Charles Hartman is a financial advisor with Leelyn Smith, LLC in Geneva, Illinois, holding Series 63 and Series 65 credentials and bringing 29 years of industry experience. His prior work includes roles at LPL Financial LLC and National Planning Corporation. Hartman is also involved in providing investment advisory services through independent firms such as The Retirement Network and Leelyn Smith, LLC. Leelyn Smith, LLC serves individual clients, pension and profit-sharing plans, corporations, business entities, and trusts, offering portfolio management, financial planning, and retirement plan consulting. The firm employs a diversified investment approach using equities, fixed income, mutual funds, ETFs, and model portfolios, supplemented by various technology platforms and service providers.

Alan Krause is a financial advisor at Clearwater Capital Partners with 17 years of industry experience. He holds a Series 65 designation and has worked at Clearwater Capital Partners since 2008. Krause also serves as Chief Operations Officer at Shodeen Group, a real estate development company, and is a director at Porte Brown, a certified public accounting firm. Clearwater Capital Partners advises high-net-worth individuals, family offices, and institutional clients, providing services including private wealth management, institutional advisory, and retirement plan strategies. The firm manages portfolios based on written Investment Policy Statements and employs a range of analytical approaches, with access to alternative investments and private placements.

James Chapman is a financial advisor at Clearwater Capital Partners with 12 years of industry experience. He holds a Series 65 designation and has been with Clearwater in various capacities since 2016. In addition to his advisory role, he is involved in the sale of life and long-term care insurance as part of a comprehensive financial plan. Clearwater Capital Partners provides family office services, private wealth management, institutional advisory, and retirement plan advising. The firm serves individual, high-net-worth, and several institutional clients, employing a range of investment strategies including asset allocation, fundamental and quantitative analysis, options strategies, and thematic exploration.

James Hartwell is a Series 65-licensed financial advisor with Essex LLC in Deer Park, Illinois, where he has worked since 1997. He has 25 years of experience in the industry and is part of a seven-advisor team. Essex LLC is a team-based registered investment adviser managing approximately $563 million for around 600 clients, including individuals, employer-sponsored retirement plans, trusts, and charitable organizations. The firm offers discretionary and non-discretionary portfolio management and financial planning, utilizing model portfolios with a mix of equities, fixed income, ETFs, and investment company shares informed by fundamental, technical, and sector analysis.

Vanessa Croessmann is a financial advisor at Total Clarity Wealth Management, Inc. with three years of industry experience. She holds a Series 65 designation and has worked as a financial planner with Wall Street Financial Advisors and as an independent licensed insurance agent. Total Clarity Wealth Management is a multi-advisor firm serving individual and 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 utilizes a range of investment strategies including model portfolios, third-party separately managed accounts, and an actively traded strategy for qualified investors.

Jacob Clark is a financial advisor at Clearwater Capital Partners with two years of industry experience. He holds a Series 65 designation and has previously worked at Tesla Inc and Federated Bank. Clearwater Capital Partners provides family office services, private wealth management, institutional advisory, and retirement plan advising. The firm serves individual, high-net-worth, and institutional clients, employing a range of investment strategies including asset allocation, fundamental and quantitative analysis, and options strategies.

Tyler Beachler is a CFA® charterholder with 14 years of industry experience. He is currently with Clearwater Capital Partners in Hoffman Estates, IL, where he has worked since 2012, including prior tenure at LPL Financial. Clearwater Capital Partners provides family office services, private wealth management, institutional advisory, and retirement plan advising. The firm serves a diverse client base that includes high-net-worth individuals as well as institutional clients such as sovereign wealth funds and government entities, utilizing a range of portfolio management strategies and offering specialized services like thematic investment approaches and participant education for retirement plans.

Edward Smith is a financial advisor with Vertex Partners in Downers Grove, IL, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and four years of industry experience. He has held roles at Vertex Planning Partners, LPL Financial, TPOD, and other organizations. Outside of his financial advisory work, Smith serves as the head rugby coach for the Chicago Blaze Rugby Club. Vertex Partners provides advisory services to individuals, trusts, estates, retirement plans, and various entities through financial planning, investment and wealth management, and consulting. The firm uses a combination of active and passive strategies focused on asset allocation, diversification, and behavioral finance, and has affiliations with accounting and manager platforms to support integrated client solutions.

Linette Mejia is a financial advisor at The Dala Group, LLC with a Series 65 designation and one year of industry experience. Prior to joining The Dala Group, she worked at the Illinois Department of Human Services for six years and held positions at Legal Aid Chicago for three years. The Dala Group, LLC provides portfolio management, financial planning, and consulting services to individuals, including high-net-worth clients, and business entities. The firm employs multi-disciplinary analysis and asset-allocation strategies to manage client accounts, offering both discretionary and non-discretionary mandates through a wrap fee program model.

John Mchenney is a CFA® charterholder with eight years of experience in the financial services industry. He is currently with Timothy Financial Counsel, Inc., where he has worked since 2023. His prior experience includes roles at First Trust Advisors L.P., Fidelity Investments, LLC, and The Vanguard Group, Inc. Timothy Financial Counsel, Inc. is a fee-only financial planning firm that provides hourly, project-based advice to individuals, families, businesses, trusts, charities, and retirement plans. The firm emphasizes diversified investment exposure using mutual funds and ETFs, asset allocation, and periodic rebalancing, focusing on advisory and implementation coaching rather than ongoing portfolio management.

