Conor Mahlmann is a CFP® certified financial advisor with eight years of industry experience. He is currently with Ascent Financial Planning and has prior experience at SLP Wealth LLC, Kippington Capital Management, and TD Ameritrade. Outside of traditional financial advising, he works as a Student Loan Consultant at Student Loan Planner®, where he conducts consultations and creates media content related to student loan repayment and forgiveness. Ascent Financial Planning provides financial planning and portfolio management services for individuals and families, emphasizing retirement planning, cash flow and budgeting, and federal student loan guidance. The firm employs a combination of quantitative and qualitative analysis with model ETF portfolios and selective individual securities, operates on a fee-only basis, and offers both fixed-fee and asset-based pricing options.

Scott Wentsel is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ with nine years of industry experience and the principal advisor at Wentsel Wealth Management, LLC. He has managed his independent advisory firm since 2016 and has been a professor at DePaul University since 2011. Outside of his advisory work, he serves as a trustee for an investment-related advisory firm. Wentsel Wealth Management provides investment management and financial planning to individuals, high-net-worth households, pension and profit-sharing plans, and charitable organizations. The firm uses a low-cost, globally diversified investment approach centered on asset allocation, combining index-oriented ETFs and mutual funds with selective active management and individual securities, and offers institutional services uncommon for a firm of its size.

James Krebec is a CFP® professional with 28 years of industry experience, currently serving as the sole advisor at CIC Investment Consultants, LLC since 2003. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and maintains an Arkansas insurance license, though he spends no meaningful time in the insurance business. CIC Investment Consultants provides investment management and financial planning services to individuals, pension and profit-sharing plans, charitable organizations, and corporate clients. The firm offers discretionary portfolio management, written financial plans, and advisory services on private securities and alternative investments, using a variety of analytical methods and strategies tailored to client goals and risk tolerance.

William Nedza is a CFP® professional with 34 years of industry experience, currently serving as the sole advisor at Ventoux Financial Advisors, LLC since 2018. His career includes leadership roles at Nedza Financial Advisors, LLC and Aos, Inc. Outside of advisory work, he holds active insurance licenses and engages in insurance sales. Ventoux Financial Advisors, LLC is an independent registered investment adviser that provides written financial planning and discretionary portfolio management to individuals, high-net-worth clients, trusts, estates, pension and profit-sharing plans, and other U.S. entities. The firm employs a combination of fundamental and technical analysis, risk management tools, and diversified investment strategies across various asset classes.

Thai Thomas Tran is a CFP® professional with seven years of experience in financial advisory roles. He is the sole advisor at Petrarch Wealth Management, an independent firm based in Chicago, IL. His prior experience includes multiple roles at Ameriprise Financial Services and ownership of Petrarch Insurance Services LLC, where he also provides online non-investment related financial education and consulting. Petrarch Wealth Management offers discretionary and non-discretionary asset management, financial planning, and retirement-plan consulting to individual and retirement plan clients. The firm emphasizes capital preservation and risk management through behavioral economics, goal-based planning, and strategic asset allocation.

Jennifer Sanchez is a CFP® professional with 18 years of industry experience and over 26 years as a self-employed advisor. She is principal of Integral Financial Planning LLC in Naperville, IL. In addition to financial advising, she provides personal income tax preparation services during the first four months of each year. Integral Financial Planning LLC serves individuals, including high-net-worth clients, as well as trusts and estates, offering personalized financial planning, comprehensive wealth management, and integrated income tax preparation. The firm focuses on mutual funds and exchange-traded funds, applies fundamental analysis and modern portfolio theory, and typically manages client accounts on a non-discretionary basis.

Nathaniel Tanney is a financial advisor at Convexity Investments LLC in Naperville, IL, holding a Series 65 designation with four years of industry experience. He has worked at Convexity Investments since 2021 and has been a commodities trader for a proprietary trading firm since 2009, a role from which he receives no commissions. Convexity Investments provides portfolio management and financial planning services to individual clients, including retail and high-net-worth households, managing approximately $2.7 million across a small client base. The firm employs both cyclical and quantitative analysis with a mix of long-term and short-term trading, primarily in equities and exchange-traded funds, and operates with discretionary trading authority on client accounts.

