Melanie Lara

Jonathan Kuczmarski is a financial advisor at Efficient Capital Strategies, LLC in Providence, RI, holding Series 65 and Series 66 licenses with 12 years of industry experience. He previously worked at WhaleRock Point Partners, LLC from 2014 to 2016 before founding his current firm in 2016. In addition to his advisory role, he holds an active real estate salesperson license and dedicates a portion of his workweek to real estate activities. Efficient Capital Strategies provides comprehensive, goals-based financial planning and discretionary portfolio management primarily for high net worth individuals, charitable organizations, and business entities. The firm employs a value-based investment philosophy using fundamental and technical analysis, incorporating equities, fixed income, mutual funds, ETFs, and publicly traded REITs, with tactical use of nontraditional ETFs and hedging strategies.

Stacie Skryz is a CFP® professional with nine years of industry experience, currently serving as the sole advisor at Lechner Associates since 2014. She is based in North Attleboro, MA, and focuses on comprehensive financial planning and wealth management. Lechner Associates is an independent, fee-only firm that serves approximately 125 clients with $94 million in assets under management. The firm provides non-discretionary portfolio management tailored through fundamental analysis and retirement modeling, offering both ongoing wealth management and hourly financial consultation services.

Jan Hilfer is a CFP® and Series 66 credentialed financial advisor with 12 years of industry experience. He has worked at Edward Jones for nine years before founding Eisenhilfer Capital LLC, where he has been practicing since 2022. Eisenhilfer Capital LLC provides discretionary portfolio management and financial planning to individual investors, charitable organizations, and businesses. The firm customizes investment strategies based on client objectives and risk tolerance, utilizing approaches such as fundamental analysis and modern portfolio theory, and offers educational seminars upon request.

James Tavares is a financial advisor with Lodestar Wealth, LLC in Providence, RI, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and bringing 16 years of industry experience. His prior roles include positions at Quasar Distributors, LLC and Horizon Investments. He also supports a startup healthcare financial technology firm without receiving compensation. Lodestar Wealth Public Benefit, LLC is an independent registered investment adviser serving individuals, including high-net-worth clients, and business entities. The firm uses ETF-based, long-term portfolios guided by documented Investment Policy Statements and employs a combination of modern portfolio theory, fundamental, quantitative, and technical analysis to construct diversified allocations.

Robert Shuman is a CFA® charterholder and the sole advisor at Encore Investment Advisors, LLC, with four years of industry experience. Prior to founding Encore, he worked at Butterfield Asset Management for six years and had brief tenures at Northwestern Mutual Investment Services and Civic Financial Services in 2021. Encore Investment Advisors is a single-advisor registered investment adviser serving individuals, high-net-worth clients, trusts, and estates both domestically and internationally. The firm employs a long-term, asset-allocation driven investment approach using a mix of ETFs, mutual funds, equities, and fixed income, and provides both discretionary and non-discretionary management alongside financial planning services.

John Connaughton is a CFP® professional at Rhodeway Financial with three years of industry experience. He previously worked at Columbia Funds and FINRA and serves as a paid independent trustee of the Columbia Funds. Rhodeway Financial offers financial planning and financial literacy seminars primarily for individuals and nonprofit organizations, focusing on investment, retirement, tax, college, and debt planning. The firm emphasizes mutual funds, particularly within employer-sponsored retirement plans, and provides non-discretionary advice without managing client portfolios or charging asset-based fees.