Eric Mesko is a financial advisor with VestGen Advisors, LLC, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and bringing 22 years of industry experience. His prior roles include positions at Triad Advisors, LPL Financial, and Waddell & Reed. He serves on the board of Bartlett Learning Centers, a school for children with mental challenges. VestGen Advisors, LLC is a multi-team registered investment adviser managing approximately $3.47 billion for over 9,400 clients. The firm serves individual and high-net-worth clients, offering discretionary and non-discretionary investment management, financial planning, and retirement plan services, utilizing a blend of analytical approaches and third-party managers.

Stanley Nieminski is a financial advisor at Fortis Capital Advisors, LLC with 35 years of industry experience. He holds the CFP® and PFS™ designations and has worked at firms including Clearpath Financial LLC and Cetera. In addition to his advisory role, he is president of a mortgage brokerage and provides tax and accounting services through his CPA firm. Fortis Capital Advisors offers investment advisory and financial planning services to individuals, trusts, businesses, and institutional clients. The firm focuses on customized portfolio construction and ongoing monitoring, employing a range of strategies including passive, active, tactical, blended, and ESG-integrated approaches.

Robert Yarosz is a ChFC® credentialed financial advisor with 36 years of industry experience, currently affiliated with World Equity Group, Inc. since 1997. Prior to and alongside his tenure at World Equity Group, he has also worked with World Lending Group and the Connecticut General Life Insurance Company. Outside of his advisory roles, he is involved in occasional sales of long-term care and life insurance products. World Equity Group, Inc. provides fee-based investment advisory and financial planning services to a wide range of clients, including individuals, high-net-worth clients, and various institutional entities. The firm offers managed portfolios primarily through its wrap-fee program, combining discretionary portfolio management, financial planning, and third-party money managers to implement asset allocation and investment strategies.

Karoline O'Connor is a financial advisor with Gladstone Wealth Partners in Schaumburg, IL, holding Series 63 and Series 65 credentials and nearly three decades of industry experience. Her prior roles include 14 years at UBS Financial Services and five years at LPL Financial. Gladstone Wealth Partners serves individuals, corporations, pension and profit-sharing plans, and charitable organizations through a network of nearly 100 investment adviser representatives. The firm offers a range of investment approaches and is notable for its integration of retirement plan services and institutional manager relationships.

Bryan Dern is a Series 65 licensed advisor at Savvy with one year of industry experience. His background includes roles at Maia Wealth, Mana Financial Group, Tosaf, Inc., and prior positions in various non-financial firms. Savvy provides investment and financial planning services to individuals, trusts, estates, businesses, ERISA plan sponsors, and charitable organizations. The firm customizes investment plans based on client objectives and uses a primarily index-based, long-term approach complemented by active equity portfolios and tax-aware direct indexing.

David Millington is a financial advisor with Gladstone Wealth Partners in Schaumburg, IL, holding the CFP® designation and Series 63 and 65 licenses. He has 26 years of industry experience, including 14 years at UBS Financial Services and five years at LPL Financial. Outside his advisory roles, he is involved with Jigsaw National LLC, a non-investment related business entity. Gladstone Wealth Partners serves individuals, corporations, pension and profit-sharing plans, and charitable organizations through a network of nearly 100 advisors. The firm offers discretionary portfolio management, financial planning, and retirement plan consulting, with investment approaches ranging from individual securities to tax-managed strategies and alternative investments.

Prakash Moktan is a financial advisor with World Equity Group, Inc. in Schaumburg, IL, holding Series 63 and Series 65 credentials and bringing 24 years of industry experience. He has been with World Equity Group since 2006. Outside of his advisory role, he owns and services a term life insurance business. World Equity Group, Inc. provides fee-based investment advisory and financial planning services to a diverse client base, including high-net-worth individuals, retirement plans, and charitable organizations. The firm offers managed portfolios through wrap-fee programs, combining discretionary portfolio management, financial planning, and access to third-party money managers.

John Wyngaard is a financial advisor with CL Wealth Management LLC in Madison, WI, holding Series 63 and Series 65 designations and with 29 years of industry experience. He has worked at CL Wealth Management since 2011 and has been with Cabot Lodge Securities LLC since 2013. Outside of advisory work, he is involved in independent insurance sales through his own business, Bridgepoint Investments LLC. CL Wealth Management LLC is an SEC-registered multi-advisor firm serving individuals, pension and profit-sharing plans, trusts, estates, charitable organizations, and business entities. The firm provides portfolio advisory services, financial planning, consulting, and client education, using a combination of fundamental and technical analysis tailored to each client’s objectives and risk tolerance.

Christopher Sagan is a CFP® professional with 13 years of industry experience. He is affiliated with Gladstone Wealth Partners in Schaumburg, IL, where he has worked since 2021. His prior experience includes positions at UBS Financial Services. Gladstone Wealth Partners serves individuals, corporations, pension and profit-sharing plans, and charitable organizations through a network of nearly 100 advisors. The firm offers discretionary portfolio management, financial planning, retirement plan consulting, and access to various investment programs, with investment approaches tailored at the advisor level.

Brian Lee is a financial advisor with First Advisors National, LLC, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and bringing 20 years of industry experience. His prior roles include positions at W&S Brokerage Services, Western & Southern Life, and The Prudential Insurance Company of America. Lee is also a full-time sales agent at Western & Southern Life. First Advisors National manages discretionary assets for individual and high-net-worth clients, offering investment management, third-party portfolio recommendations, and retirement plan consulting. The firm’s investment process emphasizes selecting and monitoring third-party money managers, with supplemental recommendations of individual securities based on fundamental analysis.

