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.

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.

Sam Bakou is a CFP® with 21 years of experience in the financial industry. He is the sole advisor at Sora Wealth, LLC, an independent firm he has led since 2021, having previously worked for 18 years at Vantage Financial Partners Limited. Sora Wealth, LLC provides personalized wealth management, financial planning, and discretionary portfolio management services to individuals, high-net-worth clients, trusts, estates, charitable organizations, and business entities. The firm uses a combination of fundamental and technical analysis to build individualized investment plans and employs a broad set of instruments and strategies, including options and alternative funds, while delegating day-to-day trading and operations to a sub-adviser.

Deidre Mcclurg is the sole advisor at Stoken Asset Management LLC, an independent firm based in Winnetka, IL. She holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and has 12 years of industry experience. Mcclurg has led Stoken Asset Management since its inception in 2013. Stoken Asset Management provides discretionary portfolio management and investment supervisory services primarily to individual and high-net-worth clients. The firm employs a combination of fundamental analysis, technical charting, and cyclical methods within a framework defined by written Investment Policy Statements.

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.

Abigail Hoon is a financial advisor at Phase III Advisory Services, LTD with two years of industry experience. She holds a Series 66 designation and has worked at multiple firms, including Osaic Wealth, Inc. and Matrix Design LLC. Outside of advising, she is also licensed as an insurance agent. Phase III Advisory Services serves individuals, trusts, estates, charitable organizations, and business entities by providing asset management, financial planning, and portfolio analysis. The firm employs a combination of model portfolios, direct securities, and derivative strategies, and utilizes multiple planning platforms to support its small advisory team.

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.

Felicia Omalley is a financial advisor at Eastgate Capital Advisors LLC with 25 years of industry experience. She holds Series 63 and Series 66 licenses and has worked at Eastgate since 2016 and previously at Charles Schwab from 2010 to 2016. Eastgate Capital Advisors is a fee-only multi-family office serving individuals, affluent families, retirement accounts, trusts, and other legal entities. The firm manages approximately $271 million across 55 client relationships, offering comprehensive wealth management including investment, financial, trust, and tax planning with customized portfolios and family office services.

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.

Philip Tetley is a financial advisor at Tetley Investments, LLC in Park Ridge, Illinois, with 23 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 66 designations and has been with Tetley Investments since 2012. Tetley Investments is an independent asset management and financial planning firm serving individuals, pension plans, corporations, charitable organizations, and trusts. The firm employs a disciplined, long-term investment process combining quantitative and fundamental research within a global asset-allocation framework.

Eduardo Caldera is a financial advisor at Retirement Systems LLC with under one year of industry experience. He previously worked with Foundations Investment Advisors LLC and Regency Capital, and has a background in mortgage banking. He is also involved in life insurance and annuity sales through Regency Capital. Retirement Systems LLC provides discretionary asset management and financial planning primarily to individual clients, offering tailored portfolios and 3(21) fiduciary services to qualified retirement plans. The firm employs a mix of fundamental, technical, and charting analysis with quarterly reviews and allows clients to set written investment restrictions.

Michael Walther is a CFP® and Series 65 credentialed advisor with 17 years of industry experience. He has been with Oak Wealth Advisors LLC since 2008. Oak Wealth Advisors provides discretionary investment management and financial planning primarily for individuals, families, trusts, estates, and certain employer retirement plans, focusing on individual and high-net-worth clients. The firm emphasizes broadly diversified, low-cost, tax-efficient portfolios constructed mainly with no-load mutual funds and ETFs, guided by client-specific Investment Policies and a passive management approach.

Joseph Lopresti is a financial advisor at Arlington Wealth Management with 41 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and has been with Arlington Capital Management, Inc. since 2000. Outside of advisory work, he is involved with the Investor Education Institute in an operational role and is a part-owner of Advanced Tax Reduction Group, as well as engaged with Arlington Business Advisors, a business brokerage. Arlington Wealth Management provides wealth management and discretionary investment management primarily to individual clients, including high-net-worth households, while also servicing trusts, retirement plans, and other entities. The firm employs a proprietary management system combining quantitative models and qualitative research to create tailored portfolio strategies, with an affiliation to the Investor Education Institute supporting its educational resources and client outreach.

Ann Davis is a Series 65-licensed financial advisor at Capital Management Consultants with 14 years of industry experience. She has been with the firm since 2011. Capital Management Consultants provides discretionary and non-discretionary investment management to individuals, retirement and profit-sharing plans, trusts, estates, corporations, and other entities, managing approximately $76 million across about 61 client relationships. The firm employs a blended investment approach that includes fundamental and technical analysis, utilizing strategic, tactical, and dynamic allocation strategies across various asset classes, with an emphasis on client risk profiles and market conditions.