David Grant is a CFP® at Retirement Matters, Inc. in Barrington, IL, where he has worked since 2013. He has 15 years of industry experience and operates as the sole advisor at his independent firm. Retirement Matters, Inc. manages approximately $25 million for about 21 clients, offering discretionary portfolio management, comprehensive financial planning, and ongoing wealth management services. The firm serves individuals, pension and profit-sharing plans, and charitable organizations, and incorporates fundamental analysis and individualized investment policies in its approach.

Melissa Osuch is a financial advisor with Strategic Advisors of Illinois, holding a Series 66 designation and 20 years of industry experience. She has been with Strategic Advisors of Illinois since 2006 and has also worked at LPL Financial LLC since 2011. In addition to her advisory role, she is involved in accounting and tax preparation services through AMM Accounting Services. Strategic Advisors of Illinois provides investment advisory and financial planning services to individual and high-net-worth clients, focusing on pre-retirement and post-retirement planning. The firm offers discretionary asset management, tiered ongoing financial planning, and educational seminars, constructing customized portfolios primarily through a wrap-fee program that integrates advisory services and trade execution.

I am the founder of DIYFi Advisors LLC, a fee-only advisory firm in Chicago. I work with young professionals and recent graduates on financial planning, investing and portfolio decisions. I hold the Series 65 license and work on a flat-fee or hourly basis. I do not sell products or charge a percentage of assets. Before starting DIYFi, I spent nearly a decade in economic consulting at Bates White and Econ One. There I analyzed complex financial and economic data for litigation matters. I also worked as a product manager at Capital One. I hold an economics degree from the University of Chicago and an MBA from MIT Sloan. My approach is built on evidence: low-cost index funds, tax efficiency, and clear plans that clients can carry out on their own. The "why" answer is built from what I know about your approach, not from a personal story. If something specific got you started, like your own student loans at Sloan or friends asking you for help, one sentence about it would make the answer much stronger. I can also put together a short profile of your writing style so future drafts sound more like you.

Emil Aldaddah is a Co-Founder, Chief Investment Officer, and Managing Partner at Momentum Wealth Management, with nearly two decades of experience delivering institutional-caliber investment management solutions. He specializes in developing tailored strategies for ultra-high-net-worth individuals, family offices, trustees, entrepreneurs, and private foundations. At Charles Schwab and Morgan Stanley Wealth Management, Emil managed portfolios totaling over $1.7 billion in assets under management, including $380 million in advisory services, serving individuals with net worths exceeding $1 billion, family offices, and public figures. His approach integrates asset management, financial planning, estate strategies, and alternative investments, helping clients preserve and grow wealth across generations. Prior to founding Momentum Wealth Management, Emil held roles at Avatar Securities, where he managed over $175 million in long/short equity exposure and developed algorithmic trading strategies applying statistical arbitrage and market-neutral equity approaches, and at Blackmore Partners, where he advised on M&A transactions and capital raises up to $500 million for C-suite leadership and private equity firms. Emil holds a BS in Finance from DePaul University and completed advanced studies at the University of Nicosia. He maintains Series 7, 66, and 56 registrations. Fluent in Arabic, he has served on the Young Visions Board of the Israel Cancer Research Fund and is a member of the Chicago Leadership Alliance.

John Nowak CFP® practitioner specializes in retirement planning for seasoned professionals; providing guidance to turn decades of saving into a Tax-Wise, Income-Smart, Experience-Rich retirement. He is a fiduciary who focuses on all aspects of your retirement journey: - turning savings into a retirement paycheck - reducing expected taxes over time - claiming Social Security and Medicare - aligning your portfolio with your lifestyle and bucket lists - enjoying your life while reducing regrets - leaving a legacy, not a burden and confusion for your family John works primarily with couples and single-women across the country who are looking for personalized planning and holistic advice for their retirement. Your ideas, vision, and concerns are our primary focus. John founded Alo Financial Planning in 2018 after becoming a planner in 2007, and following a career in accounting. He is a proud alum of the University of Illinois, graduating with honors in 1999 and a degree in Accountancy.

