Shidi Xu is a financial advisor at Shepherd Investment Management with two years of industry experience. She holds a Series 65 designation and previously worked for BlackRock Investment Management, LLC for eight years. Xu is also the founder and managing partner of Shepherd Capital LLC, a non-operating entity. Shepherd Investment Management provides fee-based portfolio management to individuals, high-net-worth clients, trusts, estates, charitable organizations, corporations, and other entities. The firm follows a long-term, fundamental investment approach with a Growth-at-a-Reasonable-Price discipline, focusing on global technology and adjacent sectors, and manages portfolios with high-conviction allocations informed by proprietary research.

Kai Leung Cheung is a CFA® charterholder and holds a Series 66 license, with 12 years of industry experience. He currently works at Pension Maxima Investment Advisory, Inc. and previously held roles at Sand Hill Real Estate and Investment, Inc. and Manphil Mortgage & Realty. Outside of his advisory work, he is involved as a mortgage loan originator and realtor/broker, as well as an insurance agent. Pension Maxima serves pension, profit-sharing, and 401(k) plan sponsors along with individual clients, focusing on plan-level advisory services including pension consulting, financial planning, and model portfolio management. The firm emphasizes developing written investment policy statements and selecting mutual fund lineups, while providing participant education and ongoing monitoring of managers and portfolios.

Michael Kinstlick is a CFA® charterholder and an advisor at Lahontan Capital LLC with one year of industry experience. Prior to joining Lahontan Capital, he worked at JUST Capital and SASB (/IFRS). He is also involved with Coppersea Distilling, a business he has been part of since 2011. Lahontan Capital is a fee-only registered investment adviser serving individual and high net-worth investors with wealth management, discretionary portfolio management, and financial planning services. The firm combines passive and active investment vehicles and incorporates ESG considerations according to client preferences.

Guangming Dai is a Series 65-licensed financial advisor with Dai Advisors, located in Menlo Park, CA, and has seven years of industry experience. He concurrently holds a position as a Senior Principal Research Scientist at Johnson & Johnson Vision, where he designs treatment algorithms for surgical products, a role unrelated to his advisory work. DAI Advisors provides asset and portfolio management and fiduciary consulting primarily for high-net-worth individuals, trusts, families, estates, and certain retirement plans, with a focus on alternative investments and limited public market exposure. The firm uses a combination of fundamental, technical, and cyclical analysis alongside proprietary DEG ratings in manager selection and due diligence, managing roughly $330 million in assets for about 285 clients.

Mark Flowers is a CFP® with 15 years of industry experience, currently serving as an advisor at Private Portfolios, Inc. in San Mateo, CA. He has worked with Private Portfolios, Inc. since 2012 and previously with Securities America, Inc. He participates in a collaborative networking group focused on financial issues related to divorce and leads regional divorce workshops offering general financial planning guidance. He also operates a sole proprietorship providing financial analyses and consulting services for clients undergoing divorce. Private Portfolios, Inc. provides fee-based investment advisory and financial planning services to individuals, trusts, pension plans, and corporate entities, with a focus on diversified portfolio management using tailored asset allocation strategies. The firm offers discretionary account management through a sponsored wrap-fee Wealth Management Platform and operates educational workshops, including a structured divorce workshop integrating financial, legal, and therapeutic modules.

Laddi Jhuty is a CFP® professional with 16 years of industry experience, currently serving at NRI Wealth Management, LLC in Santa Clara, CA. He has been with the firm since 2012 and is also involved with NRI Life Insurance, LLC as an insurance agent. NRI Wealth Management provides investment advisory and financial planning services to individual and high-net-worth clients, as well as retirement plans. The firm offers discretionary portfolio management and ERISA 3(38) plan services, utilizing diversified strategies and regular portfolio monitoring.

