For Kurt, planning and investing are means to an end—after all, what’s the point of accumulating wealth for accumulation’s sake? His goal is for clients to fully enjoy their wealth both today and in the future. As such, he focuses first on helping clients map out their life, creating a detailed picture of their hopes, dreams, and wishes. Only after that big-picture plan is established does he dive into the details and identify prescriptive action steps. Then, and only then, does he discuss the best way to invest their money. This intentional order aims to ensure each strategy has a specific purpose, and that every decision the client makes is driving them closer to their long-term goals. Kurt enjoys working with young entrepreneurs and specialized professionals who are early in their careers. Many of his clients have never had a personalized financial plan, and they appreciate his fresh perspective. He challenges conventional wisdom, always seeking the “why” behind a strategy rather than simply accepting the status quo. In doing so, he often discovers additional avenues for growth, methods for clients to more efficiently achieve their goals, or ways to save on taxes. Kurt lives in Rochester, New York, with his wife Sarah and their two young children, Kai and Isla. They’re an active family that loves to be outside as much as possible, and when each of his kids turned three, Kurt taught them to ski—something he was very excited about, having started skiing himself at the age of two. They also enjoy cooking together, going on road trips, and watching movies.

Rajiv Dixit is a CFP® and holds a Series 66 license with 15 years of industry experience. He is currently the sole advisor at Serenity Capital Advisors Inc., a firm he joined in 2025 after working at Ralph Parks Investment Group LLC for 20 years. Serenity Capital Advisors provides discretionary portfolio management and financial planning services to individuals, high-net-worth clients, trusts, estates, corporations, and retirement plans. The firm offers tailored investment strategies combining technical charting with fundamental, cyclical, and economic analysis, and also delivers ERISA-focused retirement plan services with direct asset management.

Ben has always been drawn to work where trust matters. Before entering financial planning, he studied pastoral ministry, a background that still shapes the way he listens, asks questions, and walks with people through important decisions. Over time, he became interested in business as a practical way to help families build stability, opportunity, and generosity. After transferring to Roberts Wesleyan University to study business and organizational management, Ben began working at ESL Federal Credit Union. There, he saw how personal financial decisions affect nearly every part of a family’s life—and how valuable clear guidance can be when people are trying to make wise choices. That experience led him to pursue deeper expertise early in his career, earning the CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER® designation and now serving on the board of the Rochester chapter of the Estate Planning Council. Ben later joined TIAA Wealth Management, where he worked closely with physicians, professors, administrators, and other healthcare professionals. The experience deepened his appreciation for clients whose financial lives often involve complex benefits, retirement plans, tax decisions, and significant responsibility. It also clarified the advisory model he wanted to be part of: one where clients are known personally, served consistently, and guided with care over many years. At Kickstand Wealth Advisors, Ben is a fee-only fiduciary for a limited number of families. Outside of work, Ben enjoys time with his wife, Ksenia, hiking in the Adirondacks, exploring Rochester’s live music scene, and serving at his church, where he is a board member and trustee.

H. Robert Bradley is a CFP® with 27 years of experience in the financial industry. He is currently with Chicago Partners Investment Group LLC and has previously worked at Mutual Securities, Inc. and Northlanding Financial Partners, LLC. Chicago Partners Investment Group LLC serves a diverse client base including individuals, trusts, nonprofits, and corporations. The firm employs a long-term, diversified investment approach with customized portfolios, utilizing fundamental analysis and strategies such as direct indexing and tax-loss harvesting.

John Howe is a CFP® professional with 13 years of industry experience, currently serving as the principal advisor at Hamewith Wealth. His prior roles include positions at Generation Capital Management, Wells Fargo Advisors, and St. John Fisher University. Hamewith Wealth is an independent registered investment adviser offering discretionary portfolio management and comprehensive financial planning to individuals, high-net-worth clients, and businesses. The firm’s approach combines Modern Portfolio Theory with passive and active strategies, incorporating client preferences such as ESG investments, and provides ongoing monitoring including held-away account oversight.

