Sam Schuette is a seasoned wealth advisor with over two decades of experience helping individuals and families plan for financial security and life milestones. As Vice President and Wealth Advisor at GreenUp Wealth Management, Sam works with clients to develop financial strategies tailored to their goals — including retirement planning, investment guidance, and overall wealth management.  Before joining GreenUp, Sam spent more than a decade at Scottrade, Inc., where he built strong client relationships and led teams of investment professionals. He also served in financial advisory and wealth planning roles at several other firms, bringing a depth of practical experience across markets, financial planning disciplines, and client service.  Sam holds a Bachelor of Science in Agriculture & Food Business Management with a focus in Finance from the University of Minnesota. Outside of work, he enjoys time with his family, outdoor activities, and community engagement.

Mark Austin is a financial advisor at Liniam Capital, LLC, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses with seven years of industry experience. He previously worked at North Sky Capital for eight years before joining Liniam Capital in 2018. Liniam Capital provides investment management and financial consulting to individual and institutional clients, including trusts, retirement plans, public funds, and Taft-Hartley accounts. The firm combines portfolio management with tax, estate, and insurance advice, often using ETFs, individual securities, and option strategies to generate income and manage risk, and integrates accounting services through an affiliated CPA.

Thomas Ottman is a financial advisor with Aquinas Capital Advisors LLC, holding Series 63, Series 65, and Series 66 licenses and bringing 44 years of industry experience. He has managed his own practice and worked with firms including Advanced Advisory Group, LLC and EFS Advisors. Aquinas Capital Advisors provides non-discretionary investment management, financial planning, and limited-scope ERISA 3(21) retirement-plan advisory services primarily to individuals and charitable organizations. The firm emphasizes tailored portfolios based on client goals and risk tolerance, incorporates both fundamental and technical analysis, and offers public educational seminars as part of its service model.

I’m a financial planner who helps business professionals in their 30s, 40s, and 50s—especially those with equity compensation—take control of their finances and design a life that feels truly authentic. Life isn’t just about numbers or following a traditional path. It’s about figuring out what you really want and building a plan to get there. That’s why I started Authentic Life Financial Planning—to help people align their finances with their goals, whether that means retiring early, launching a new career, or simply feeling more confident about their future. I offer personalized, one-time financial plans and ongoing planning services, helping clients navigate the complexities of equity compensation, tax strategies, cash flow, and more—all with the goal of creating a life they love. When I’m not working with clients, you’ll probably find me sailing, checking out live music, or planning my next travel adventure with my wife Annie. If you’re ready to explore what’s possible with your finances, I’d love to chat!

Thomas Thompson is the principal of Thompson Financial Transitions Inc. in White Bear Lake, MN, with 29 years of industry experience. He holds the ChFC® designation and securities licenses Series 63 and Series 65. Thompson has a background that includes roles at SagePoint Financial and Kristi Seifert, LLC, and he also works as an independent insurance agent selling life insurance, long-term care, and annuities. Additionally, he assists with tax preparation and serves as power of attorney managing investments and financial affairs for a family member. Thompson Financial Transitions Inc. provides discretionary portfolio management, comprehensive financial planning, and consulting for individual and high-net-worth clients. The firm employs a Modern Portfolio Theory approach, utilizing mutual funds, ETFs, and third-party managers, with discretionary trading authority and direct management of insurance contract assets alongside platform-based solutions.

John Bernstein is the sole advisor at Bernstein Financial Advisory in Minneapolis, MN, holding a Series 65 designation with six years of industry experience. He previously worked at Sit Investment Associates for 21 years before a three-year break from the industry. Bernstein Financial Advisory provides portfolio management and financial planning services to individuals, high-net-worth clients, entrepreneurs, small business owners, charitable organizations, and other business entities. The firm’s approach includes fundamental analysis, long-term purchase strategies, and option writing tailored to each client’s goals, with both discretionary and non-discretionary management options, as well as public educational seminars and workshops.

James Mehrman is a financial advisor at Valor Wealth Management LLC with 14 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and has previously worked at The Investment Councel LLC and Trailhead Cycling. Outside of advising, he was involved with Valor IT Deployment Solutions LLC for nine years. Valor Wealth Management is an independent registered investment adviser serving individuals, corporations, charities, and pension or profit-sharing plans. The firm offers discretionary portfolio management and financial planning, focusing on customized portfolios primarily composed of exchange-traded funds, stocks, and bonds tailored to clients’ objectives and risk tolerances.

