Jeffrey Thomas is a financial advisor at Alpha Asset Management in Akron, Ohio, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses with 35 years of industry experience. He has worked at Alpha Asset Management since 1996 and American Heritage Securities Inc since 2013. Thomas is also president of JCT Investment Counsel, a fee-based investment management firm. Alpha Asset Management is a fee-based registered investment advisor serving primarily individual clients and a limited number of institutions. The firm employs a discretionary portfolio management approach focused on large-cap equities, investment-grade bonds, and investment-company securities, combining top-down secular-cycle analysis with bottom-up security selection.

Peter Laakso is a financial advisor at Priority Investment Management LLC in Akron, OH, holding a Series 65 credential with 11 years of industry experience. He previously worked for Meridian Capital Management Group, Inc. for 10 years and was self-employed for six years. Priority Investment Management LLC offers discretionary asset management and portfolio management services to individuals, corporations, and business entities. The firm employs multiple analytical methods and generally pursues long-term purchase strategies with periodic rebalancing and tax-loss harvesting during quarterly reviews.

Larry Kline is a financial advisor at Gateway Wealth, Inc. in Stow, Ohio, with 38 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 66 licenses and has worked previously at FSC Securities Corporation and Osaic Wealth, Inc. In addition to his advisory role, Kline is a CPA involved in tax return preparation and tax planning. Gateway Wealth, Inc. provides comprehensive financial planning and portfolio management services to individual clients, including high-net-worth individuals, as well as pension and profit-sharing plans. The firm employs a long-term investment approach with discretionary management, emphasizing mutual funds and utilizing both fundamental and technical analysis.

Garrett Boone is a financial advisor at Fortifi Capital, LLC in Akron, Ohio, with 17 years of industry experience. He holds a Series 66 designation and has led Fortifi Capital since 2016. Outside of his advisory role, he owns and operates gbtechlab LLC, a full stack software engineering business, working primarily on contract and freelance projects. Fortifi Capital provides portfolio management and financial planning services to individuals, high-net-worth clients, charitable organizations, small businesses, and corporate clients. The firm uses a quantitative, ETF-based approach that includes tactical adjustments with derivatives and options, and it is notable for serving corporate accounts and developing proprietary software to support its investment process.

George Coyle is a financial advisor at Triangulated Capital Management, LLC with three years of industry experience. He holds the Series 63 and Series 65 designations and has worked at John A. Levin & Co. since 2001. Outside of his advisory role, he owns and edits Triangulated Research, LLC, a publisher of investment newsletters. Triangulated Capital Management primarily serves individual clients, offering discretionary portfolio management, retirement account planning, and consulting through custom research projects. The firm combines quantitative and qualitative analysis with a focus on liquid public markets and futures strategies, and it is registered as a Commodity Trading Advisor (CTA), allowing for futures-based implementations.

Andrew Tisler is a CFP® professional with 13 years of industry experience, currently serving as the sole advisor at Epic Financial, LLC in Hudson, Ohio. He has been with Epic Financial since its founding in 2013. Epic Financial provides portfolio management and comprehensive financial planning services to individual and high-net-worth clients. The firm follows an investment approach based on Modern Portfolio Theory and the Efficient Market Hypothesis, focusing on asset allocation, mutual funds, ETFs, and a long-term strategy with emphasis on smaller/value equities and high-quality fixed income.

I’m a normal guy who branched out on my own to build a client-first firm focused on real relationships and holistic planning. My goal is simple: to be your trusted partner and number one resource for every financial decision. I started my firm because I wanted to practice financial planning with intention. I wanted the time to think deeply, ask better questions, and build thoughtful, comprehensive strategies—not just manage investments. To me, holistic planning means everything works together: investments, tax strategy, retirement planning, cash flow, risk management, estate considerations, and life transitions. Your financial life isn’t segmented, so your plan shouldn’t be either. I built this firm to prioritize depth over volume. That means fewer clients, more attention, and real accessibility when something important comes up. When you call, you’re not routed through layers of bureaucracy—you’re talking directly to me. I believe you can build a successful business without sacrificing your family or your values. I structured my firm so I can serve clients exceptionally well while still living the principles I encourage others to prioritize — balance, integrity, and intentionality. If you’re looking for an advisor who will think carefully, communicate clearly, and walk alongside you through major financial decisions, I’d be honored to serve in that role.