After 19 years of experience in the financial services industry across various roles, I founded LaBounty Financial Planning. As a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER® professional and a Certified Investment Management Analyst® practitioner, I am committed to providing thoughtful, personalized guidance rooted in your goals and values. LaBounty Financial Planning is a fee-only financial planning firm based in Rochester, New York, founded to help mid-career professionals and business owners build a financial future they feel good about. I have built my career on the belief that good financial planning is about more than numbers; it's about giving people the confidence and clarity to plan for what matters most to them. Who We Serve Your finances can feel overwhelming, between student loans, buying a first home, starting a family, and continuing to build wealth. We work with mid-career professionals and business owners navigating growing income and growing complexity, helping clients optimize what they've built and plan for what's next. Mid-Career Professionals: Growing income, growing complexity. We help you optimize what you've built and plan for what's next. Business Owners: Your business shouldn't be your only financial plan. We help you navigate the unique challenges business owners face. High Earners, Not Rich Yet (HENRYs): Strong income, but not yet translating into lasting wealth? We can help close that gap. Facing Major Life Change: Divorce, loss of a spouse, career changes, inheritance, or a financial windfall. We help you find clarity and make confident decisions when it matters most. Not located in Western New York? We serve clients all over the state of New York and have the ability to work with you virtually.

Mark Paganelli is the principal of Mark Andrew Paganelli, an independent advisory firm based in Pittsford, NY. He holds the CFP® and ChFC® designations and has 43 years of industry experience. His prior work includes long tenures at HORNOR, TOWNSEND & KENT, Inc. and Commonwealth Financial Network. Paganelli is also co-owner of RFG Associates, LLC. His firm provides comprehensive financial planning and consulting services to individuals, pension and profit-sharing plans, and corporations, focusing on retirement, estate, tax, cash-flow, investment, and insurance planning. The firm emphasizes written financial plans based on fundamental, technical, and qualitative analysis, and does not take custody of client assets or manage portfolios on a discretionary basis.

Priscilla Baker Jones is a Certified Financial Planner® (CFP®) with 13 years of industry experience. She has been with Occam Capital Management, LLC since 1998, serving as its sole advisor. Occam Capital Management provides discretionary investment management and hourly consulting to individuals, high-net-worth clients, pensions, trusts, and estates. The firm applies a top-down analysis of global economic factors combined with a fundamental value approach to equities, alongside an investment-grade, laddered fixed-income strategy, focusing on long-term appreciation and income.

Christopher Coleman is a financial advisor at Fiduciary First Advising, LLC, holding a Series 66 designation with six years of industry experience. His prior experience includes roles at Sage, Rutty & Co., Inc., and consulting work. Fiduciary First Advising, LLC is an independent advisory firm serving individuals, high-net-worth clients, and businesses with tailored investment management and comprehensive financial planning. The firm uses a primarily passive investment approach based on Modern Portfolio Theory, managing discretionary portfolios with index mutual funds and ETFs, and integrates planning with regular monitoring and updates.

Brian Imrich is a CFP® with 18 years of industry experience. He has been with GPS Financial, LLC since 2017 and previously worked at Cambridge Investment Research Advisors and Cambridge Investment Research, Inc. Outside of his advisory work, he serves as treasurer for Victory Boys Youth Lacrosse, a community organization. GPS Financial, LLC serves individual and high-net-worth clients by combining financial planning and discretionary portfolio management, focusing on goal-based planning, capital preservation, and asset allocation. The firm manages approximately $57.8 million in assets for about 269 clients, primarily using ETFs and mutual funds, with investment decisions executed through custodial platforms like Schwab and Betterment.

Joseph Pecoraro is a financial advisor with Forza Wealth Advisory Services LLC in Penfield, NY, holding a Series 65 designation and four years of industry experience. He has been associated with Forza Wealth Advisory Services LLC and Consiliarium Group LLC since 2016. His business activities include limited socialized broker commissions related to medical products. Forza Wealth Advisory Services LLC provides portfolio management and financial planning to individual clients, including high-net-worth individuals. The firm uses a variety of analytical methods and investment strategies on a mostly non-discretionary basis, serving a small client base with personalized oversight.

Amy Ryan is an advisor at Upstate Advisers Inc in Pittsford, NY, holding Series 63, 65, and 66 licenses with two years of industry experience. Her prior work includes positions at RDG Capital Management LLC, LPL Financial, and Post Magazine. She is also the owner of MADE ESSENTIALS LLC, a business based in Pittsford. Upstate Advisers Inc provides discretionary portfolio management and integrated financial planning to private clients, along with consulting and fiduciary services for employer-sponsored retirement plans. The firm employs a long-term, research-based core-and-satellite investment approach focused on broad diversification and tax-aware strategies.