Carter Michaelson is a CFP® and Series 66-registered financial advisor with five years of industry experience. He is the sole advisor at illumiFI Wealth, an independent firm based in Blaine, MN. His prior experience includes roles at Thrivent Investment Management, Thrivent Advisor Network, and Purshe Kaplan Sterling Investments. illumiFI Wealth serves individual and high-net-worth clients, offering discretionary investment management and comprehensive financial planning services such as tax, business, retirement, student loan, and estate planning. The firm's investment approach integrates Modern Portfolio Theory with a blend of passive and active strategies, focusing on tax efficiency and regular portfolio reviews.

Christopher Saxton is a financial advisor at Aberdour Investments with seven years of industry experience. He holds a Series 65 designation and has worked in marketing management at Smart Care Equipment Solutions since 2018. He also advises Jo Saxton LLC, a business focused on inspirational communication for women in faith and leadership. Aberdour Investments provides individualized investment management and financial planning services to private individuals and a diverse set of institutional and corporate clients. The firm primarily employs a passive investment approach using index mutual funds and ETFs, complemented by fundamental and technical analysis, and emphasizes client education through seminars, speaking engagements, and newsletters.

Kody Holker is a financial advisor at New Generation Wealth Management, LLC with five years of industry experience. He holds a Series 65 designation and has a legal background as an owner and estate planning attorney at Holker Law Offices, PLLC, where he has practiced for over 20 years. Holker is also involved in real estate development through his ownership of Ray Creek Development, LLC and Ray Creek, LLC. New Generation Wealth Management, LLC provides fee-based financial planning and consulting primarily to individual clients, acting as a liaison to third-party investment managers rather than directly managing client assets. The firm offers comprehensive planning services covering estate planning, taxes, qualified plans, retirement income, and college planning, and it conducts public seminars on investment topics.

Kari Polasek is a CFP®-certified financial advisor with 15 years of industry experience. She currently leads Adaptive Financial Design LLC in Minneapolis, MN, having previously worked at AdvisorNet Financial, Wealth Enhancement Group, and Oxford Financial Group LTD. Adaptive Financial Design LLC provides discretionary investment management and financial planning services to individual clients, including both non-high-net-worth and high-net-worth households. The firm primarily constructs passive, index-based portfolios guided by modern portfolio theory and combines ongoing subscription planning with project-based engagements.

Alex Bossert is the principal of Bossert Capital LLC in Austin, TX, holding a Series 65 designation with eight years of industry experience. His prior roles include positions at Granite House Capital Management and KBAB 1960 Investments LLC. Outside of advisory work, he operates a sole proprietorship unrelated to investment activities. Bossert Capital provides discretionary asset and portfolio management services to individuals, high-net-worth clients, and business entities focused on long-term capital appreciation. The firm employs a fundamental analysis approach centered on undervalued securities and uses a performance-based compensation arrangement for qualified clients.

Luke Johnson is a CFP® with 17 years of industry experience, currently serving as the sole advisor at Boreal Advisors LLC since 2019. His prior experience includes roles at Ameriprise Financial Services, Inc. and Ballast Advisors, LLC. He also maintains an affiliated insurance practice as a licensed insurance agent. Boreal Advisors LLC provides investment management and financial planning primarily for individual clients, offering both discretionary and non-discretionary portfolio management alongside financial plans and consolidated household reporting. The firm employs a combination of fundamental analysis and modern portfolio theory, with regular account reviews, rebalancing, and tax-loss harvesting, and it manages both on-custody and held-away assets.

James Wilkinson is the principal of Wilkinson Capital Management, LLC, an independent investment advisory firm based in St. Paul, MN. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and has 23 years of industry experience, including prior roles at Merrill Lynch and Bank of America. Wilkinson has managed his own advisory business since 2016. Wilkinson Capital Management provides discretionary investment management and financial planning services to individuals, high-net-worth clients, trusts, and estates. The firm focuses on long-term, customized portfolio construction using low-cost mutual funds and ETFs, with portfolios managed on a discretionary basis tailored to client goals and risk tolerance.

