Merrit Austin Strunk

WHY JERRY CHOSE TO BE A FINANCIAL PLANNER: His lack of financial literacy was not by choice. It was because personal finance was not taught in school or in his community. As a first-generation wealth builder, Jerry's money journey has been shaped by a profound understanding of both cultural and financial expectations. His experiences have uniquely positioned him to empathize with the challenges faced by first-generation families, inspiring a distinctive approach to financial guidance. His moment of profound solitude occurred during his transition from the Marine Corps back to civilian life. In uniform, Jerry felt in control, with camaraderie, financial stability, and a consistent salary. However, the day he left, all that stability vanished giving way to a cascade of emotions - depression, anxiety, and fear. Jerry, who had grown up facing financial hardships, relying on food stamps, and public aid, knew it was time to stop merely talking about wanting to build wealth and start acting. The realization struck deep: He needed to make a difference not just for himself, but for others facing similar issues. Motivated by a desire to help his family and friends, Jerry decided to be the guide he wished he'd had. He obtained his license, college degree, and joined a firm not only to enhance his life but the lives of other 1st-time wealth builders. After a few years of helping high net worth individuals grow their assets, Jerry felt the firm wasn't built to help families like his. In 2024, Jerry took the leap and launched Confianza Wealth Management as a guide for aspiring wealth builders. Jerry is on a mission to empower 1st-time wealth building families. Jerry wants to bridge the financial planning accessibility gap by helping these millennial families take control of their financial futures.

Scott Weber is a financial advisor at WealthLynk, Inc. with 20 years of industry experience. He holds a Series 66 designation and has previously worked at firms including J.P. Morgan Securities, Tollminder, and UBS Financial Services. Weber is also an independent insurance agent. WealthLynk is an independent advisory firm serving individuals and high-net-worth clients with ongoing portfolio management and financial planning. The firm provides non-discretionary, IPS-based investment advice and may recommend third-party managers accessed through the Altruist platform, offering financial planning to existing clients at no additional fee.

Rick Alvarado is a CFP®-designated financial advisor with 36 years of industry experience. He has been with Wealth One Advisors since 2000 and has a prior affiliation with LPL Financial dating back to 1993. Rick is based in Fallbrook, CA, and holds the Series 63 license. Wealth One Advisors provides financial planning and consulting services to individuals, high-net-worth households, trusts, estates, and certain pension or profit-sharing plans, with a focus on retirement, estate, and protection planning. The firm offers written plans and consulting engagements without managing client assets, using both fundamental and technical analysis to tailor investment strategies that emphasize long-term asset allocation and periodic rebalancing.

Darren Schuringa is a CFA® charterholder and the sole advisor at Yorkville Capital Management LLC, where he has worked since 2006. He has 20 years of industry experience. Yorkville Capital Management provides discretionary portfolio management and investment supervisory services to high-net-worth individuals and various institutional and household accounts. The firm employs proprietary risk models and asset-allocation algorithms, tactical hedging, and short selling as part of its risk-management strategy.

Amy Sharp is a CFP® professional with over 30 years of experience in financial advising. She is the founder of Amy T. Sharp, CFP, LLC, an independent firm based in Valley Center, CA. Her prior roles include positions at CS Planning Corp, Investacorp Advisory Services Inc, PRUCO Securities, USAA Financial Planning Services, and MSI Financial Services. Outside of advising, she co-owns a family chocolate business producing sugar-free confections. Her firm provides financial planning and portfolio management services to individuals, businesses, pension and profit-sharing plans, trusts, estates, and charitable organizations. The firm constructs diversified, actively managed portfolios with a systematic approach and offers educational resources including a monthly newsletter and online articles.

Ahmet Turken is a financial advisor with Turken Investments LLC in San Marcos, CA. He holds a Series 65 designation and has six years of industry experience. Prior to founding Turken Investments, he worked at Thermo Fisher Scientific and is currently a Senior Finance Manager at Becton Dickinson, focusing on financial planning and budgeting for their Biosciences division. Turken Investments provides investment management and financial planning services to individuals and legal entities, including executives, retirees, and business owners. The firm emphasizes diversified portfolios based on written Investment Policies and client risk questionnaires, operating on a non-discretionary basis with client approval for trades.