Damian Mbadugha is the sole advisor at Hillgate Financial, LLC, a New Jersey-registered investment adviser. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and has 13 years of industry experience. In addition to his advisory role, he is registered as a commodities trading advisor, and works as an insurance agent and tax preparer, focusing on research during weekends. Hillgate Financial provides discretionary investment supervisory services to individuals, trusts, and estates, applying modern portfolio theory to build diversified portfolios primarily using passively managed funds and ETFs. The firm emphasizes tax-aware strategies and manages a historically significant asset base with a focus on individualized client portfolios.

Phillip Defranco is the Managing Member and Chief Compliance Officer of Heartland Northeast LLC, holding a Series 65 designation with one year of industry experience. He has prior experience at Kornett, Inc. and is the owner of Northeast Advocacy Network, Inc., where he also serves as a licensed insurance agent. Heartland Northeast LLC provides investment advisory and portfolio management services to individual and high-net-worth clients, utilizing a combination of analytical methods focused on long-term trading and tailored model allocations. The firm offers both discretionary and non-discretionary management and sponsors a wrap fee program.

Matthew Wright is the principal and sole advisor at WRIGHT Investment Partners LLC, with eight years of industry experience. He holds a Series 65 designation and previously worked as a private investor for five years before founding his firm in 2016. Outside of advisory work, he is a principal in a business that owns a small Class C office building. WRIGHT Investment Partners LLC provides portfolio management services to individual and high net worth clients, focusing on personalized Investment Policy Statements and discretionary management. The firm uses a combination of fundamental and quantitative analysis with a long-term trading approach, offering a range of investment products and conducting at least monthly account reviews.

Michael Godeanu is a financial advisor at Luxe Capital Management Inc. with six years of industry experience. He holds the Series 66 designation and has previously worked at Singer Wealth Advisors LLC, Prudential Insurance Company of America, Pruco Securities, LLC, Mass Mutual Investors Services, Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Company, and AXA Advisors, LLC. Outside of finance, he is the owner of Berzerk Fitness LLC, an e-commerce retail business, and has served as an on-ice hockey official for USA Hockey since 2004. Luxe Capital Management, founded in 2024, provides portfolio management, financial planning, retirement plan consulting, and adviser selection services to individual and institutional clients. The firm employs a multi-method investment approach combining fundamental, technical, and cyclical analysis, and manages accounts using long-term, short-term, and trading strategies, typically on a discretionary basis.

Stephen Hanley is the sole advisor at Hanley Capital Management, LLC in Madison, NJ, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses with 16 years of industry experience. He has led Hanley Capital Management since 2009. Hanley Capital Management provides discretionary and non-discretionary asset management primarily for high-net-worth individuals and institutional clients, including banks, pension plans, and charitable institutions. The firm specializes in fixed income investments, focusing on municipal and Treasury bonds, and employs a combination of fundamental analysis and technical tools alongside proprietary software to manage portfolios.

Samuel McPherson is a CFP® professional and the sole advisor at McPherson Financial Advisors, Inc. in Jersey City, NJ, with 17 years at his independent firm and a total of 4 years of industry experience. McPherson Financial Advisors provides personalized financial planning and investment management to individuals, trusts, estates, small businesses, and retirement plan clients. The firm operates as a fee-only fiduciary, using a strategic asset allocation framework with a core-and-satellite approach focused on low-cost index funds and ETFs, and offers pension consulting services and ancillary business management to select clients.

Jerrold Trub is a financial advisor at Parkview Capital Management with 19 years of industry experience. He holds a Series 65 designation and has worked at the New York Metropolitan Transit Authority since 1993, where he serves as a Director of a business unit conducting operational reviews. Parkview Capital Management primarily serves individual clients, offering discretionary investment advisory services along with financial planning and consulting. The firm’s investment approach centers on fundamental equity analysis supplemented by option-based overlays, including the use of LEAPS and covered-call writing, which is a distinguishing feature of their portfolio management.