Vincent DeCrow is a financial advisor at RISE Investment Management, LLC (dba RISE Investments) with 7 years of direct industry experience. He holds the Series 65 designation and has worked at RISE since 2019, following roles at Origin Investments and Duff & Phelps, LLC. RISE Investments provides discretionary investment management and financial planning services to individuals, high-net-worth clients, families, trusts, businesses, retirement plans, and non-profit organizations. The firm emphasizes long-term equity ownership, tax efficiency, and diversified portfolio construction, offering access to private placements and manager-of-managers solutions.

As a CFP® professional and founder of Illuminate Wealth Management, I work with business owners, executives, and professionals who are navigating complex financial decisions. My goal is to help you understand your options, avoid costly mistakes, and create a strategy that supports the life you're working so hard to build. Over the years, I've developed a particular passion for helping clients make smart decisions around equity compensation. Whether you're dealing with RSUs, ISOs, stock options, ESPPs, or a major liquidity event, I help clients think through the tax implications, manage concentration risk, and create a plan that connects today's decisions with their long-term goals. I also work closely with business owners who are balancing the demands of running a company while trying to make thoughtful decisions about growing and protecting their personal wealth. When your business, taxes, retirement goals, investments, and family finances are all connected, financial planning becomes about much more than investments alone. While equity compensation and business planning are often what bring people to me, my role is much larger than solving a single financial challenge. I help clients think through retirement, taxes, investments, cash flow, and long-term wealth planning so they can make decisions with confidence and stay focused on what matters most. My approach is simple: bring clarity to complexity and help people make confident financial decisions. I believe good planning should help you spend less time worrying about money and more time focusing on what matters most to you.

Brady Lawrence is a financial advisor at RCM Wealth Advisors with a Series 65 credential and four years of industry experience. He has worked at RCM Wealth Advisors since 2022 and is also involved with RCM Ag Services and Strategic Trading Advisors, where he specializes in commodities hedging and agricultural market research. Prior to his advisory roles, he attended the University of Mississippi. RCM Wealth Advisors is a multi-advisor SEC-registered firm managing approximately $324 million for around 530 clients, including individuals, pension plans, and corporate clients. The firm uses a combination of fundamental and cyclical analysis, supported by an internal Investment Policy Committee, and offers tailored portfolio management with both discretionary and non-discretionary account options.

Jared Goldstine is a dedicated financial advisor at Stirlingshire Investments, bringing 8 years of hands-on industry experience to help clients achieve their financial goals with confidence and clarity. He holds the Series 7 license and is a Retirement Income Certified Professional (RICP). Jared has built his expertise at respected firms including Park Avenue Securities, Guardian Life Insurance Company and Northwestern Mutual. In addition to his professional work, Jared serves as Vice President of First Choice Networking Group, a professional networking organization, where he volunteers his time to connect business leaders and foster meaningful relationships in the community. Stirlingshire Investments is a forward-thinking wealth management firm on the leading edge of AI and technology in the financial services industry. We deliver discretionary portfolio management to individuals, trusts, families, and institutions — serving both non-high-net-worth and high-net-worth clients with sophisticated, personalized strategies. By combining deep human expertise with advanced AI-powered analytics, machine learning models, and cutting-edge technology platforms, Stirlingshire provides a significant edge in portfolio construction, risk management, and opportunity identification. Our team utilizes multiple analytical methods and offers a broad range of investment solutions, including mutual funds, ETFs, fixed income, REITs, private placements, and venture/alternative vehicles. At Stirlingshire, we believe the future of wealth management belongs to those who intelligently merge proven financial principles with the most advanced tools available. Jared Goldstine and the entire team are committed to delivering innovative, technology-enhanced investment solutions tailored to each client’s unique objectives, risk tolerance, and timeline.

