Kirk Cowan

Gary Leonard is a financial advisor based in San Francisco, CA, with 20 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and has worked at Montrose Securities since 2011. Outside of his advisory role, he provides consulting related to hiking activities for a local cooperative. His firm offers discretionary investment management and advisory services primarily to individual clients, managing approximately $800,000 across about 20 accounts. The firm constructs balanced portfolios tailored to client risk tolerance using fundamental, technical, and cyclical analysis, employing strategies that include equities, fixed income, options, and hedging techniques.

Lydia Idem is a financial advisor with FM Capital Group in Oakland, CA, holding a Series 65 designation and 11 years of industry experience. FM Capital Group provides investment advisory and consulting services to individuals, groups, corporations, and other business entities, offering portfolio management and handling due diligence and negotiation of private investment term sheets. The firm follows a strategic allocation approach across public securities and alternative investments and distinguishes itself by charging performance-based fees on private placements and producing educational content such as workshops and radio broadcasts.

Dave's experience in investment management and financial planning uniquely position him to serve as his client's independent trusted advisor - a personal chief financial officer that can discreetly navigate the tides affecting your financial life. ​ Professional highlights include portfolio management on Union Bank municipal investment team which earned recognition as the best in the industry by Barron's in 2008 and 2009; lead investment management responsibility at a $300M financial planning firm; and working with amazing entrepreneurs, executives, and families. ​ David's education includes a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) designation, a Certified Financial Planning (CFP) designation, and a U.C. Berkeley bachelor's degree where he conducted a study on evidenced based investment management with Haas Professor of Investments David Distad. ​ David launched PFM to continue building upon his vision of complete personal financial management: discreet and unwavering focus on how expert financial management can help a client achieve her goals. From setting and achieving goals, to preparing you for all of life's contingencies and investing for your future - David helps his client's understand what they should be doing, and then helps them get it done.

Cassandra Cummings is a financial advisor at RC Wealth Management with 18 years of industry experience. She holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and has been with RC Wealth Management since 2015. Outside of her advisory role, she provides financial literacy services through online courses and in-person events aimed at the general public. RC Wealth Management offers investment management and financial planning services, focusing on fundamental analysis and a risk-aware approach. The firm typically recommends and oversees third-party investment managers and conducts educational workshops alongside limited-scope, hourly planning engagements.

Shailesh Patel is the founder of Patel Capital Management and holds a Series 66 designation with 14 years of industry experience. He previously worked at Fidelity Personal and Workplace Advisors and Fidelity Brokerage Services. He maintains an inactive insurance license that he intends to let expire and does not sell insurance products. Patel Capital Management is an independent, fee-only advisory firm serving a small number of high-net-worth individuals. The firm provides wealth management and financial planning, combining passive and active investment strategies and operating a direct-indexing program that employs institutional optimization and tax-management techniques.

Juan Polanco is a financial advisor at Optimo Capital with 10 years of industry experience. He holds a Series 66 designation and has worked previously at Carr & Ferrell LLP before joining PacBio in 2017, where he currently works full-time as an engineer. In addition to his advisory role, he mentors startups and founders through the Founder's Institute and LoyalVC. Optimo Capital serves emerging companies, startups, and their founders, executives, and employees by providing portfolio supervision and a range of financial advisory services. The firm combines top-down macro analysis with bottom-up credit and security research, offering strategic consulting and flexible fee arrangements without account minimums.