Thomas Vaughan is a financial advisor at Retirement Capital Strategies, Inc. in San Jose, CA, holding a Series 63 designation with 36 years of industry experience. He has been with Retirement Capital Strategies since 2016 and maintains an affiliation with LPL Financial LLC since 2015. Retirement Capital Strategies serves individual and high-net-worth clients, providing financial and retirement planning alongside discretionary investment management. The firm employs a passive, index-based approach using primarily ETFs across multiple risk levels and offers specialized services including management of variable annuity sub-accounts, 529 college-savings plans, and employer-sponsored retirement plan investments.

Mark Kalinowsky is a financial advisor at Kalinowsky Asset Management in San Jose, CA, holding a Series 66 designation with 15 years of industry experience. He has worked at Pollock Investment Advisory Corp., doing business as KAMcorp, since 2014. Kalinowsky Asset Management provides personalized financial planning and discretionary investment management to individuals, high-net-worth clients, pension and profit-sharing plans, trusts, estates, charitable organizations, and small businesses. The firm employs a long-term, strategic asset allocation approach centered on passive index mutual funds and ETFs, offering comprehensive planning services and regular portfolio monitoring.

David Blackwood is a CFP® with 30 years of industry experience and is the sole advisor at Whitespace Financial, LLC. He has worked at Purshe Kaplan Sterling Investments and Whitespace Financial since 2009. Outside of his advisory work, he serves as an adjunct faculty member at De Anza College, is president of the San Francisco Council of the Navy League of the United States, and participates in several financial planning certification boards. Whitespace Financial manages approximately $52 million for individual and retirement-plan clients, offering asset management, 401(k) and pension consulting, and financial planning. The firm serves both high-net-worth and non-HNW clients, providing individualized portfolios that are reviewed quarterly and often managed on a non-discretionary basis.

Ramon Marquez is a Certified Financial Planner (CFP®) with 16 years of industry experience. He has been with Galileo Planning Group, Inc. since 2007. Galileo Planning Group, Inc. is an independent, fee-only advisory firm that provides comprehensive financial planning and investment counseling primarily to wealthy individuals, senior corporate executives, and high-income professionals. The firm focuses on non-discretionary, customized services including asset allocation, retirement, estate and tax planning, and evaluations of private and venture investments.

Zachariah Kline is an advisor at Capstone Wealth Management Corp. in San Jose, CA, holding a Series 65 designation with one year of industry experience. His background includes roles at Mount Sinai Health System and Advocate Aurora Health, as well as military service with the U.S. Army from 2018 to 2024. Capstone Wealth Management Corp. provides discretionary and non-discretionary investment management and financial planning services to individuals, pension and profit-sharing plans, charitable organizations, and corporations. The firm employs an asset allocation framework focused on growth, incorporating tactical allocation and earnings-based equity screening, and offers strategies ranging from long-term buy-and-hold to shorter-term trading.

Jeffrey Wu is a CFP® and holds a Series 66 designation with 21 years of industry experience. He has been with Red Crane Wealth Management, LLC since 2016. Red Crane Wealth Management provides discretionary asset management, investment consulting, and standalone financial planning to individuals, high-net-worth clients, trusts, estates, and charitable organizations. The firm employs a mix of asset allocation, sector allocation, long- and short-term trading techniques, and derivative strategies, and sponsors both a wrap fee program and a private pooled investment fund.

Easan Arulanantham is a financial advisor at Retirement Capital Strategies, Inc. with six years of industry experience. He holds a Series 65 designation and has worked at Retirement Capital Strategies since 2020, following earlier roles at AcademyX and Innit. Retirement Capital Strategies provides financial and retirement planning along with discretionary investment management services to individuals and high-net-worth clients, as well as advisory services for employer-sponsored retirement plans, variable annuity sub-accounts, and 529 college-savings plans. The firm employs a predominantly passive, ETF-based approach with multiple customized model portfolios and uses tools such as MoneyGuidePro, RightCapital, Riskalyze, and iRebal for portfolio management and rebalancing.