Kevin Yu is a CFP® and CFA® charterholder with 20 years of experience in financial advisory. He has led Yunistone Investment Group, LLC since its founding in 2009. The firm provides investment advisory and management services to high-net-worth individuals and institutional clients, focusing on long-term, globally diversified, and tax-efficient portfolios using a core-satellite approach that combines passive index and ETF exposures with actively managed funds.

Gerard Downey is a financial advisor at Linden Wealth Management LLC in Oak Park, IL, holding Series 63 and Series 65 credentials with 10 years of industry experience. He has worked at RBC Capital Markets since 2011, accumulating 15 years in the financial sector. Linden Wealth Management LLC is an independent, SEC-registered adviser serving individuals, high-net-worth clients, trusts, estates, charitable organizations, and small- to medium-sized businesses. The firm applies modern portfolio theory and quantitative analytics to construct diversified portfolios, emphasizes low-cost ETFs and mutual funds, and provides both discretionary and non-discretionary account management.

We guide First Gen Wealth Builders to align money with purpose. When you’re a First Gen, the financial safety net didn’t exist. You built your own. We partner with individuals, families, and entrepreneurs who’ve built success from the ground up. Does this sound like you? You’re ready for guidance that feels aligned, not intimidating. Advice that honors where you came from and helps you build what’s next. Hiring a financial planner? That’s new territory. No one in your family has done this before. Success has evolved. The questions are bigger now — more strategic, more intentional. -How do I balance saving and investing for my family with still having the freedom to travel, be present and enjoy life? -How do we protect what we’ve built, legally, financially, and emotionally, in a system that wasn’t built for us? -How do I make smarter decisions around taxes, equity comp, and investments, without second-guessing every move? Enter FirstGen Wealth: A Financial Life Planning Practice - Independent - Fee-Only (one flat fee for financial planning and Investment Management) -Fiduciary 100% of the time - Virtual - Based in Chicago and work with clients nationwide (most clients are in CA, NY, NJ, WA, VA, GA, and TX) Meet Valerie Rivera, CFP®, Founder & Financial Planner: -CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ professional with nearly 20 years of experience advising clients with $10–$20 million portfolios. Now using that same expertise to empower First Gen Wealth Builders. -Wife, mother, homeowner, and business owner bringing real-world perspective to every financial plan. - A proud First Gen who built her own financial safety net and reached Coast FI by 40. Passionate about tax planning, travel, and helping others design lives of freedom and purpose. Her six-year-old has already visited more than 15 countries, and I’m always planning the next four. -Culturally competent, inclusive, and a proud LGBTQ+ ally committed to financial equity and social justice.

Himanshu Patel is the sole advisor at Lakshmi Wealth Management LLC in Naperville, IL, holding a Series 65 designation with 11 years of industry experience. He has led Lakshmi Wealth Management since 2009. Outside of his advisory work, he provides occasional consulting on insurance carrier business through an expert network firm. Lakshmi Wealth Management serves individual investors and trusts, offering personalized financial planning and discretionary portfolio management. The firm employs actively managed, customized portfolios and uses a range of instruments, including options and derivatives, to manage risk and pursue returns.

Sam Macaluso is the founder and principal of Ripple Ridge Enterprises LLC, an independent advisory firm. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and has 14 years of industry experience. In addition to his advisory work, he operates an independent insurance agency and a CPA firm, SAM D. Macaluso & Associates, which provides accounting and tax-preparation services. Ripple Ridge Enterprises serves individual and high-net-worth clients with financial planning, portfolio management, and retirement plan consulting. The firm employs an asset-allocation approach and utilizes a range of investments, including mutual funds, ETFs, private placements, and non-traded real estate investment trusts.

Edwin Cogan is a financial advisor at Steeplechase Investments with 28 years of industry experience. He has been with Steeplechase Investments since 1994. Steeplechase Investments provides discretionary portfolio management primarily to individual clients, focusing on direct investments in stocks, bonds, and exchange-traded funds. The firm employs an active, tactical approach that adjusts between capital appreciation and preservation based on macroeconomic analysis and technical chart patterns, tailoring portfolios to clients’ age and income needs.

