Barry Federici is a CFP® professional with six years of experience in financial advising. He is the owner of Family First Wealth Management in Sycamore, IL, and has prior work experience including 30 years in the United States Marine Corps and legal studies at NIU Law School. In addition to his advisory role, he owns Saluting Success, LLC, a property management trust. Family First Wealth Management provides investment management and financial planning primarily for individual clients, employer-sponsored retirement plans, and charitable organizations. The firm’s investment approach centers on diversification and asset allocation based on Modern Portfolio Theory, offering both strategic and tactical allocation with the option to incorporate third-party managers. It also provides employee benefit plan consulting and pension-plan advisory services, supported by the principal’s interdisciplinary background as a licensed attorney, CPA, and CFP.

John Piershale is a CFP® professional with 32 years of industry experience. He is the sole advisor at Piershale Wealth Management, LLC in Crystal Lake, Illinois, and has held prior roles at Origin Financial, Ausdal Financial Partners, Inc., Piershale Financial Group, Inc., and Triad Advisors, Inc. Piershale Wealth Management provides discretionary investment management and a variety of financial planning services to individual clients. The firm emphasizes strategic asset allocation based on Modern Portfolio Theory and fundamental analysis, offering specialized tax and estate planning within a modest, single-advisor model.

Simon Granner is a financial advisor with PCFO Capital holding Series 65 and Series 66 credentials. He is based in St Charles, Illinois. PCFO Capital, LLC provides discretionary portfolio management and financial planning services to individual and high-net-worth clients. The firm combines fundamental analysis and modern portfolio theory with a long-term trading orientation, tailoring portfolios to clients’ goals, tax considerations, and risk tolerances.

James Richter is a CFP® professional with 25 years of industry experience, currently serving as the sole advisor at Monotelo Wealth Partners in Elgin, IL. He previously worked at Hd Vest Advisory Services and Hd Vest Investment Services before founding Monotelo Wealth Partners in 2017. In addition to his advisory role, he owns and operates Monotelo Advisors, an accounting and tax preparation practice. Monotelo Wealth Partners is an independent firm that provides discretionary portfolio management and investment advisory services to a select client base, including individuals, high-net-worth clients, trusts, and charitable organizations. The firm manages balanced, diversified portfolios with a focus on exchange-traded funds and employs multiple methods of analysis to implement tax-efficient investment strategies.

Patrick Mcrae is the principal of Kintail Holdings d/b/a Kintail Advisors and holds a Series 65 designation. He has over eight years of experience in the financial industry, including roles at Kapco Futures, Inc. and CGB Diversified Services, Inc. Mcrae maintains an ongoing role with a registered introducing broker/futures firm alongside his advisory work. Kintail Advisors is a recently formed firm that provides discretionary portfolio management through model portfolios designed for high-net-worth individuals, qualified companies, and institutions. The firm uses a combination of technical and fundamental analysis within a long-term investment framework, offering strategies that include ETFs and spot cryptocurrency ETFs with varying risk profiles.

Christopher Delarme is a financial advisor at First Wealth Advisory, Inc. in St. Charles, IL, with 11 years of industry experience. He holds a Series 65 designation and has previously worked at Red Oak Capital Management, Hayden Royal, and Great Lakes Wealth Management and Advisory Partners. He is also a licensed insurance agent. First Wealth Advisory serves individual and institutional clients, including high-net-worth individuals, trusts, pension plans, and charitable organizations. The firm offers discretionary portfolio management and written financial planning, combining quantitative and qualitative analysis to build portfolios with ETFs, mutual funds, individual securities, and option strategies.

