through a large network of advisors

Louis Romero III is a financial advisor with OSAIC in San Ramon, CA, holding a Series 66 designation and 19 years of industry experience. He previously worked at Lincoln Financial Advisors Corporation for nine years and MetLife Securities Inc. for one year. Outside of advisory work, he owns and operates Sentinel Wealth Strategies, providing financial planning and annuity sales. OSAIC Wealth, Inc. is an SEC-registered investment adviser and FINRA member broker-dealer serving a diverse client base, including individual investors, pension plans, corporations, and charitable organizations. The firm employs a technology-driven investment process and offers a wide range of advisory programs and investment options through a large network of financial advisers.

I am a seasoned technology professional and an entrepreneur based in Silicon Valley. I have experience starting and running a software company that was venture-funded and subsequently acquired by a public company. During my high-tech career, I got intrigued by money matters such as savings, investments, insurance, taxes in order to achieve my family's financial goals. Out of curiosity, I spent time reading and researching various aspects of personal finance. I realized that there are a growing number of financial options available with increasing complexity in these choices. My passion towards financial planning ultimately resulted in pursuing formal education in financial planning, subsequently completing the CFP Board requirements to be a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER® Professional. I launched Encover Personal Finance in 2018, primarily to help technology professionals achieve their financial life goals based on my own experience. I believe in serving clients honestly and transparently in a conflict-free manner. https://www.encoverpersonalfinance.com/about

Megan Rouse is the principal of Megan Rouse Financial Planning in Dublin, California, holding the CFP® designation and a Series 65 license with 17 years of industry experience. She is also a California Licensed Professional Fiduciary and operates a separate fiduciary services business. Megan has provided financial planning services since 2009. Her firm advises individuals, families, and small businesses with comprehensive or segmented financial planning, focusing on non-discretionary advice and low-cost investment options such as mutual funds and ETFs. The firm uses project, hourly, or retainer fee structures and does not manage client assets or take custody of funds.

Ajay Agrawal is the sole advisor at his independent firm in Fremont, CA, with 19 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and 65 licenses and has worked at Envestnet Asset Management, SagePoint Financial, and OSAIC. Outside of his advisory work, Agrawal serves as Managing Director of Taj Funds, a private investment fund focused on hard money lending and startup funding. His firm provides fee-based discretionary investment management and qualified retirement plan consulting to entities including plan sponsors, trusts, estates, charitable organizations, corporations, and high-net-worth individuals. The firm uses a tactical allocation approach that integrates fundamental, technical, and cyclical analysis across a broad range of instruments, with particular emphasis on retirement plan advisory services and hourly-billed financial planning.