David Johnson is a CFP® professional with 13 years of experience in the financial services industry. He is the principal of Right Path Financial LLC, an independent advisory firm he founded in 2020. Johnson also directs Case Central, LLC, a financial planning business, and operates as a sole proprietor offering fixed insurance products. Right Path Financial LLC provides investment advice and financial planning primarily to individual clients, utilizing third-party model portfolios through the Orion Portfolio Solutions Strategist program. The firm maintains a non-discretionary advisory relationship and offers services without an account minimum.

William Patterson III is the sole advisor at Second Avenue Capital in Minneapolis, Minnesota. He holds a Series 63 designation and has 11 years of industry experience. Patterson has been with Second Avenue Capital since 2006. Second Avenue Capital provides discretionary investment management to institutional and individual clients, focusing on a value-oriented, research-driven approach targeting undervalued companies. The firm manages a limited number of accounts with a preferred minimum account size and offers performance-based fee arrangements to qualifying high-net-worth clients.

Gabriel Anderson is a CFP® and ChFC® with 14 years of industry experience. He is the sole advisor at Crafted Wealth Management in Minneapolis, where he has worked since 2015 through various iterations of the firm. Crafted Wealth Management serves individual and high-net-worth clients with comprehensive financial planning and portfolio management, emphasizing passive investing with index funds and ETFs alongside selective fundamental and cyclical analysis. The firm features a detailed Hand-Crafted Planning process, a high-touch financial coaching program, and estate-planning support through a third-party service.

Thomas Hallberg is the sole advisor at Wealth Transitions in Forest Lake, MN, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses with 26 years of industry experience. He previously worked at Edward D. Jones & Co., L.P. for 25 years before founding Wealth Transitions. Outside of financial advisory, he is active as a life and spiritual coach and public speaker. Wealth Transitions provides discretionary and non-discretionary asset management, financial planning, and consulting services for individuals and retirement plan sponsors. The firm also offers public educational seminars and ERISA 3(21) limited-scope fiduciary services, employing a strategic investment approach that includes Modern Portfolio Theory and Monte Carlo analysis.

Amber Fitzrysler is a CFP® and holds a Series 65 license with nine years of industry experience. She has worked at Rising Financial, LLC since 2022 and previously spent seven years at The Planning Center, Inc. Rising Financial provides investment management and comprehensive financial planning services to individual and high-net-worth clients. The firm focuses on values-based or ESG-informed portfolio construction using primarily passive, asset-class-based strategies, and offers a fee-only model with formula-based ongoing fees, fixed project packages, and hourly options.

My name is Dana Menard, and I am a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ (CFP®), Registered Life Planner® (RLP®), Certified Exit Planning Advisor® (CEPA®), Certified in Blockchain and Digital Assets (CBDA), Certified Digital Asset Advisor® (CDAA®), a fee-only fiduciary, and the Founder and Lead Financial Planner of Twin Cities Wealth Strategies, Inc. With over 20 years of experience in the financial services industry, I pride myself on providing trusted financial advice and guidance to busy professionals, business owners, entrepreneurs, and families so they can concentrate on the things that matter most to them. I genuinely believe everyone’s financial situation is unique, and they have a right to a trusted advisor who puts their interests first. When working with my clients, I focus on creating long-term relationships. Together, we collaborate to create a financial life plan that addresses their immediate and long-term financial concerns and empowers them to live a lifestyle they love. Twin Cities Wealth Strategies, Inc. is a tax-focused comprehensive financial life planning firm that offers tax prep and filing, as well as estate plan construction, all under one roof. When I’m not working, I spend as much time as possible with my closest friends and family, as they are the most important things to me. My wife, Sonja, our three daughters, and I enjoy reading books, watching movies, binge-watching Netflix, exercising, partaking in various family games and activities, and appreciating the outdoors and all that nature has to offer at the family cabin. I also volunteer my time between a couple of local non-profits. The first is the Maple Grove Lions Club, a service organization that sponsors many programs and events that raise money for our local community. The second is BestPrep, a Minnesota-based non-profit that prepares students with business, career, and financial literacy skills through hands-on experiences that inspire success in both work and life.