Ian Morrison is a financial advisor with OneAscent Financial Services LLC, holding a Series 66 designation and four years of industry experience. His prior work includes roles at Purshe Kaplan Sterling, Securities America Advisors, and Securities America, Inc. Outside of finance, he worked for Conscious Cup Coffee Roasters. OneAscent Financial Services LLC is a multi-team registered investment adviser serving individuals, retirement plans, trusts, broker/dealer customers, and institutions. The firm provides discretionary and non-discretionary asset management, financial planning, and consulting services, utilizing individualized asset-allocation approaches and various model-based platforms.

John Stitt Jr. is a financial advisor at World Equity Group, Inc. with 34 years of industry experience. He holds a Series 63 designation and has been with World Equity Group since 2002. In addition to his advisory work, he operates an independent insurance agency focused on business group health, dental, life, long-term care, and disability insurance. World Equity Group, Inc. provides fee-based investment advisory and financial planning services to a range of clients including individuals, pension plans, trusts, and corporations. The firm offers managed portfolios primarily through its wrap-fee program, combining discretionary portfolio management, financial planning, and third-party money managers.

Shaun Eck is a financial advisor at Realta Investment Advisors, Inc. with 17 years of industry experience. He holds a Series 66 designation and has worked at firms including Kestra Private Wealth Services, Bank of America, Merrill, and Cetera Investment Services. Outside of his advisory role, he is the owner of Quantas Group, LLC, which provides marketing and advisory services related to tax benefits through life insurance products. Realta Investment Advisors offers discretionary and non-discretionary investment advisory services and financial planning to individuals, pension and profit-sharing plans, and various institutional clients. The firm employs a comprehensive investment approach utilizing asset allocation across multiple asset classes and provides services such as portfolio management, retirement plan consulting, and estate planning.

Dar Baruchim is a financial advisor at Mariner Independent with Series 63 and 65 licenses and one year of industry experience. His prior work history includes roles at Northwestern Mutual Investment Services LLC, Kadima Wealth, and OurCrowd. Mariner Independent serves individuals, high-net-worth clients, and various institutional entities by providing financial planning, portfolio management, retirement plan consulting, tax support, insurance solutions, and access to alternative investments. The firm leverages affiliated businesses and a broad range of investment tools to deliver integrated financial services.

Teresa Young is a financial advisor with First Advisors National, LLC, holding Series 63, 65, and 66 licenses and bringing 18 years of industry experience. Her prior roles include positions at W&S Brokerage Services, Western Southern Life, Alliant Credit Union, and LPL Financial. She volunteers as a tax preparer and quality examiner for Ladder Up in Chicago, assisting low-wage earning families with pro bono tax preparation. First Advisors National manages discretionary assets for individual and high-net-worth clients, offering investment management, third-party portfolio recommendations, and retirement plan consulting. The firm emphasizes manager selection and tactical allocation, utilizing fundamental analysis and formal annual reviews to guide its investment process.

Mark Morrison is a CFP® with 34 years of industry experience, currently affiliated with OneAscent Financial Services LLC. He has previously worked at Securities America Advisors, Inc. and The Cornerstone Financial Group Inc. among others. He also serves as an elder at The Arising Church in Crystal Lake, where he is involved in counseling and preaching. OneAscent Financial Services LLC is a multi-team registered investment adviser serving individuals, retirement plans, trusts, broker/dealer customers, and institutions. The firm provides asset management, financial planning, and consulting services using individualized asset allocation and model-based platforms, and offers specialized services including tax-overlay options and outsourced CIO and CCO support.

Caleb Thomas is a CFP®-certified financial advisor with six years of industry experience. He is currently with OneAscent Financial Services LLC and previously worked at J.P. Morgan Securities, LLC and JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A. Caleb also has experience assisting with financial planning and administrative tasks within his firm. OneAscent Financial Services LLC is a multi-team registered investment adviser serving individuals, retirement plans, trusts, and institutions through multiple advisory teams. The firm utilizes individualized asset-allocation strategies and offers a range of services including discretionary and non-discretionary asset management, financial planning, Unified Managed Account solutions, and outsourced chief investment and compliance officer services.

David Settelmyer is a CFP® professional with 31 years of industry experience. He has been with Latitude Advisors, LLC since 2009 and also operates Settelmyer Financial, where he works as a licensed insurance agent specializing in life, health, long-term care, and annuity insurance. He has held roles at GWN Securities, Inc. and the National Senior Advisory Council since 2001. Latitude Advisors serves individual and business clients, providing financial planning, discretionary portfolio management, third-party manager selection, and pension consulting. The firm employs a combination of model-based strategies and fundamental/quantitative analysis, managing most client relationships on a discretionary basis.

Michael Stewart is a financial advisor at Sound Income Strategies, LLC with 19 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63, 66, and 65 designations and has been with Sound Income Strategies since 2015. Prior to this, he was involved with Grayslake Business Partnership LLC and has owned Crystal Lake Tax & Financial since 2008, where he provides fixed and indexed annuities, insurance products, and tax preparation services. Sound Income Strategies serves a diverse client base including individuals, corporations, pension plans, and other advisors, offering asset management, financial planning, ERISA plan services, and insurance planning. The firm emphasizes fixed-income and income-oriented strategies with active portfolio management and allocates assets to third-party managers and ETFs when appropriate.

Kathryn Edwards is a CFP® with 17 years of industry experience, currently serving at Plante Moran Financial Advisors. She is also a partner at P&M Holding Group, LLP. Edwards has a long tenure at Plante Moran Financial Advisors, spanning from 2008 to the present. Plante Moran Financial Advisors provides investment advisory, financial planning, and estate planning services to a diverse client base, including individuals, institutions, and charitable organizations. The firm employs a range of analytical approaches and manages a notable mix of discretionary and non-discretionary assets, supported by affiliations within the Plante Moran enterprise that enable integrated financial services.