David Steiner is the principal and sole advisor at Purple Dog Investments LLC in Springfield, NJ, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses with 30 years of industry experience. He previously worked at Cetera Advisors LLC and Cetera Investment Advisers LLC and is also the owner of Zebulon Tax Advisory LLC, where he provides tax preparation services. In addition, Steiner serves as an adjunct professor at Union County College and holds licenses as a fixed insurance agent, offering life, health, disability, annuities, and long-term care insurance. Purple Dog Investments provides investment advisory and consulting services primarily to individual and high-net-worth clients, utilizing model portfolios on the Charles Schwab platform with a focus on mutual funds and exchange-traded funds. The firm employs discretionary management through predefined model allocations tailored to client objectives and risk tolerances and integrates financial and tax planning alongside investment management.

Sunil Joshi is a financial advisor at Quadram Capital LLC with nine years of industry experience. He holds a Series 65 designation and has been with Quadram Capital since 2016, following a brief period as a self-employed advisor. Quadram Capital LLC is an independent advisory firm serving individuals, charitable organizations, business entities, and pension/profit-sharing plans. The firm offers discretionary portfolio management, advisory consultations, and retirement plan services, employing both fundamental and technical analysis across passive and active investment strategies that include the use of margin and derivatives for qualified clients.

Nitin Apte is a financial advisor at GA Advisors LLC in Bridgewater, NJ, with eight years of industry experience. He holds a Series 65 designation and previously worked at Azul Systems Inc and Credit Carbon Inc for seven years each. He serves as Chair of the Investment Committee for the nonprofit organization Marathi Vishwa of New Jersey. GA Advisors LLC provides personalized investment advice and discretionary portfolio management to individual clients, focusing on global equity and fixed income markets. The firm employs an asset-allocation model adjusted for market conditions, utilizing mutual funds, ETFs, and occasionally individual securities, along with options trading, supported by regular research and account monitoring.

Claudia Mott is a CFP® certificant and Series 63 license holder with 13 years of industry experience. She has been the principal advisor at Epona Financial Solutions since 2010. Epona Financial Solutions is an independent, fee-only firm serving individuals and couples with financial planning, investment management, and divorce settlement analysis. The firm applies Modern Portfolio Theory to create diversified portfolios and specializes in divorce financial planning, providing detailed cash-flow and net-worth projections as part of its services.

Alice Solomon is the principal of Solomon Investment Group, Inc. in Keansburg, NJ, with 37 years of industry experience. She holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and has been with Solomon Investment Group since 1997. In addition to her advisory role, she is licensed in life, health, and long-term care insurance in New Jersey. Solomon Investment Group serves individual clients, including high-net-worth individuals, as well as pension, profit-sharing plans, and corporate clients, providing discretionary portfolio management and financial planning. The firm uses a combination of charting, fundamental, and technical analysis to guide investment decisions, tailored to each client’s Investment Policy Statement.

John Foligno has 30+ years of professional work and coaching/mentoring experience, which includes over 10 years of running his own business. Through empathy, active listening and thoughtful counsel, he lives his personal mission by inspiring people to overcome the roadblocks that prevent them from accomplishing their goals, and helps them to find enlightenment, fulfillment, and financial well-being. He specializes in supporting high-net-worth households, although he enjoys working with all manner of people. As a business owner, John learned the hard way how much he would have benefited from a financial steward who understands the myriad challenges of running a business. That experience, coupled with his passion for financial planning, enables him to relieve business owners of the day-to-day concerns of reaching their financial goals, which frees them to focus on their growth and ultimate exit strategy. As a graduate of Syracuse University’s Whitman School of Management, John studied finance and marketing. John is a member of NAPFA, whose members completed a broad-based advanced education program in financial planning and are trained to provide coordinated advice on issues surrounding a client’s entire financial picture. When he is not fulfilling his fiduciary obligation of putting his client’s interest first, John is sharing time with his wife, Michelle, his daughter, Ruby, and their golden retriever, Honey. He enjoys a healthy lifestyle of strength conditioning and hiking as well as watching sports and reading. John is a first-degree black belt in Goju karate that guides his disciplined approach. He volunteers his time for the honor of helping people with limited financial education to make more informed decisions and has been featured in financial planning media journals to share his insights.

