Ricky Trieu Luong

Driven by a deep passion for finance and investing, Praveen brings a unique blend of experience to his work. As a South Asian immigrant, he navigated the complexities of building a successful 15-year career in Silicon Valley, including co-founding a startup and most recently serving as a Software Engineering Manager at Google. In parallel, he dedicated over a decade mastering various asset classes, from traditional stocks and bonds to value-add commercial real estate and alternative investments like private equity and venture capital. Having achieved financial independence through diligent saving and strategic investing, Praveen is now committed to empowering others to take control of their financial futures by drawing on his own hard-earned wisdom. Empower Financial is an independent, fee-only advisory that provides financial planning and investment consultation to individuals, trusts, estates, retirement plans, small businesses, and a variety of institutional and nonprofit clients. The firm employs a Core + Satellite investment approach, focusing on client risk profiles and asset allocation recommendations, while clients generally execute trades themselves.

Louis Romero III is a financial advisor with OSAIC in San Ramon, CA, holding a Series 66 designation and 19 years of industry experience. He previously worked at Lincoln Financial Advisors Corporation for nine years and MetLife Securities Inc. for one year. Outside of advisory work, he owns and operates Sentinel Wealth Strategies, providing financial planning and annuity sales. OSAIC Wealth, Inc. is an SEC-registered investment adviser and FINRA member broker-dealer serving a diverse client base, including individual investors, pension plans, corporations, and charitable organizations. The firm employs a technology-driven investment process and offers a wide range of advisory programs and investment options through a large network of financial advisers.

Lydia Idem is a financial advisor with FM Capital Group in Oakland, CA, holding a Series 65 designation and 11 years of industry experience. FM Capital Group provides investment advisory and consulting services to individuals, groups, corporations, and other business entities, offering portfolio management and handling due diligence and negotiation of private investment term sheets. The firm follows a strategic allocation approach across public securities and alternative investments and distinguishes itself by charging performance-based fees on private placements and producing educational content such as workshops and radio broadcasts.

Cassandra Cummings is a financial advisor with RC Wealth Management in Oakland, CA, holding Series 63 and Series 65 credentials and 19 years of industry experience. She has led RC Wealth Management since 2015. In addition to her advisory role, she provides financial literacy services through online courses and in-person events. RC Wealth Management serves individuals, high-net-worth clients, small businesses, and certain nonprofit organizations with financial planning, investment consulting, and portfolio management. The firm emphasizes fundamental analysis, downside risk mitigation, and capital preservation, offering primarily nondiscretionary portfolio management alongside educational seminars and business consultation services.

Carol Gosho is a Certified Financial Planner® with 24 years of industry experience. She has been the principal advisor at Gosho Financial Group since 2011. The firm serves individuals, families, businesses, trusts, estates, donor-advised funds, and retirement plan participants by providing fee-based investment advisory services and non-discretionary financial planning. Gosho Financial Group employs a tactical allocation approach using fundamental, technical, and cyclical analysis to manage custom discretionary portfolios and offers educational seminars and plan-level consulting as part of its pension services.

I specialize in helping families make better financial decisions related to stock options and RSUs. I know we’re saving enough for retirement in 401k’s, but my wife and I still have serious conversations about how to use her company stock to help live the life we want. Our issues require significant financial planning that firms focused on AUM can't help with. In my free time, I coach my three kids sports teams, play softball, golf, ski in Incline Village, and work on the NYTimes Crossword puzzle with my wife, Jessica. If you ever see me out and about, I’m the guy wearing something UCLA, Chargers, Padres, or Warriors. Listen to Aaron's podcast here: https://mindmoneyspectrum.buzzsprout.com/