Peter Vitale

Allan Katz is a financial advisor at Stirlingshire Investments with 34 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and has worked at Stirlingshire RIA LLC and Stirlingshire BD LLC since 2023, in addition to serving as president of Comprehensive Wealth Management Group, LLC since 2007. Outside of finance, Katz is a freelance trombone player and owns a model train business. Stirlingshire RIA LLC provides discretionary portfolio management to individuals, trusts, and other entities, serving both non‑high-net-worth and high-net-worth clients. The firm employs a diverse investment approach that includes quantitative, fundamental, and technical analysis, offering a range of investment vehicles and model strategies through the Advyzon marketplace.

Kyle Medric is a financial advisor with Equitable Advisors, holding Series 7, 63 and Series 65 licenses and having two years of industry experience. Prior to joining Equitable Advisors, he worked as an independent contractor and held various roles including tech support for a Swiss manufacturing company and working for Verizon. Inside of financial advising, he is available for in-home visit services as well as virtual and office meetings. Equitable Advisors serves individual investors, retirement plan sponsors, corporations, and charitable organizations, offering financial planning, retirement plan support, and asset management through LPL programs and third-party managers. The firm operates a hybrid referral and implementation model, combining advisory and brokerage channels to tailor services based on clients’ goals, risk tolerance, and time horizon.

Damian Mbadugha is the sole advisor at Hillgate Financial, LLC, a New Jersey-registered investment adviser. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and has 13 years of industry experience. In addition to his advisory role, he is registered as a commodities trading advisor, and works as an insurance agent and tax preparer, focusing on research during weekends. Hillgate Financial provides discretionary investment supervisory services to individuals, trusts, and estates, applying modern portfolio theory to build diversified portfolios primarily using passively managed funds and ETFs. The firm emphasizes tax-aware strategies and manages a historically significant asset base with a focus on individualized client portfolios.

Phillip Defranco is the Managing Member and Chief Compliance Officer of Heartland Northeast LLC, an independent advisory firm. He holds a Series 65 designation and has one year of experience in the financial industry. Prior to founding Heartland Northeast, he was associated with Kornett, Inc. for 12 years and has been the owner of Northeast Advocacy Network, Inc., where he is also a licensed insurance agent. Heartland Northeast LLC provides investment advisory and portfolio management services for individual and retirement accounts, including specialized partial Roth conversion strategies, and sponsors a wrap fee program. The firm uses a combination of analytical methods and generally pursues long-term trading strategies while tailoring investment policy statements to client risk tolerance.

Chirag Surti is a financial advisor at CNIV Financial Planning LLC with a Series 65 designation and two years of industry experience. He is also an Associate Professor at Rider University, where he teaches business courses and conducts research. In addition to his advisory role, he offers educational seminars and consulting services related to financial planning through his business, IV Educational Ventures. CNIV Financial Planning LLC provides hourly, fee-only investment advice to individuals, families, retirement plan sponsors, nonprofit trustees, and other advisers. The firm follows a passive, long-term investment approach focused on low-cost index funds and ETFs, offering advice without managing or holding client assets.

Matthew Wright is the principal of WRIGHT Investment Partners LLC and holds a Series 65 designation with nine years of industry experience. He has led Wright Investment Partners since 2016. Outside of advisory work, he is involved as a principal in a business that owns a small class C office building. Wright Investment Partners LLC provides portfolio management services to individual and high-net-worth clients, typically operating under discretionary authority. The firm uses a blend of fundamental and quantitative analysis to guide investment decisions, focusing on equities and diversified through mutual funds, fixed-income securities, ETFs, annuities, and non-U.S. securities.