Gergana Vasileva is an investment advisor representative at Journey Financial Group, Inc. with 12 years of industry experience. She holds Series 65 and Series 63 licenses and has been with Journey Financial Group since 2013. Additionally, she provides notary public services to clients at no charge. Journey Financial Group serves individual clients at various wealth levels, as well as pension and profit-sharing plans, charitable organizations, and businesses. The firm offers discretionary portfolio management, financial planning, and retirement plan consulting, using firm-developed model portfolios that range from conservative to aggressive risk profiles.

John Chapman is a financial advisor at Clearwater Capital Partners with 41 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and has been with Clearwater Capital Partners since 2006. Chapman is a partial owner of Clearwater Capital Insurance Services, LLC, which provides non-variable life, long-term care, and disability insurance sales, and he is also a business owner of Clearwater Capital Consulting, LLC, offering select tax services. Clearwater Capital Partners serves high-net-worth individuals, family offices, and institutional clients, providing family office and private wealth management, institutional advisory, retirement plan advisory, and wrap-fee investment programs. The firm manages most advisory accounts on a discretionary basis and incorporates fundamental, technical, quantitative, and thematic analysis in portfolio management.

Michael Heatwole is a CFP® with 13 years of industry experience, currently serving as an advisor at The Dala Group, LLC since 2018. He previously worked at Waddell & Reed, Inc for six years. Outside of his advisory role, he serves on the advisory board of The Salvation Army in Elgin, IL, and is vice-president of a local networking organization, BNI. The Dala Group serves individual and high-net-worth clients with portfolio management and financial consulting, including retirement, estate, tax, and charitable planning. The firm employs a mix of fundamental, quantitative, and qualitative analysis to develop diversified asset-allocation strategies using a variety of investment vehicles tailored to client objectives and risk tolerance.

Anna Thornburg is a Series 65-licensed financial advisor at Model Wealth, Inc. in Wheaton, IL, with four years of industry experience. Prior to joining Model Wealth in 2021, she worked at Covenant Classical School and Church of the Resurrection. Model Wealth, Inc. is a virtual, fee-only financial planning and wealth management firm serving individuals, families, estates, trusts, and small businesses. The firm uses a broadly passive investment approach with cost-effective, tax-aware implementation, combining robo-managed strategies, direct indexing, and discretionary portfolio management.

Scott Graziano is a financial advisor with Chicago Investment Advisory Council, Inc., holding a Series 65 credential and one year of industry experience. He has worked at J.W. Cole Advisors, Inc. and J.W. Cole Financial, Inc. Prior to his advisory roles, he has held various positions outside the financial industry. Chicago Investment Advisory Council, Inc. serves retail investors, including both non–high-net-worth and high-net-worth individuals, providing portfolio management, financial planning, and educational workshops. The firm uses proprietary model portfolios across a range of risk profiles and typically operates with discretionary trading authority.

Shawn Cook is a financial advisor with USAdvisors Wealth Management, LLC, holding a Series 66 license and bringing 12 years of industry experience. He has worked at multiple firms including Securities America, Inc. and Questar Asset Management. Outside of advisory work, he has served as past president and board member of the Park Ridge Chamber of Commerce and owns businesses in insurance and consulting. USAdvisors Wealth Management, LLC offers discretionary portfolio management and financial planning to individuals, trusts, charitable organizations, and businesses. The firm utilizes a combination of fundamental analysis, asset allocation, and model portfolios developed with third-party providers, managing accounts on a discretionary basis with regular suitability reviews.

Brent Fields is a CFP® professional with 28 years of experience in the financial services industry. He has been with Total Clarity Wealth Management, Inc. since 2007 and has also worked at LPL Financial and Cetera Wealth Services, LLC. Total Clarity Wealth Management is a multi-advisor firm that serves individuals, trusts, estates, charitable organizations, corporations, and employer 401(k) plan sponsors. The firm provides comprehensive financial planning and discretionary portfolio management using a variety of investment programs and asset types, with custody primarily through Schwab and LPL.

