Shawn Thomas Franklin

Ronald Schiel Jr. is a CFP® professional with 23 years of industry experience. He is the sole advisor at Aloft Financial and has previously worked at UBS Financial Services and Equitable Advisors. In addition to his advisory role, he owns and operates Northwest Tax Choices, providing tax return consulting and preparation services. Aloft Financial serves a diverse client base including individuals, family businesses, corporations, and not-for-profits, offering comprehensive wealth management that integrates investment advisory, retirement and financial planning, strategic tax planning, and related services. The firm’s investment approach balances growth-oriented equity exposures with risk mitigation through diversified asset allocations tailored to client preferences.

Diana Thompson is a Series 65 licensed advisor at Sovereign Capital Vantage, Inc. with nine years of experience at the firm and a total of 21 years in the industry. Prior to her current role, she worked in public schools in Hanover County and Desoto County for a total of 12 years. She is also a corporate Secretary and owner of Sovereign Capital Vantage, where she manages corporate responsibilities alongside her advisory duties. Sovereign Capital Vantage, Inc. is a fee-based advisory firm serving individual and high-net-worth clients through discretionary portfolio management and hourly financial planning. The firm oversees approximately $26.8 million for about 68 clients across three offices, using a blend of fundamental and technical analysis and offering services for both custodied and held-away retirement accounts.

Emily Griswell is a financial advisor with Sovereign Capital Vantage, Inc. She holds a Series 65 designation and has been with the firm since 2024. Prior to her advisory role, she worked in property management and caregiving. Sovereign Capital Vantage, Inc. is a fee-based advisory firm providing discretionary portfolio management and hourly financial planning primarily to individual and high-net-worth clients. The firm manages portfolios using a combination of fundamental and technical analysis, employs various strategies including options trading, and services clients across three offices with a team of two advisors.

Marc Thompson is a financial advisor at Sovereign Capital Vantage, Inc. with 18 years of industry experience. He holds the Series 63 and Series 66 designations and previously worked at Edward Jones from 2010 to 2017 before joining Sovereign Capital Vantage in 2017. Sovereign Capital Vantage, Inc. is a fee-based advisory firm that provides discretionary portfolio management and hourly financial planning primarily to individual and high-net-worth clients. The firm manages portfolios using a combination of fundamental and technical analysis, offering both long- and short-term strategies including options trading, and oversees approximately $26.8 million across three offices.

Thomas Underwood III is a CFP® professional with 14 years of industry experience, currently serving as an advisor at Bright Wealth Management, LLC. His career includes roles at Cary Street Partners, Truist Advisory Services, and BB&T. Outside of his advisory work, he operates as an independent insurance agent. Bright Wealth Management, LLC is a fee-only registered investment adviser serving individuals, trusts, estates, charitable organizations, and business entities. The firm manages approximately $265 million across 175 clients through a team of seven advisors, offering discretionary portfolio management with tailored asset-allocation models and ongoing portfolio supervision.

James Smythe is a financial advisor with Davenport & Company LLC, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and bringing 35 years of industry experience. He has worked at Davenport since 2009 and was previously with Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith from 1990 to 2009. Davenport serves individual and institutional clients, including banks, pension plans, trusts, nonprofits, and corporations, offering services such as asset management, retail brokerage, and investment banking. The firm organizes its asset management through dedicated portfolio teams and a Manager Research team, managing strategies across separate accounts, mutual funds, ETFs, and unified managed accounts.