Rita Ellen Gibson

Ryan Melnyk is a financial advisor at Manzanita Wealth Management LLC with two years of industry experience. He earned his Series 65 designation in 2024. Manzanita Wealth Management LLC provides fee-only investment management, financial planning, and retirement plan consulting to individuals and employer-sponsored plans. The firm employs a mix of passive and active strategies guided by asset-allocation principles and client risk tolerance, including a taxable-only investment tier that uses derivatives with client approval and active risk controls.

I help tech professionals turn equity compensation into lasting wealth. Before co-founding Bellwether’s growth practice, I managed client assets at Morgan Stanley Private Wealth Management and traded California municipal bonds at Franklin Templeton. I then spent several years in AI Product Management leadership at Workday and Intuit, so I know RSUs, options and concentrated stock from the inside, not just on paper. Prior to this role I was head of AI PM at Intuit Quickbooks CRM. Today I’m a Managing Director and Partner at Bellwether Capital Management, a fee-only fiduciary firm. I work with a small number of families on investment management, tax-aware diversification, and planning for big moves like a home purchase, a career change, or stepping away from corporate work. CFA charterholder. UCLA Anderson MBA. Based on the Peninsula.

Elizabeth “Liz” Daffner founded Diligence Wealth Management with a simple idea: financial planning should be about more than accumulating money. It should help you build a life you actually want to live. Working in financial services since 2010, Liz has built an intentionally small, personal practice serving clients in Roseville, California, the greater Sacramento area, and beyond. Her clients work directly with her, not a revolving team of advisors, because she believes some of life’s biggest financial decisions deserve a relationship with someone who actually knows your story. Liz specializes in retirement planning and wealth management, including investment management, retirement income strategies, Social Security planning, Roth conversions, and tax-aware financial planning. She also helps people navigate the moments when life suddenly changes the financial plan: retirement, divorce, the loss of a spouse, or receiving an inheritance. Her philosophy is practical: money is a tool, not the finish line. A good financial plan should give you the confidence to make smart decisions while still enjoying the life you worked so hard to build. That philosophy carries into Liz’s own life. When she isn’t working with clients, you’re more likely to find her on the back of a horse, riding a motorcycle, traveling, or chasing the next adventure. She believes a successful financial life isn’t just measured by what you leave behind. It’s also measured by what you get to experience along the way.

Mark Dyer is a financial advisor at Mechanical Financial with 10 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and has worked at several firms including Edward Jones, J.P. Morgan Securities, Merrill, and Bank of America Corp. Outside of his advisory role, he is a 25% owner of Mary's Mobile Kitchen, a restaurant business for which he develops marketing materials. Mechanical Financial provides fee-based advisory services to individuals, trusts, estates, charitable organizations, corporations, and employer-sponsored retirement plans. The firm uses a Modern Portfolio Theory-based investment process, offering discretionary management and consulting services with a focus on diversified portfolios and ongoing client education.

Jonathan Sorunke is the principal of Sorunke Wealth Advisors in Davis, California. He holds a Series 65 designation and has three years of industry experience, including prior roles with the US Army Corps of Engineers and the State of California. In addition to his advisory work, he is a licensed real estate agent assisting clients with property transactions. Sorunke Wealth Advisors offers non-discretionary investment management and financial planning to retail and high-net-worth individuals and small businesses. The firm employs a client-profile-driven process focused on fundamental equity analysis and fixed-income strategies, delivering recommendations for client implementation through selected retail brokerages.

Blake Fischer is a financial advisor with Fiduciary Wealth Partners in Citrus Heights, CA. He holds a Series 65 designation and has six years of experience with Fiduciary Wealth Partners. Outside of his advisory role, he works as a financial program manager at Pacific Gas & Electric, providing financial analysis to Electric Operations leaders. Fiduciary Wealth Partners offers customized investment management and financial planning services to individuals, high-net-worth clients, trusts, estates, small businesses, charitable organizations, and pension/profit-sharing plans. The firm employs an asset-allocation driven investment process informed by macroeconomic analysis and valuation, with an emphasis on cost-effectiveness and ongoing portfolio monitoring.