Lydia Newby is a CFP® with eight years of industry experience currently serving at Timothy Financial Counsel, Inc. She has been with the firm since 2017 and previously worked at Marsh USA Inc. from 2012 to 2017. Timothy Financial Counsel, Inc. is a fee-only, hourly financial planning firm that serves individuals, families, businesses, trusts, charities, and retirement plans. The firm emphasizes advisory and implementation coaching through a structured planning menu and prefers diversified investments such as no-load mutual funds and ETFs, operating without discretionary authority over client assets.

Robert Lyman is a financial advisor at Sequoia Wealth Management, LLC, with 42 years of industry experience. He holds the ChFC® designation and Series 63 and 65 licenses. Prior to joining Sequoia Wealth Management in 2014, he worked at LPL Financial LLC starting in 2009. He serves on the board of directors for Friends of Shalom for Uganda, a community and charitable organization. Sequoia Wealth Management provides asset management, financial planning, and retirement-plan consulting to individuals, trusts, estates, corporations, and employer retirement plans. The firm utilizes a combination of quantitative optimization, third-party research, and manager selection to tailor portfolios and offers both discretionary management and implementation of third-party strategist models.

Lavonte Jones is a financial advisor at SGL Financial, LLC with four years of industry experience. He holds the Series 65 and Series 63 registrations and has previously worked at J.P. Morgan Securities and Northwestern Mutual. SGL Financial, LLC is a fee-based investment adviser serving financially established individuals, high-net-worth clients, small businesses, and certain retirement and profit-sharing plans. The firm emphasizes broad diversification and long-term asset allocation, implementing portfolios primarily through third-party money managers and a sub-advisory relationship with Savant Capital.

Patrick Gierke is a financial advisor with Acrylic Financial, Inc. in Crystal Lake, IL, holding Series 63 and Series 65 credentials and bringing 33 years of industry experience. He has worked at Acrylic Financial since 2019 and previously at Brooklight Place Securities, Inc. and The Leaders Group Inc. Outside of his advisory role, Gierke owns Revolutionary Financial, a fixed insurance sales business. Acrylic Financial, Inc. provides portfolio management and financial planning services to individuals, including high-net-worth clients, other investment advisers, corporations, and pooled investment vehicles. The firm offers tailored investment programs combining asset-allocation frameworks with active momentum and technical analysis, and manages discretionary and non-discretionary accounts, including a private hedge fund.

John La Spisa is a CFP® professional at Vermillion Financial Advisors, Inc. with three years of industry experience. His background includes multiple roles at Vermillion Financial Advisors and academic positions at the University of Illinois Urbana/Champaign and the University of Nebraska–Lincoln. Vermillion Financial Advisors provides financial planning, investment advisory, and employer-sponsored retirement plan services to individuals, trusts, business entities, and pension/profit-sharing plans. The firm offers both stand-alone financial planning and ongoing advisory programs, utilizing model and customized portfolios with a non-discretionary approach to trade approvals and portfolio management.

James Bellinger is a financial advisor with RCM Wealth Advisors in Itasca, IL, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and bringing 23 years of industry experience. He has been with RCM Wealth Advisors since 2014 and also serves as president of Better Business Planning, Inc., an employee benefit sales firm he has been involved with since 1977. RCM Wealth Advisors is a multi-advisor SEC-registered firm managing approximately $324 million for about 530 clients. The firm serves individuals, pension and profit-sharing plans, and corporate clients, offering portfolio management and a range of Managed Asset Portfolios with an investment process supported by a weekly Investment Policy Committee.