Daniel Jones is the sole advisor at Echo Financial Advisors, LLC, based in Akron, OH, with 12 years of industry experience. He holds a Series 63 designation and has worked previously at KingsCrowd and Avaring Capital Advisors. Jones is also a freelance contributor for Seeking Alpha, writing articles on investment topics. Echo Financial Advisors, LLC provides algorithm-driven robo-advisory portfolio management to individuals and high-net-worth clients through an online platform. The firm uses client inputs to construct portfolios focused on equities, ETFs, and international securities, and features a social “echoing” function that allows users to copy other investors’ trades.

Cheryl Lyon is a financial advisor at Lyon Capital Strategies with 19 years of industry experience. She holds a Series 66 designation and has been with Lyon Capital Strategies since 1995. Outside of her advisory role, she is involved in tax preparation and accounting as a partner in Lyon & Lyon, CPAs, and as the sole proprietor of a business consulting and tax services firm. Lyon Capital Strategies provides investment advice and financial planning to individuals, employer-sponsored retirement plan participants, corporations, and trusts. The firm uses a fundamental analysis approach that incorporates macro-economic factors, valuation metrics, and tactical allocation to build tailored portfolios, managing approximately $5 million in client assets as of January 2024.

Ernest Poulos is the sole advisor at POULOS, Ernest, D., an independent registered investment adviser based in Akron, Ohio. He holds a Series 66 designation and has 24 years of industry experience, including 20 years with his current firm. Outside of his advisory role, he owns and manages a personal services company for tax purposes. The firm provides individualized portfolio management to individuals, trusts, estates, charitable organizations, pension and profit-sharing plans, corporations, and other business entities. It employs both fundamental and technical analysis to develop investment strategies, offering discretionary and non-discretionary asset management with continuous supervision and periodic rebalancing.

Blase Restifo is the sole advisor at Great Lakes Financial Companies Inc. in Twinsburg, Ohio, holding a Series 66 designation with 40 years of industry experience. He has been with Westminster Financial Securities, Inc. since 1997. Outside of his advisory role, he owns and operates the Restifo Insurance Agency. Great Lakes Financial Companies, Inc. provides discretionary investment management primarily for individual clients, managing diversified portfolios of mutual funds and exchange-traded funds, with individualized portfolio management based on a consultative intake process.

Huaiyu Chen is a CFP® professional with 10 years of industry experience and has been the sole advisor at MEV Value LLC since 2015. He also has a long-standing role at Youngstown State University, where he has worked since 2003. MEV Value LLC is a small independent advisory firm serving primarily individual clients with discretionary and non-discretionary portfolio management and financial planning. The firm uses an asset-allocation process that balances active and passive management and employs detailed compliance and trading policies uncommon for a single-advisor practice.

William Mccarthy is a financial advisor with Partners Investment Services, Inc. in Hudson, Ohio, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and with 19 years of industry experience. He has been with Partners Investment Services since 1999 and also serves as president and CEO of Partners Insurance Agency, an insurance marketing company, since 2006. Partners Investment Services serves older adults and families of seniors, focusing on estate protection and long-term care planning, including Medicaid planning. The firm’s preservation-oriented investment approach emphasizes fixed and fixed-indexed annuities and money-market vehicles, with recommendations made on a non-discretionary basis and tailored to clients’ needs rather than continuous asset management.