Nicky Amore is a CFP® with 10 years of industry experience, currently serving as a financial advisor at Parallel Advisors, LLC since 2025. Growing up, Nicky’s grandparents were an influential part of her life and she recalls, “My Papa always said that I should be a mechanic because I wanted to take things apart and discover how they work. He inspired me so much with his military service that I carry his dog tag with me to remind me that my first job is to serve others before I serve myself.” As a child with special needs in a family of six children, Nicky remembers, “Being in a wheelchair and having to learn resiliency and patience to overcome this struggle taught me to find a way to make it work.” She knew her special needs were temporary and she knew she would walk again one day. After struggling and relearning how to walk, she was determined to help others and to become a Chartered Special Needs Consultant®. After she healed from her injuries, she earned her second-degree black belt in karate, taught self defense to adults with special needs, participated in a triathlon for St. Jude Children’s Hospital, the Chicago Marathon for Special Olympics, and an Ironman triathlon for the Wounded Warrior Project. Through her work for life, she finds that people remove their fear by connecting with and leaning on others. Prior to joining Parallel, Nicky worked at E*TRADE Capital Management, E*Trade Securities, and Morgan Stanley. Being a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER® and managing competing priorities requires integrating moving pieces including attention to detail and knowing not only how to take the pieces apart, but to put them back together in a way that fits and makes sense. Working collaboratively with her clients, she makes what seems complex, simple to understand, she creates a work-optional lifestyle, and together with clients, they plan and organize so that the focus is not on just one challenge, but the entire family. Nicky's career in financial services includes advising veterans, business owners, and families with special needs or trauma and much like she did in her youth, “As a Certified Financial Therapist™, I know my clients are the experts in their own lives so I take apart the fragments of my expertise and put the pieces back together in a cohesive way that can best serve them.” Since earning her MBA, she is determined to share her passion and enthusiasm for finance with the next generation of the profession. She also serves as an adjunct professor of finance at multiple institutions, including Harper College, UCLA Extension, New York University, and John Carroll University. She teaches Introduction to Accounting, Decision-Making for Entrepreneurs, and CFP® courses in estate planning, insurance and risk management, tax planning and psychology of financial planning. Nicky’s time outside of work is spent with her alumni societies and volunteering with Savvy Ladies, an organization determined to reduce disparities in financial education, 3rd Decade, Hire Heroes, and Alpha Phi Omega. She and her wife, Lauren, enjoy training for triathlons with their rescue dogs. Parallel Advisors serves individuals, businesses, retirement plans, trusts, estates, and charitable organizations with discretionary portfolio management, financial planning, and retirement plan consulting. The firm employs a diversified investment approach that includes fundamental, technical, and cyclical analysis, and integrates held-away account management and adviser-only investment vehicles.

Eric Kirste, CFP®, CIMA®, AIF® is the Co-Founder, Principal Wealth Manager at Savvy Advisors, Inc. He has been featured in Barron's, The Wall Street Journal, InvestmentNews, Business Insider, GoBankingRates, and U.S. News & World Report. With a deep-rooted passion for service and enriching the lives of others, Eric found his calling as a wealth management professional early on. Eric brings over 24 years of deep experience working closely with individuals and families in transition, helping them navigate difficult changes. Compassion is important to Eric, and he helps clients who are going through a divorce or grieving the loss of a spouse or family member get through the transition to financial independence and overcome new challenges with confidence. He also helps business owners and individuals looking to retire early or nearing retirement ensure they are best prepared for their ideal retirement lifestyle. At Savvy, he strives to help his clients align their money with their values, provide integrated solutions to serve all of their needs and empower them to make a lifetime of smart financial decisions. Importantly, Eric is committed to keeping his clients’ best interests top of mind while offering ongoing guidance, encouragement and accountability. With a passion for helping others, Eric has volunteered for the Foundation for Financial Planning, AARP and is the Treasurer on the Board of Wings For Widows. Eric is a native of the northwest suburbs of Chicago. He is committed to giving back to his community and serves as the Treasurer for the Prospect Heights Park District Board of Commissioners and the Old Orchard Country Club. He enjoys spending time with his wife, Alisa, their two sons, Logan and Matthew, and their rescue dog, Bear.

Duke Lin is a Director of Private Funds and Vice President at CIBC Asset Management. Previously with Morgan Stanley's Consulting Group, he now leads alternative investment product management and capital formation across private equity, credit, hedge funds, and infrastructure for both institutional and private wealth clients across a 100B+ platform. He hold an economics degree from Northwestern University. CIBC Asset Management and CIBC Private Wealth Advisors provide investment advisory and wealth management services to individuals, families, trusts, employee benefit plans, corporations, and investment companies. The firm combines internal teams and committees to deliver customized portfolio management and offers access to specialized strategies, including options hedges and structured notes, with a notably high assets-under-management per advisor ratio.