Kathleen Panek Rickerson is a financial advisor with Total Clarity Wealth Management, Inc., holding a Series 66 designation and six years of industry experience. She has worked with Total Clarity Wealth Management and LPL Financial since 2018. Outside of financial advising, she has been involved with BabySnApps since 2013. Total Clarity Wealth Management is a multi-advisor wealth management and financial planning firm serving individuals, high-net-worth clients, trusts, estates, charitable organizations, and employer retirement plans. The firm offers discretionary portfolio management, financial and retirement planning, 401(k) advisory, and donor-advised fund services, utilizing a range of investment strategies from conservative wrap programs to more active approaches for qualified investors.

Terrence Cicero is a CFP® credentialed financial advisor with 18 years of industry experience. He has been with DHJJ Financial Advisors and DigioVine, Hnilo, Jordan & Johnson, Ltd. since 2007. DHJJ Financial Advisors is an SEC-registered firm managing approximately $543.5 million across eight advisors, serving both individual and high-net-worth clients with portfolio management, financial planning, and retirement plan services. The firm offers integrated tax preparation and accounting services through an affiliated CPA firm and typically manages accounts on a discretionary basis using a range of investment vehicles.

John Davis is a financial advisor with Chicago Investment Advisory Council, Inc., holding Series 63 and Series 65 credentials and 29 years of industry experience. He has been affiliated with both Chicago Investment Advisory Council and J.W. Cole Financial, Inc. since the late 1990s and early 2000s, respectively. Outside of his advisory work, he serves as a board member of the Sunset Harbour Yacht Club and is a racecar driving instructor at Blackhawk Farms Raceway. Chicago Investment Advisory Council, Inc. serves retail clients, including both non‑high-net-worth and high-net-worth individuals, providing portfolio management, financial planning, and educational workshops through a team of five advisors. The firm employs proprietary model portfolios with discretionary trading authority and manages approximately 1,100 client relationships.

Ronny Mark is a financial advisor with Chicago Investment Advisory Council, Inc., holding Series 65 and Series 63 licenses and bringing 13 years of industry experience. He has worked at Uhlmann Price Securities since 2013 and has been involved with Perpetual Wealth Capital Management, LLC since 2012, as well as the Price Group since 1994. Outside of his advisory roles, he serves as president of Price Futures Group, where he oversees all hedging activities. Chicago Investment Advisory Council, Inc. serves retail and high-net-worth investors through a five-advisor team, offering portfolio management via proprietary model portfolios and a range of financial planning and educational services.

Sean Poquette is a financial advisor with Leelyn Smith, LLC, holding a Series 66 designation and having two years of industry experience. He previously worked at The State Bank of Geneva for six years before joining Leelyn Smith and LPL Financial. Poquette is a licensed notary in Illinois. Leelyn Smith, LLC provides discretionary and non-discretionary investment advisory services to individuals, pension and profit-sharing plans, business entities, and trusts. The firm employs model-based and individualized allocations across a range of investment vehicles and utilizes multiple third-party platforms and technologies to support client portfolio management.

Vicente Ereneta is a Series 65-credentialed financial advisor with one year of industry experience. He is currently with Timothy Financial Counsel, Inc., where he has worked since 2023. His background includes roles in financial services at Allgood Financial - LPL Financial and Legacy Wealth Advisors - Raymond James, as well as experience in education and community organizations. Timothy Financial Counsel, Inc. is a fee-only, hourly financial planning firm serving individuals, families, businesses, trusts, charities, and retirement plans. The firm emphasizes advisory and implementation coaching through a time-based billing model, favoring diversified no-load mutual funds and ETFs with a focus on asset allocation and rebalancing rather than ongoing portfolio management.

Arthur Freedman is a financial advisor with Essex LLC, holding a Series 65 designation and 23 years of industry experience. He has been with Essex LLC since 2000. Essex LLC is a team-based registered investment adviser managing approximately $563 million for around 600 clients, including individuals, employer-sponsored retirement plans, pension and profit-sharing plans, trusts, and charitable organizations. The firm employs a model portfolio approach using equities, fixed income, ETFs, and investment company shares, informed by fundamental, technical, and sector analysis.