Melissa Eugenio is a financial advisor at Alexander Beard (USA) Inc. with 25 years of industry experience. She holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and has worked at Alexander Beard since 2018, following prior roles including five years at ABD Retirement Services, Inc. Outside of her advisory work, she is a Bikram yoga instructor, teaching weekly classes at Being Yoga. Alexander Beard (USA) Inc. provides advisory services primarily to individuals and retirement plans, focusing on UK citizens or former UK residents living in the U.S. with UK-based pension accounts. The firm offers pension consulting, portfolio management, and financial planning, tailoring advice to client goals and working with pension trustees to facilitate pension transfers and flexible arrangements.

Xianzhong Zhu is a financial advisor with Five Stone Capital, LLC, holding Series 63 and Series 65 designations and 20 years of industry experience. He has worked at Five Stone Capital since 2021 and previously had roles at Ni Advisors Inc and Centaurus Financial, Inc. Five Stone Capital serves as the general partner and investment adviser to a single pooled investment vehicle, employing a fundamental analysis approach to stock selection and managing portfolios on a discretionary basis. The firm focuses on limiting stock concentration and selecting securities with lower market correlation, providing regular performance updates and reports to investors.

Zhijie Zhuang is a financial advisor at InsideOut Wealth Strategies, LLC with one year of industry experience. He holds a Series 65 credential and previously worked for three years at Greentech Renewables. InsideOut Wealth Strategies serves individuals, high-net-worth clients, trusts, estates, and small business entities with discretionary asset management and ERISA retirement-plan advisory services. The firm uses a multi-method investment approach incorporating decision analysis, cyclical analysis, fundamental and technical tools, and modern portfolio theory to manage portfolios on a discretionary basis.

Matthew King is a CFA charterholder with 20 years of experience in the financial advisory industry. He has worked at Bell Investment Advisors, Inc. from 2000 to 2018 and has been with King Wealth Advisors, LLC since 2015. King Wealth Advisors is a small independent firm serving individuals, families, high-net-worth clients, retirement plans, trusts, charitable organizations, and business entities. The firm focuses on discretionary investment management using mutual funds and ETFs, applying a selection process based on momentum, value factors, and economic conditions, with an analytic approach that includes fundamental, technical, cyclical, and charting methods.

Ying Ying Jing is a financial advisor at Oceaniq Capital, LLC with 20 years of industry experience. She holds Series 63 and Series 66 licenses and has held positions at Credit Suisse Securities and Merrill, among other firms. Jing has been associated with various entities within the Oceaniq group since 2014. Oceaniq Capital serves high-net-worth individuals, family offices, trusts, corporations, and retirement plan sponsors by providing portfolio management, financial planning, family office services, and access to private investments. The firm combines fundamental, quantitative, and qualitative analysis in managing public and private assets and conducts due diligence on third-party managers.

Kirk Knight is a CFP® and PFS™ with 15 years of experience in financial advising. He has been with Knight and Company Wealth Advisors, LLC since 2009 and also serves as a CPA at Knight & Company Certified Public Accountants, Inc., where he has worked since 1985. In addition to his professional roles, he manages a small almond orchard on a part-time basis. Knight and Company Wealth Advisors provides investment management and wealth-planning services to individuals, trusts, retirement plans, charitable organizations, and businesses. The firm employs a passive, asset-class investment approach based on Modern Portfolio Theory, using diversified portfolios primarily comprised of passively managed mutual funds and ETFs, and offers integrated accounting relationships through affiliated CPA firms.

Garth Williams is a Certified Financial Planner® with 19 years of industry experience. He has worked at Honu Wealth Management since 2006, following prior roles at Hanvey Financial and Raymond James Financial Services. Honu Wealth Management serves individuals, including high-net-worth clients, as well as pension plans, trusts, charitable organizations, and business entities. The firm emphasizes low-cost, asset-allocation investment strategies grounded in academic research and offers discretionary portfolio management using equities, bonds, mutual funds, and ETFs, with potential use of margin, short sales, and option-writing.