Valerie Kim Laroque

Christopher Pfau is a financial advisor at Lakemont Wealth with a Series 65 credential and experience dating from 2019 in related financial roles. He is also an accountant and co-owner of Lakemont Financial Group, which provides tax planning and compliance services. Additionally, he works as a Senior Analyst with the Government Accountability Office (GAO). Lakemont Wealth Management LLC serves individual and high-net-worth clients by providing discretionary portfolio management and financial planning tailored to client goals and risk tolerance. The firm applies modern portfolio theory with diversified asset allocations and uses discretionary authority for portfolio decisions, emphasizing long-term strategies while also incorporating options trading.

Benjamin Smith, CFP®, is the founder and owner of Briarwood Financial, a comprehensive financial services firm providing wealth management, tax preparation, accounting, and business consulting for individuals and business owners nationwide. Benjamin enjoys working directly with clients to help them navigate the complexities that wealth inevitably brings. His approach combines financial planning, tax strategy, and business advisory services—ensuring that every piece of a client’s financial picture works together efficiently and intentionally. Before launching Briarwood, Benjamin served as a Financial Advisor at Cetera Investment Services, an independent broker-dealer. There, he specialized in developing customized investment portfolios guided by long-term strategic planning. His drive to offer clients more holistic, tax-integrated advice led him to expand his practice beyond traditional advising and establish Briarwood Financial as a full-service firm. Benjamin holds a Bachelor of Arts in Business Administration with a concentration in Economics from Seattle Pacific University and is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ Professional. Earlier in his career, he gained valuable experience in sales, operations, and management within the telecommunications industry—skills that helped shape his practical, results-oriented approach to leadership and client service. At the heart of his philosophy are integrity, honesty, and competence. He believes true financial planning is built on trust, clarity, and a genuine commitment to helping clients make informed, confident decisions that align with their values and long-term goals.

Jacob Tally is a financial advisor at Prospero Wealth, LLC in Seattle, WA, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses with one year of industry experience. He is the owner and founder of Tinegoba LLC, which provides contracting services to Prospero Wealth along with consulting advice to startups and small-to-medium sized businesses. Prior to his current role, he worked in various capacities at Cap Hill Brands, New Engen, Crowd Cow, and ZULILY. Prospero Wealth offers discretionary investment management and financial planning to individuals, high-net-worth clients, trusts, businesses, and employer retirement plans. The firm employs tailored investment programs using individual securities, ETFs, derivatives, and long-short strategies, and provides assets-under-advisement consulting and held-away account monitoring through a seven-person advisory team.

Beyond the numbers, my work is about stewardship. I’ll be here for the moments that change everything. With Bernstein's experts alongside me, we’ll simplify decisions and create a plan that manages what you’ve built and evolves with your life. My time with the Seattle Seahawks organization left me with a simple standard that still guides how I show up: “Always Compete.” For me, that means treating a client’s goals like they’re my own—preparing relentlessly, getting the details right, anticipating issues early and following through until the job is done. I joined Bernstein because I wanted to serve clients from a place where excellence is the baseline and where the work is as human as it is analytical. I’m wired to ask, “Is this the optimal move?” Bernstein’s depth of thinking, team-based approach and commitment to long-term relationships aligned with how I naturally serve—consistently thoughtful, tenacious, and deeply client‑centric. I’m also drawn to roles where you’re trusted to represent something bigger than yourself, whether it’s community-facing work with the Seahawks or now as an advisor. That responsibility keeps me grounded; it’s about earning trust, protecting what clients have built and helping them make confident decisions at the moments that matter most. Some of my earliest perspective on resilience and resourcefulness came from my family’s roots in the Philippines. Growing up, I heard stories of making do with very little, even hand‑pumping water from a ground well in my parents’ village just to cook or bathe. That upbringing didn’t just teach gratitude, it also emphasized responsibility. It shaped my values early: don’t take opportunities for granted, do what you say you’ll do, and use success to take care of people. Having built a company myself, I understand the pressure experienced by entrepreneurs, who are constantly weighing risks, trade-offs and responsibilities. That background helps me empathize with business owners, executives and families who balance opportunity with complexity. And I know how freeing it is to move forward with clarity from a set of optimal decisions, especially for founders, athletes and entertainers contemplating a “second act.”

Kathleen Gallagher is the sole advisor at Gallagher Capital Corp., an independent firm based in Bainbridge Island, WA. She holds Series 63 and Series 66 licenses and has 22 years of industry experience, having led Gallagher Capital Corp. since 2004. Gallagher Capital Corp. specializes in discretionary fixed-income portfolio management for high-net-worth individuals, trusts, and retirement accounts, focusing on income generation and capital preservation. The firm employs an active, risk-aware investment approach with an emphasis on holding bonds to maturity and uses independent credit research to guide investment selection.

Alvin Wolcott II is a CFP® with 12 years of experience in financial advisory roles. He is the owner of Apex Tax & Financial Planning in Kent, WA, where he has worked since 2020. Alvin also owns Apex Tax & Financial Solutions, a CPA firm providing tax preparation and planning services. His prior experience includes roles at Synergy Asset Management, Pacific Portfolio Consulting, Moser Wealth Advisors, and Waddell & Reed. Apex Tax & Financial Planning offers personalized financial planning and wealth management to individuals, high-net-worth clients, business owners, trusts, and other financial professionals. The firm uses tax-aware planning and a total-return investment framework incorporating both active and passive strategies, with a focus on written Investment Policy Statements and comprehensive portfolio reviews.