Katherine Byrne is a CFP® professional with 10 years of industry experience. She has been with DHJJ Financial Advisors, a firm based in Geneva, IL, since 2014. DHJJ Financial Advisors is an SEC-registered firm managing approximately $543.5 million and serves individual and high-net-worth clients. The firm provides portfolio management, financial planning, and retirement plan services, and offers access to tax preparation and accounting through an affiliated CPA firm.

Brendan Krahl is a financial advisor with Total Clarity Wealth Management, Inc. in St. Charles, IL, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and having 10 years of industry experience. He previously worked at LPL Financial, LLC and Capital Point Financial Group, Ltd. Brendan is also involved as an investor in a tax preparation and accounting firm. Total Clarity Wealth Management is a multi-advisor firm serving individual and high-net-worth clients, as well as 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, employing a range of investment strategies from conservative wrap programs to more active approaches for sophisticated investors.

Aaron Deeke is a CFP® with four years of industry experience, currently working at Timothy Financial Counsel, Inc. since 2021. Prior to joining Timothy Financial Counsel, he held roles at CME Group, Allstate Insurance, and State Farm Insurance. Timothy Financial Counsel, Inc. is a fee-only, hourly financial planning firm serving individuals, families, businesses, trusts, charities, and retirement plans. The firm offers project-based advice on a wide range of financial topics and emphasizes diversified investment exposure through no-load mutual funds and ETFs while focusing on advisory and implementation coaching rather than ongoing portfolio management.

Michael Bellis is a CFP® professional with over 32 years of experience in the financial services industry. He is currently affiliated with Vertex Partners and has previously worked with Highpoint Advisor Group and LPL Financial. Bellis also has involvement in an accounting and tax preparation partnership, Vertex Accounting Partners, LLC. Vertex Partners provides advisory services to individuals, trusts, estates, charitable organizations, corporations, and retirement plans. The firm tailors portfolios based on clients’ risk tolerance, time horizon, and liquidity needs, using a diversified approach that includes proprietary model portfolios, mutual funds, ETFs, individual securities, and third-party program platforms.

Daniel Leitner is a Series 65-licensed financial advisor with Hendricks Wealth and Estate Management in Algonquin, IL, with one year of industry experience. Prior to joining Hendricks, he held roles at Commerce Partners, LLC, Miller Commons, LLC, Rose Plaza Partners, Haill 911, Uline, and the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Outside of his advisory work, Leitner is involved as a member or manager in several real estate and agriculture-related ventures, including a precision spray agriculture technology company. Hendricks Wealth and Estate Management serves individuals, trusts, retirement plans, and business entities, providing portfolio management, financial planning, and retirement consulting. The team manages assets across a diversified range of investments utilizing a multi-asset allocation approach grounded in fundamental, technical, and cyclical analysis.

Tammy Billadeau is a CFP® professional with 15 years of industry experience, currently serving at Vertex Partners. Her prior experience includes roles at LPL Financial, LLC and Churchill Management Group. She also provides administrative support to Vertex Partners. Vertex Partners offers advisory services to individuals, trusts, estates, charitable organizations, corporations, and retirement plans. The firm emphasizes tailored portfolios based on risk tolerance, time horizon, and liquidity needs, utilizing a variety of investment strategies and platforms.

John Dorn is a financial advisor with Leelyn Smith, LLC in Geneva, IL, holding Series 63 and Series 65 credentials and having 21 years of industry experience. His prior career includes roles at National Planning Corporation and LPL Financial. 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 asset allocations across various investment vehicles and utilizes multiple third-party technology platforms and service providers, distinguishing itself through its affiliation with an accounting practice and the incorporation of structured notes and AI tools in its processes.

Hunter Sims is a financial advisor at Clearwater Capital Partners with five years of industry experience. He holds a Series 65 designation and has held roles at the University of Cambridge Cambridge Centre for Alternative Finance since 2019, where he serves as Associate Director of Business & Operations. He is also involved with Financial Innovation Commons Ltd. and Regulatory Genome Development Ltd., which focus on financial technology and regulatory applications. Clearwater Capital Partners serves high-net-worth individuals, family offices, and institutional clients, offering services including private wealth and family office management, institutional advisory, and retirement plan strategies. The firm emphasizes portfolio construction based on written Investment Policy Statements and uses a combination of fundamental, technical, quantitative, and thematic analysis.

Steven Franzen is a financial advisor at Vertex Partners with 25 years of industry experience. He holds the PFS™ designation and Series 66 license. Franzen has held roles at LPL Financial since 2009 and operates his own CPA firm, Steven P. Franzen, CPA, PC, providing tax preparation and accounting services. He also acts as a trustee for family trusts. Vertex Partners serves individuals, trusts, estates, charitable organizations, corporations, and retirement plans, offering financial planning, investment management, and retirement consulting. The firm customizes portfolios based on clients’ risk tolerance and goals, utilizing a range of investment vehicles and third-party platforms, and maintains an affiliation with an accounting firm that provides additional tax and consulting services.

Ryan Kahlenberg is a financial advisor with Leelyn Smith, LLC, holding Series 63 and Series 66 licenses and 14 years of industry experience. He has worked at LPL Financial since 2022 and was previously with Kahlenberg Wealth Partners/Berthel Fisher & Co. and Dunham & Associates Investment Counsel, Inc. Since 2022, he provides investment advisory services through Leelyn Smith, LLC. Leelyn Smith, LLC serves a diverse client base including individuals, pension and profit-sharing plans, corporations, and trusts. The firm offers portfolio management, financial planning, and retirement plan consulting, utilizing multiple technology platforms and investment strategies that include equities, fixed income, mutual funds, ETFs, and private investment funds for qualified clients.