Tom Sunny is a financial advisor with Eagle Strategies (NY Life) based in Schaumburg, IL, holding Series 63 and Series 66 credentials and nine years of industry experience. He operates Sunny Financial Strategies, LLC, offering New York Life products and brokering non-registered insurance products. He serves as a board member and marketing director for the Illinois chapter of the National Association of Insurance and Financial Advisors (NAIFA). Eagle Strategies LLC provides financial planning, investment advisory, and retirement plan consulting services to individuals, employer-sponsored retirement plans, trusts, charitable organizations, and corporate clients. The firm emphasizes client-directed solutions and utilizes third-party managers and model portfolios, operating as an indirect subsidiary of New York Life.

Thomas Wiscomb is the sole managing member of Northpoint Advisory LLC, an independent firm based in Wilmette, IL. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 designations and has 19 years of industry experience. He has worked with XMS Capital Partners since 2010 in addition to his role at Northpoint Advisory, which he has been with since 2008. Northpoint Advisory serves individuals, high-net-worth families, trusts, estates, charitable organizations, corporations, and institutional clients with investment management and select financial planning services. The firm employs a core/satellite investment approach emphasizing principal protection, diversification, liquidity, and tax efficiency, incorporating alternative strategies when appropriate.

Basil Alsikafi is the sole advisor at White Brook Capital, an independent firm based in Winnetka, IL. He holds a Series 65 designation and has nine years of industry experience, including ten years with White Brook Capital. White Brook Capital provides discretionary portfolio management through separately managed accounts and model portfolios for high-net-worth individuals, trusts, estates, and other entities such as pensions and foundations. The firm employs a primarily bottom-up, value-oriented investment approach combined with top-down industry assessment and applies socially responsible exclusions across all strategies.

Richard Smith is the founder, CEO, and Chief Investment Officer of SRC Capital Management, an independent investment advisory firm based in Chicago, IL. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 credentials and has over 20 years of industry experience. Alongside his advisory work, he has taught at multiple universities, including DeVry University, Southern New Hampshire University, Chicago Public School District 299, Argosy University, and University of Phoenix. SRC Capital Management provides discretionary investment management services to individuals, nonprofit and for-profit entities, endowments, pension plans, and government clients. The firm employs a fundamental, bottom-up value investing approach focused on under-owned and under-researched domestic equities, with an emphasis on stock selection and sector diversification to manage downside risk.

Walter Ebner is the principal of Echo Prudent Capital LLC and holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses with 26 years of industry experience. He previously worked at BMO Capital Markets Corp., BMO Nesbitt Burns Corp., and Bank of Montreal for 24 years. He is the founder and a board member of Cancer Calculus NFP, a nonprofit organization that assists cancer patients with economic decision-making. Echo Prudent Capital LLC provides discretionary and non-discretionary investment advisory services and financial planning to individuals, high-net-worth clients, and nonprofit organizations. The firm utilizes a range of analytical methods to build tailored portfolios and serves a concentrated client base, including charitable organizations.

Wander Cedano is a financial advisor with Golden Foundation Advisors in Chicago, holding a Series 65 designation and three years of industry experience. His prior work includes roles at RWA Wealth Partners, Adviser Investments, and the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston. Golden Foundation Advisors is an independent, fee-only firm providing financial planning and investment management services to individuals and high-net-worth clients. The firm emphasizes passive investment construction through diversified funds and uses an institutional custodial platform with discretionary trading and semi-annual account reviews.

David Meehan is a CFA® charterholder with seven years of industry experience. He has been the sole advisor at Maple Street Capital Advisors, LLC since 2018 and previously worked as a self-employed investor for three years. Maple Street Capital Advisors provides investment management and financial planning services to individuals and families, including high-net-worth clients. The firm employs a fundamental, long-term investment approach focused on diversified, low-cost core equity and fixed-income funds, complemented by selected individual equities, with an emphasis on asset allocation, rebalancing, and strategic cash management including a near-constant allocation to gold via ETFs.

Swami Nathan is a CFP® and CFA® professional affiliated with Threshold Wealth Advisors LLC in Glenview, IL. He has over 25 years of industry experience, including a long tenure at Threshold Partners LLC prior to founding his current firm. Nathan holds a Series 66 license and launched Threshold Wealth Advisors LLC in 2025. Threshold Wealth Advisors provides wealth management and financial planning services to individuals, high net worth clients, and businesses. The firm employs a multi-method investment approach within a Modern Portfolio Theory framework, combining fundamental, technical, cyclical, and charting analyses, and manages accounts with tailored asset allocations and discretionary oversight.