Angela Major Hart is a CFP® professional with four years of industry experience, currently serving as the principal advisor at Veridian Private Wealth Management. She has held previous roles at Byline Bank, Northern Trust Securities, Northern Trust Bank, and First Midwest Bank. Ms. Hart is also a licensed attorney and an active member of the Illinois Bar. Veridian Private Wealth Management offers discretionary investment management and qualified retirement plan consulting to high-net-worth individuals, families, trusts, estates, businesses, charities, and employee benefit plans. The firm employs a strategic asset allocation framework with a proprietary methodology emphasizing diversification and provides ERISA fiduciary services uncommon among independent advisors.

William Alt is a Series 65-licensed advisor with MWS Capital Consultants LLC in Chicago, IL, where he has worked since 2020. He has six years of industry experience and previously held roles at UW-Madison and the Camp Randall Rowing Club. He also has 25 years of experience working in public schools. MWS Capital Consultants LLC manages approximately $194 million for individuals, high-net-worth clients, trusts, and corporate retirement plans. The firm employs a Classic Portfolio Management strategy focused on long-term ownership of equities and fixed income, using fundamental and technical analysis without automated or algorithmic approaches.

Frances Tuite is a CFA® charterholder with 11 years of industry experience. She is currently with Sankota Capital LLC and has previously worked at Oak Family Advisors, Fairpointe Capital, and Rmb Capital Management. Outside of her advisory role, she co-manages an organic brewery and restaurant and owns an organic farm. Sankota Capital provides discretionary investment management to individuals, family offices, institutions, and corporations. The firm focuses on fundamentally driven investments in small- and mid-cap companies, typically maintaining concentrated portfolios managed with a long-term horizon and low turnover.

Thomas Ahlbeck is a financial advisor at Ahlbeck Financial with 23 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and has previously worked at Cetera Financial Specialists LLC and Cetera Investment Advisers LLC. Outside of his advisory role, he manages and owns commercial and residential real estate properties with family members and serves as the treasurer for Maine Township School. Ahlbeck Financial provides portfolio management primarily to individual and high-net-worth clients, tailoring investment strategies to clients' goals and risk tolerance. The firm employs fundamental analysis, modern portfolio theory, and technical analysis, offering discretionary management across various asset classes with regular account reviews.

Bronwyn Mirretti is a CFP® professional with 25 years of industry experience, currently serving at Mirretti Perryman Wealth Strategies, LLC. She has worked with the firm and its predecessors since 2016 and is also an independent insurance agent. Bronwyn serves as a school board member, a role she has held since 2018. Mirretti Perryman Wealth Strategies, LLC provides discretionary portfolio management, financial planning, and retirement plan services to individuals, trusts, and retirement plans, including high-net-worth clients. The firm builds customized, risk-based, and tax-aware portfolios using modern portfolio theory and quantitative methods, supplementing in-house advice with third-party managers and operating as a wrap fee program sponsor.

Beth Smyth is a financial advisor at MWS Capital Consultants LLC in Chicago, holding a Series 65 designation. She began her career at MWS Capital Consultants in 2024 following a year at DePaul University. MWS Capital Consultants LLC provides personalized investment management, wealth-planning, and consulting services to individuals, high-net-worth clients, trusts, pension and profit-sharing plans, and corporate clients. The firm’s Classic Portfolio Management strategy focuses on direct ownership of equities, fixed income, and funds with an emphasis on long-term economic returns, using fundamental, technical, and cyclical analysis rather than automated systems.

James Jacobson is a financial advisor at Capital Ideas in Naperville, IL, with 14 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 66 licenses and has previously worked at JP Morgan Securities and RiverNorth Capital Management. Outside of his advisory work, he is involved with a franchised bakery and acts as a partner in a business consulting firm. Capital Ideas serves a range of clients including individuals, families, and charitable organizations, managing approximately $336 million in assets through a team-based approach that uses fundamental and technical analysis, proprietary models, and outside research.