Anton Prokopenko is a CFP® and holds a Series 65 license, currently serving as an advisor at HighPoint Planning Partners with one year of industry experience. He is also the president of Sansone & Associates, P.C., an accounting and tax services firm for businesses and individuals. His prior work includes positions at Northern Illinois University, UnitedHealth Group, Concordia University Chicago, and the College of DuPage. HighPoint Advisor Group provides discretionary asset management, financial planning, and consulting services to individuals, pension plans, trusts, estates, charitable organizations, and corporations. The firm manages approximately $4.0 billion in client assets and employs a fundamental analysis approach to construct individualized investment policies across a range of securities and custodial platforms.

Phillip Baumann is a Series 65-licensed financial advisor at Independent Investment Advisor, LLC with five years of experience in investment advisory services and additional experience in accounting through his work at BL Management One, LLC. Prior to his advisory and accounting roles, he spent ten years at Windy City Harley Davidson. Outside of his advisory work, he provides accounting services. Independent Investment Advisor, LLC is a state-registered firm serving individuals, high-net-worth clients, and business entities with customized portfolio management. The firm employs multiple analytical methods and offers discretionary management, including strategies involving options and short sales, with client risk tolerance documented in Investment Policy Statements.

Scott Newport is the sole advisor at Newport Investment Advisors, Inc. in Sycamore, Illinois, holding a Series 65 credential with 28 years of industry experience. He has led Newport Investment Advisors since 1996 and has provided farming business analysis services as CEO of Illinois Farm Business Farm Management since 1989. Newport Investment Advisors offers wealth and portfolio management services to individuals, corporations, non-profits, foundations, trusts, and qualified plans, managing approximately $25.2 million. The firm integrates tax and accounting services with investment advice, employing multiple analytical methods and primarily managing assets on a non-discretionary basis.

Richard Vandersande is an independent financial advisor with Smart Stewardship Advisors, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and over 20 years of industry experience. He has been associated with Efficient Capital Management, LLC since 2009 and has operated Smart Stewardship Advisors since 2005. Vandersande is also vice president of The Stewardship Alliance, LLC, which provides stewardship planning based on biblical principles. Smart Stewardship Advisors serves individual investors, pension and profit-sharing plans, trusts, estates, charitable organizations, and businesses. The firm offers a structured coaching program for wealth and charitable estate planning, pension fiduciary reviews, and educational seminars, focusing on an analytical coaching process rather than direct portfolio management.

Thomas Quinn is a Certified Financial Planner® with 22 years of industry experience. He is a financial advisor at American Community Wealth Management, LLC, where he has worked since 2003, and previously was with Triad Advisors, Inc. and Osaic Wealth, Inc. Quinn serves as a successor trustee for a family trust, managing its investments and cash flow. American Community Wealth Management provides investment advisory and financial planning services to individuals, business owners, and institutional clients. The firm offers discretionary and non-discretionary portfolio management, comprehensive financial planning, and retirement plan consulting, utilizing both in-house and third-party platforms tailored to client objectives and risk tolerance.

Kathleen Dixon is a financial advisor at American Community Wealth Management, LLC with 26 years of industry experience. She holds a Series 66 designation and has worked at firms including OSAIC Wealth, Triad Advisors, LPL Financial, and Home State Bank. Dixon also serves as Operations Manager and Registered Representative at American Community Wealth Management, providing administrative support and managing her own book of business. American Community Wealth Management offers investment advisory and financial planning services to individuals, business owners, pension and profit-sharing plans, trusts, estates, charitable organizations, and corporations. The firm combines in-house Advisor Managed Portfolios with access to multiple third-party platforms and provides both discretionary and non-discretionary portfolio management alongside comprehensive financial planning and group retirement plan consulting.

Elisa Hanson is a Series 65-licensed financial advisor with six years of industry experience. She has been with Black Barn Financial, LLC since 2016, working as part of a four-advisor team based in Marengo, Illinois. Black Barn Financial is a registered investment adviser serving individuals, trusts, estates, and charitable organizations. The firm manages approximately $165 million in client assets, offering discretionary portfolio management and flexible financial planning services that incorporate both fundamental and technical analysis tailored to client-specific investment policies.

