Mark Edward Gooding

Michael Kothakota is a CFP® professional with 20 years of industry experience, currently serving as the sole advisor at Wolfbridge Wealth in Durham, NC. He has been associated with WolfBridge Financial Corporation since 2008. In addition to his advisory role, he lectures at Columbia University and serves as an adjunct professor at New York University. Wolfbridge Wealth provides discretionary portfolio management, financial planning, pension-plan consulting, business valuation, and equity research services to individuals—including high-net-worth clients—trusts, pension and profit-sharing plans, and charitable organizations. The firm emphasizes client education through webinars, white papers, and presentations, and integrates fundamental, technical, and macroeconomic analysis into its investment approach. Michael Kothakota developed Interdependent Integrative Financial Planning Theory. He has sa Masters in Predictive Analytics, and a Ph.D. in Personal Financial Planning from Kansas State University. He was also the inaugural Head of Research at CFP Board, the governing body of CFP(R) professionals.

Raymond Eustace is a financial advisor at Eustace Advisors in Cary, NC, holding a Series 65 designation with three years of industry experience. Prior to founding Eustace Advisors, he worked at ClearComm Technical Sales from 2003 to 2020 and operated Nadaje Holdings LLC from 2013 to 2022. Eustace Advisors is an independent, fee-only firm that provides advice-only financial planning and investment analysis to individuals and high-net-worth clients. The firm’s approach is based on Modern Portfolio Theory with a focus on long-term, passive investment strategies, and it offers services including financial plan development, project-based planning, ongoing planning, educational seminars, and optional tax return preparation.

Mostafa Omar is the sole advisor at Astrelle Capital LLC in Raleigh, NC. He holds a Series 65 credential and has two years of experience in financial advising. Prior to his current role, he spent eight years working in the restaurant industry with Lugano Ristorante, Cowfish Sushi Burger Bar, and Hibernian Co. Astrelle Capital LLC serves individuals, households, retirement accounts, trusts, and simple closely held entities with portfolio management and standalone financial planning. The firm emphasizes strategic asset allocation, tax-aware implementation, and risk controls, primarily using exchange-traded funds along with selective mutual funds, equities, fixed income, and cash equivalents.

Naveen Reddy Gollapally is the sole advisor at gnrfunds LLC, an independent registered investment adviser based in Morrisville, NC. He holds a Series 65 credential and has four years of industry experience, including over a decade at Epsilon Data Management LLC prior to founding gnrfunds in 2021. Outside of his advisory work, he serves as treasurer for several day care centers planned to open in 2026 and 2027, and he is president of a UPS store, as well as a database administrator for a technology consulting firm. gnrfunds LLC serves individual investors, high-net-worth clients, and small businesses with discretionary portfolio management and retirement plan advice. The firm focuses on concentrated equity portfolios through fundamental analysis and employs various strategies including long/short positions and derivatives, offering performance-based fee arrangements to qualified clients.

David Elliott is a financial advisor at Artifex Advisory Group, Inc. in Cary, NC, with 18 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and has operated as a sole proprietor since 2013. In addition to his advisory work, Elliott is also a licensed insurance agent involved in insurance sales. Artifex Advisory Group provides fee-based investment management and financial planning services to individuals, high-net-worth clients, and employer-sponsored retirement plans. The firm manages portfolios on a discretionary basis using both fundamental and technical analysis and offers ERISA-plan services including fiduciary responsibilities and participant education.

Hi! My name is Ian Bloom. I started my firm, Open World Financial Life Planning because I wanted to serve other nerds, not sell financial products. I focus on systematizing my clients’ financial lives to reduce their stress and worry, so that they can focus on their passions. As a nerd, I understand what it’s like to have hobbies and priorities outside of the norm. Whether your interests lie in gaming, programming, collecting, or something tamer, my goal is to make your financial life much more simple so that you have less stress and more time to focus on your interests. Life shouldn’t be about scrolling through google searches to solve a complex financial question. Your time should be spent doing the things you love and taking care of the people you care about. My philosophy on financial life planning was shaped through my experience getting my CFP® and RLP® designations, my bachelor’s degree in Psychology, and three years of amazing mentorship in the financial industry. Comprehensive financial life planning with my firm combines the skills I’ve developed through my experience and education, the perspective I have as a nerd and Millennial, and the drive I have to increase financial literacy within my community. I chose a fee-only structure for the firm in order to minimize conflicts of interest and make payment as transparent for my clients as possible. Having no product sales involved means I can focus on the perfect solution for my clients, not getting paid. Working with my firm starts with a complimentary first meeting in which we talk through your values, goals, and finances. If we decide to work together we will gather details on your finances, analyze and prioritize your goals, and eventually arrive at a plan through collaboration. I will help with the implementation of that plan, educating you on the what’s and why’s of each checklist item so that you feel comfortable with the changes. At the end of a year, we will review our progress and reassess the plan going forward. On the personal side of things, my passions lie in gaming. I love tabletop games, trading card games, and video games. I specifically love anything that is geared toward difficult strategic decisions. My passion for gaming is what got me so interested in financial strategies! Go ahead and book that first meeting to get started! It’s always FREE. If you're not sure yet, check out my books on Amazon to learn more about my financial philosophy: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FH5P83