Daniel Garner is a financial advisor at Presper Financial Architects, LLC in Akron, Ohio, with nine years of industry experience. He holds a Series 66 designation and has worked with firms including Cetera Advisors LLC and Millennial Group. In addition to his advisory role, he teaches retirement seminars through Passport to Retirement. Presper Financial Architects provides financial planning, discretionary asset management, and consulting services to individuals, families, trusts, charitable organizations, and foundations. The firm uses a mix of active and passive strategies within tailored portfolios and emphasizes transition planning and multigenerational engagement.

Giuseppe Vitale is a CFP® and PFS™ credentialed financial advisor with 11 years of industry experience. He has worked at Hudson Financial Advisors Inc. since 2020 and previously held roles at Capital Analysts, Beacon Financial Advisory LLC, Beacon Financial Partners, and Lincoln Investment. Outside of his advisory work, Vitale serves on the boards of directors for the DDC Clinic, Center for Special Needs Children, and Northern Ohio Charitable Gift Planners. Hudson Financial Advisors provides wealth management, asset allocation, and portfolio management services to a diverse client base, including individuals, pension plans, trusts, and charitable organizations. The firm integrates advisory services with insurance consulting and business planning, employing a multi-step, plan-oriented process that includes tax mitigation and wealth transfer strategies.

Stephen Hecker is a financial advisor at BCD Advisors with 21 years of industry experience. He holds a Series 66 designation and has worked at multiple firms, including Sterne Agee and Pinnacle Advisory Group. He is also the president and owner of Armor Financial Management, LLC, where he acts as an independent insurance agent specializing in life, disability, and long-term care insurance. BCD Advisors provides portfolio management, financial planning, and access to third-party money managers for individuals, pension and profit-sharing plans, and business entities. The firm employs asset allocation, fundamental analysis, and Modern Portfolio Theory to recommend portfolios and trading strategies, offering both discretionary and non-discretionary arrangements.

James Unger is a CFP® and ChFC® with 16 years of experience in financial advising. He is currently with DBK Financial Counsel, LLC and has previously worked at firms including LPL Financial, Zoyhofski Financial Services, and The Oswald Companies. Outside of his advisory role, Unger is involved as a hockey coach and operates Chestnut Tree Farm. DBK Financial Counsel provides portfolio management and financial planning primarily for high-net-worth individuals, using a combination of fundamental and technical analysis alongside modern portfolio theory. The firm acts as a fiduciary, tailoring plans to client goals and risk tolerances while managing accounts typically on a discretionary basis.

Wayne Salsbury is a CFP® professional with 11 years of industry experience, currently serving at Presper Financial Architects, LLC. His prior experience includes roles at Cedar Brook Group and Securities America Advisors. He holds an insurance license and is involved in insurance sales and service consistent with financial planning. Presper Financial Architects, LLC offers personalized financial planning, discretionary asset management, and financial consulting to individuals, families, trusts, charitable organizations, and foundations. The firm employs a blend of active and passive strategies within tailored portfolios and sponsors a wrap fee program where it acts as sole portfolio manager, with a focus on transition planning and multigenerational engagement.

Donald Tharp is a CFP® professional with 26 years of experience in the financial industry. He has been with Hudson Financial Advisors, Inc. since 1996. Tharp is also a licensed independent insurance producer and earns commissions from the sale of insurance products. Hudson Financial Advisors provides wealth management, asset allocation, and portfolio management services to individuals, pension and profit-sharing plans, trusts, estates, charitable organizations, corporations, and other business entities. The firm combines advisory services with insurance consulting and business-planning, employing a multi-step, plan-oriented process that includes tax mitigation and wealth transfer strategies.

Dori Torrens is a financial advisor with DBK Financial Counsel, LLC, holding a Series 65 designation and seven years of industry experience. Prior to joining DBK Financial Counsel, Torrens worked at Schulte & Company CPA's for three years. DBK Financial Counsel provides portfolio management and financial planning primarily for high-net-worth individuals, using a fiduciary approach and combining fundamental and technical analysis with modern portfolio theory. The firm emphasizes long-term trading and tailors plans to individual goals and risk tolerances.