Dana Bell is the sole advisor at BellRock Asset Management LLC in Victor, NY, holding a Series 65 designation with 4 years of industry experience. He has led BellRock Asset Management since 2011. BellRock Asset Management provides discretionary portfolio management services to individuals, trusts, charitable organizations, and privately held companies. The firm follows modern portfolio theory principles, emphasizing diversification and strategic asset allocation, and maintains institutional-style relationships through written referral agreements with CPA firms.

Edmond Gorges is the sole advisor at Gorges Capital Management LLC in Rochester, NY, holding a Series 65 designation with no prior advisory industry experience. His work background includes roles at TransUnion, Measured, Goodway Group, and Dentsu International. Gorges Capital Management provides discretionary investment management to individuals, including high-net-worth clients, as well as trusts and family investment entities through a three-model separately managed account program. The firm focuses on ETF-only, income-oriented strategies using covered-call and put-writing exposures, and manages portfolios with flexible asset allocation bands rather than fixed weights.

Miles Sharpe is a financial advisor with Fawley Wealth International, an independent firm, holding a Series 65 designation and three years of industry experience. He previously worked at Whitney & Company and Napier Sharpe Wealth Management, and maintains a consulting role with the UK-based MNA Partnership. Sharpe also serves as a Course Associate for Insurance and Retirement Planning at Columbia University. Fawley Wealth International provides portfolio management and financial planning primarily to individuals and high-net-worth clients, focusing on diversified investments including mutual funds, ETFs, equities, fixed income, and non-U.S. securities. The firm employs a long-term investment approach combining cyclical and fundamental analysis with modern portfolio theory and offers discretionary management with regular reviews through a designated institutional custodian.

Philip Weisberg is a CFP® and holds a Series 65 license, operating Weisberg Financial Services in Pittsford, NY. He has 14 years of experience with the firm, which he founded in 2012. The practice is a single-advisor independent firm serving primarily individual clients. Weisberg Financial Services serves about 60–65 individual clients and one corporate client on a pro bono basis. The firm employs a low-cost, flat-fee model without percentage-of-assets charges, managing portfolios through a discount brokerage platform using equities, ETFs, and no-load mutual funds, with an emphasis on tax-aware strategies and daily account monitoring.

Robert Baldes is a financial advisor with Wealth Strategies & Solutions, Ltd. in Rochester, NY, holding the ChFC® designation and Series 63 and 65 licenses. He has 40 years of industry experience, including roles at Leigh Baldwin & CO., LLC and his current firm since 2018. Outside of his advisory work, he serves as assistant treasurer for the Eastern Association of North American Baptist and holds positions on local Republican committees. Wealth Strategies & Solutions provides financial life-planning and investment advisory services to individuals and families, focusing on goals-based retirement planning, cash flow and tax analysis, and estate planning coordination. The firm offers standalone financial planning, third-party money manager referrals, and limited discretionary asset management, emphasizing detailed client discovery and coordination with CPAs and estate-planning attorneys.

Brian Drumm is a financial advisor with Primetime Wealth Management in Pittsford, NY, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and having 13 years of industry experience. He previously worked at Edward Jones for five years before founding Primetime Wealth Management in 2019. Outside of his advisory work, Drumm is the owner of a real estate LLC. Primetime Wealth Management is an independent registered investment adviser serving individuals, trusts, estates, charitable organizations, business entities, and pension/profit-sharing plan clients. The firm focuses on strategic asset allocation, primarily using equities and exchange-traded funds, and offers both ongoing portfolio management and stand-alone financial planning.

Matthew Marino is a financial advisor at Nexus Capital, LLC, holding a Series 65 designation with five years of industry experience. He has worked at Nexus Capital since 2017 and previously was with MRM Wealth Management from 2011 to 2019. Nexus Capital, LLC provides portfolio management and investment advisory services to individuals, high‑net‑worth clients, pension and profit‑sharing plans, and charitable organizations. The firm employs both fundamental and technical analysis across a diverse investment universe, including insurance products and higher-risk instruments like uncovered options and private equity.

James Pluta is the sole advisor at J.R. Pluta Capital Management, Inc. in Pittsford, NY, holding a Series 65 credential with 40 years at the firm and five years of industry experience. The firm provides discretionary investment management primarily to individuals, including high-net-worth clients, as well as charitable organizations. J.R. Pluta Capital Management employs a bottom-up, fundamental investment approach that incorporates various strategies and maintains cash in money market accounts, managing approximately $16.25 million across a small client base.