Michael Jerding

Connor Benson is an Investment Advisor and Banker with J.P. Morgan Private Bank in Houston, TX. He has over 12 years of industry experience working in institutional asset management, sales & trading, and comprehensive planning. His prior roles include positions at BBVA Securities, McGriff Insurance Services (Marsh & McClennan Conpany), Regions Bank, and Merrill Lynch Wealth Management. He is employed by both JPMorgan Securities and JPMorgan Private Bank, enabling him to offer a range of banking products alongside investment services. J.P. Morgan Securities LLC provides institutional consulting services to corporations, foundations, and defined contribution plan sponsors, delivering asset allocation advice, investment manager searches, and customized reporting. The firm combines large institutional advisory operations with brokerage and investment management capabilities, offering non-discretionary wealth advisory services supported by a centralized due-diligence framework.

Natalie Kassenyeva is the principal of Natalie M. Kassenyeva, an investment management firm based in Houston, TX. She holds the CFA® designation along with Series 63 and 65 licenses and has 20 years of industry experience, including roles at BW Energy, McDermott International, and BP NAGP. In addition to her advisory work, she teaches preparatory classes for the Chartered Financial Analyst exam at Rice University. Her firm provides investment consulting and financial planning services focused on mutual funds, pooled accounts, and third-party managers, serving individual retirement, trust, and estate accounts. The practice emphasizes manager selection and due diligence, with non-discretionary advice and quarterly account reviews.

Kurt Ours is the sole advisor at Virescent Financial LLC in Houston, TX. He holds a Series 65 designation and previously worked at Occidental Petroleum Corporation for 11 years before founding Virescent Financial in 2025. Virescent Financial is an independent, fee-only registered investment adviser that provides comprehensive financial planning and discretionary investment management services to individuals and high-net-worth clients. The firm employs a combination of fundamental analysis and Modern Portfolio Theory, emphasizing asset allocation and passive investment vehicles, and uses non-traditional fee structures including hourly and project-based fees rather than asset-based charges.

Andrew Nunnally is a financial advisor at Alpha-Tech Investments, LLC in Houston, TX, with five years of industry experience. He holds a Series 65 designation and has worked in roles at Arena Energy, Prescryptive Health, Marathon Oil, and DNC Technology. Outside of advising, he has worked as a sales analyst for Prescryptive Health, a digital health company focused on prescription intelligence platforms. Alpha-Tech Investments is a single-advisor independent firm providing discretionary asset management and portfolio supervision for individuals, corporations, and other entities. The firm employs a research-driven process combining fundamental analysis, technical methods, and modern portfolio theory, managing a diverse range of assets typically on a discretionary basis.

Terrance Elder is a CFP® professional with 22 years of industry experience, currently affiliated with Optivise Advisory Services LLC. He has worked at Texas First Wealth Management, LLC since 2007 and has been involved with Cash Flow Planners since 2002, where he serves as president and dedicates significant time to selling fixed annuities and life insurance. Optivise Advisory Services provides portfolio management and financial planning to a diverse client base including individuals, retirement plans, trusts, and charitable organizations. The firm employs both internally developed models and third-party sub-advisors, offering discretionary and non-discretionary solutions supported by advanced technology and reporting tools.

David Bass is a financial advisor at Decision Tree Advisor in Houston, TX, holding the ChFC® and Series 66 designations with 11 years of industry experience. He worked at Invesco for 20 years before joining Edward Jones briefly in 2021 and then founding Decision Tree Advisor in 2022. Decision Tree Advisor provides wealth management, investment management, and financial planning services to individuals, high-net-worth clients, and corporations. The firm focuses on asset allocation and modern portfolio theory, primarily using passive index funds while incorporating active management and ESG criteria when requested.