Uday Gogate is the sole advisor at Gogate, Uday S., an independent firm based in North Brunswick, NJ. He holds a Series 65 credential and has 16 years of industry experience, having led his firm since 2009. The firm provides discretionary portfolio management and investment advice to individuals, trusts, estates, charitable organizations, and corporations. It focuses on tailored asset allocation and income-generating securities, managing approximately $26 million across a small client base with a relatively high account minimum.

Sylvester Knox is a financial advisor with The Knox Group Wealth Management in Short Hills, NJ, holding Series 63 and Series 65 credentials and 35 years of industry experience. His prior work includes roles at Merrill Lynch and Bank of America. Knox serves on the advisory board of Newark Emergency Services for Families, a nonprofit organization focused on charitable efforts. The Knox Group Wealth Management provides discretionary portfolio management and financial advisory services to individuals, high-net-worth clients, trusts, and businesses. The firm employs a combined fundamental and technical investment approach with a mid-term horizon, offering customized portfolios and active management including rebalancing and tactical trading.

Eric Nelson is the principal of Abe Capital Management, LLC, an independent firm based in Short Hills, NJ. He holds a Series 65 designation and has 15 years of industry experience, having led Abe Capital Management since 2010. Nelson is also a licensed but non-practicing attorney. Abe Capital Management provides discretionary asset management to individuals, high-net-worth clients, trusts, estates, charitable organizations, pension and profit-sharing plans, and corporate clients. The firm emphasizes tailored portfolio management with a range of investment strategies, regular account supervision, and incorporates guidance from an in-house advisory board on philanthropy, business administration, and investment processes.

Matthew Howard is the sole advisor at Howard-Martin Capital Group, LLC, an independent firm based in Parlin, NJ. He holds a Series 65 designation and has 12 years of industry experience. Since founding the firm in 2013, he has focused on serving individual investors as well as charitable and business organizations. Howard-Martin Capital Group provides investment planning, portfolio management, and investment vehicle analysis, applying both fundamental and technical analysis alongside proprietary methods. The firm operates under a fiduciary standard, emphasizes low-cost implementation, and primarily offers non-discretionary portfolio management while utilizing both institutional and automated platforms for strategy execution.

Blake Parisi is a financial advisor at Parisi Capital with seven years of industry experience. He holds a Series 66 designation and previously worked at Morgan Stanley from 2018 to 2020. Prior to his advisory career, he was affiliated with Rutgers University. Parisi Capital provides continuous investment management and financial planning services primarily to individual and high-net-worth clients. The firm employs a passive investment approach using index mutual funds and ETFs combined with technical and charting analysis, managing accounts on a discretionary basis with quarterly reviews.

Hi there! I'm Jenna VanLeeuwen, a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ professional and founder of Aligning Wealth. We guide purpose-driven people ready to transform their financial success into meaningful life changes, whether that is retirement, a career pivot, or building a lasting legacy. Our comprehensive approach goes beyond traditional wealth management - we align your financial strategies with your personal values and vision. For many of our clients, this means maximizing tax advantages, building sophisticated retirement income strategies, and managing investments. For others, it may mean expert guidance through liquidity events, business exits, or legacy planning. Most importantly, our partnership empowers you to embrace a rewarding next chapter with confidence and clarity, building upon the same vision and values that have accompanied your success so far. Let’s build something meaningful together, starting with a free 45-minute consultation call. Just hit that contact button to the left or visit my website: www.aligningwealth.com.

Joseph Iraci is a financial advisor at Phoenix-Veritas Wealth Management with 16 years of industry experience. He holds a Series 65 designation and has worked at firms including JP Morgan Chase Bank, Robinhood Markets, and TD Ameritrade. Outside of advising, he serves as adjunct faculty at New Jersey City University and St. John's University and is the owner of a restaurant in Vermont. Phoenix-Veritas Wealth Management provides financial planning and investment advice primarily through publications and digital content, serving self-directed investors and individuals seeking education and consultation. The firm combines fundamental and technical analysis and emphasizes educational content delivered via multiple digital platforms alongside one-on-one consultations.