David Janello is a CFA® charterholder with two years of experience as a financial advisor at Black Elm Advisers, LLC. He has worked at CME Group since 2015 and has been president of Argon Technology Group, Inc., an investment technology firm, since 1986. Black Elm Advisers provides discretionary investment management to individual and high-net-worth clients, employing a mix of fundamental and quantitative analysis across a range of strategies including long and short positions, margin trading, and options, with ongoing portfolio monitoring and rebalancing.

Thomas Hines is a CFA charterholder with 17 years of industry experience. He is currently with Thompson Capital Management, LLC, where he has worked since 2021. Prior to this, he was employed at Lowery Asset Consulting, LLC and Good Harbor Financial. Thompson Capital Management provides investment management and financial planning services primarily to individual and high-net-worth clients, as well as sub-advisory services to other investment advisers. The firm utilizes a model-driven investment approach across multiple strategies, incorporating equities, fixed income, options, and exchange-traded products, including derivatives and VIX-linked instruments.

Brett Leahy is a financial advisor at Echelons Capital, LLC with two years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and has previously worked at Phase Line Capital, LLC, Zogo Technologies Co., Turbo Technology, Inc., and Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC. Outside of finance, he is the founder and COO of American Heartland Corporation, an e-commerce apparel retail business. Echelons Capital provides discretionary portfolio management, financial planning, and consulting services to individuals, trusts, charitable organizations, and businesses. The firm employs model portfolios and third-party money managers, including sub-advisory arrangements, to implement systematic long/short equity strategies and manages a concentrated client base with a focus on incorporating alternative and higher-risk instruments.

Kevin Noonan is a CFP® with 24 years of industry experience, currently serving at American Community Wealth Management, LLC, where he has worked since 2003. He previously worked at Triad Advisors, Inc. and Osaic Wealth, Inc. Noonan serves as a voting board member for the Family Health Partnership Clinic, a nonprofit health clinic. American Community Wealth Management provides investment advisory and financial planning services to individuals, business owners, and institutions. The firm offers tailored portfolio management and planning solutions, combining in-house Advisor Managed Portfolios with access to multiple third-party platforms and wrap-fee programs.

Thomas Guyett is a financial advisor at Cantlon Financial Planning LLC with 24 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and has worked at Waterstone Financial Group, Inc. and Dreher & Associates, Inc. since the early 2000s. Cantlon Financial Planning LLC provides personalized financial planning and discretionary asset management to individuals, trusts, estates, and charitable organizations. The firm employs client-specific investment programs documented by investment policy statements and utilizes fundamental analysis, including options and other derivatives strategies, while conducting monthly account reviews.

Brian Dunn is a financial advisor at Black Elm Advisers, LLC in Skokie, IL, with 10 years of industry experience. He holds a Series 65 designation and has served as president of Epic Sky, Inc., a marketing company, since 2015. Dunn is also involved in hedge fund management through Black Prime, LLC, an affiliated entity. Black Elm Advisers provides discretionary investment management to individual and high-net-worth clients, employing a mix of fundamental and quantitative analysis. The firm utilizes a range of strategies, including long and short positions, margin trading, and options, with performance-based compensation and active use of derivatives distinguishing it from many peers.

John Gillespie is a CFA® charterholder and holds a Series 66 license, with 14 years of industry experience. He is currently a Senior Vice President at American Community Wealth Management, LLC, where he has worked since 2022. His prior experience includes roles at Triad Advisors, Alight Financial Advisors, LLC, and Alight Solutions, LLC. American Community Wealth Management provides investment advisory and financial planning services to individuals, business owners, pension and profit-sharing plans, trusts, estates, charitable organizations, and corporations. The firm offers discretionary and non-discretionary portfolio management, comprehensive financial planning, group retirement plan consulting, and educational seminars, utilizing a combination of in-house portfolios and multiple third-party platforms.