Nickolas Brait is a CFP® professional with 44 years of industry experience, currently serving at SAGE Private Wealth Group, LLC. He has held roles at the firm since 2013 and has been involved with Raymond James Financial since 1999. Outside of his advisory work, he coaches financial advisors on business development through the Oechsli Institute. SAGE Private Wealth Group is an SEC-registered advisory firm that serves individuals, including high-net-worth clients, retirement plans, trusts, estates, and business entities. The firm offers wealth management and discretionary portfolio management with a client-specific process that includes goal setting, risk assessment, and tailored asset allocation using a variety of investment vehicles and analytical approaches.

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.

Ma Navarro is a CFP® professional with Capstone Financial Advisors Inc in Downers Grove, IL. Navarro joined the firm in 2023 and has prior experience in education and instructional computing services. Capstone Financial Advisors serves individuals, pension plans, trusts, charitable organizations, and corporate clients, offering portfolio management and financial planning with an emphasis on asset allocation, cost control, and tax positioning. The firm manages approximately $2.44 billion in client assets and provides access to private fund investments and in-house tax services.

Michael Russo is a financial advisor with Chicago Investment Advisory Group, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and 32 years of industry experience. He has been with the firm since 2006 and serves as president of its independent insurance sales division. Chicago Investment Advisory Group offers discretionary portfolio management and pension consulting to individuals, high-net-worth investors, trusts, estates, corporations, and employer retirement plans. The firm utilizes diversified, asset-allocation driven portfolios informed by fundamental, technical, and cyclical analysis, employing both long-term and active trading strategies tailored to client suitability.

Robert Kuhn is a partner at Kuhn Capital Partners with 26 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63, 65, and 66 licenses and has previously worked at Epus Global Energy, LLC. In addition to his advisory role, Kuhn operates as an independent insurance agent and is involved in managing several investment-related businesses and private funds. Kuhn Capital Partners serves individual and high-net-worth clients as well as pooled investment vehicles, providing discretionary asset management, financial planning, retirement rollover advice, and access to third-party managed solutions. The firm constructs portfolios based on client objectives, risk tolerance, and time horizon, employing fundamental and technical analysis and offering alternative investments and private funds for qualified clients.

Jeffrey Gritis is a CFP® with 22 years of industry experience, currently serving at Bentley Financial Group since 2014. He has also worked with LPL Financial and Waterstone Financial Group, and operates Gritis & Associates, where he provides tax preparation services. Bentley Financial Group offers investment advisory and financial planning services to a wide range of clients, including individuals, pension plans, trusts, and charitable organizations. The firm employs fundamental analysis and third-party independent managers, providing both asset management and retirement-plan advisory services while managing approximately $393 million in discretionary client assets.

Robert Borchardt is a financial advisor with SAGE Private Wealth Group, LLC, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and bringing 35 years of industry experience. He has worked at Raymond James Financial and Raymond James Financial Services, Inc. for over two decades before joining SAGE Private Wealth Group in 2016. SAGE Private Wealth Group is an SEC-registered advisory firm that serves individuals—including high-net-worth clients—as well as retirement plans, trusts, estates, and business entities. The firm offers wealth management and discretionary portfolio management using a client-specific process that includes asset allocation, rebalancing, and a range of investment strategies, alongside services such as donor-advised fund advice, retirement-plan fiduciary support, and coordinated family office solutions.

Kevin Hawley is a CFP® and holds a Series 66 license with 15 years of industry experience. He has been with Navalign, LLC since 2018 and previously worked at Carter Jacobs, LLC and Avondale Asset Management. Navalign, LLC provides discretionary asset management, financial planning, and pension consulting services to individuals, trusts, estates, retirement plans, and business entities. The firm manages approximately $655.6 million for about 677 clients and employs a mix of fundamental analysis, long-term and short-term strategies, and the use of borrowing and derivatives within separately managed accounts.

Robert Byrns is a CFP®-certified financial advisor with Strategic Investment Solutions, Inc. in Orland Park, IL, bringing 36 years of industry experience. He has worked at Forum Financial Management, LPL Financial, and Purshe Kaplan Sterling Investments. In addition to his advisory role, Byrns provides tax preparation and accounting services. Strategic Investment Solutions is an SEC-registered multi-advisor firm offering discretionary portfolio management and model-portfolio services to individuals, pension plans, trusts, and estates. The firm employs a hybrid passive investment approach focused on asset allocation and uses diversified portfolios primarily constructed with institutional funds from Dimensional Fund Advisors.

Thomas Broderick is a financial advisor at Signature Financial Services, Ltd with 26 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 registrations and has worked at Signature Financial Services and First Heartland Capital since 2000 and 2001, respectively. Outside of finance, he is a minority investor and silent partner in a bar and event space. Signature Financial Services, Ltd provides portfolio management and financial planning to individual clients, pension and profit-sharing plans, trusts, estates, and business entities. The firm employs a modern portfolio theory-based investment approach using mutual funds, ETFs, and third-party asset allocation strategies, offering services on both discretionary and non-discretionary bases.

Michal Gicala is a CFP® professional at Capstone Financial Advisors Inc with six years of experience, including prior work at Ikenberry Dining Services and a background in full-time education. Based in Downers Grove, IL, Michal has been with Capstone since 2020. Capstone Financial Advisors serves individuals, pension and profit-sharing plans, trusts, charitable organizations, and corporate clients. The firm offers portfolio management and financial planning with an investment approach focused on asset-class allocation, cost control, and tax positioning, managing approximately $2.44 billion in client assets across a multi-advisor team.

James Longo Jr. is a CFP® and PFS™ credentialed financial advisor with 23 years of industry experience. He is currently with Cora Capital Advisors, where he has worked since 2025, following a long tenure at Osaic FA, Inc. In addition to his advisory role, Longo is involved in insurance sales and is the president of Paramount Wealth Advisors, a consulting company. Cora Capital Advisors is an SEC-registered fiduciary managing approximately $587 million for individuals, high-net-worth clients, trusts, estates, and businesses. The firm offers wealth management, discretionary portfolio management, financial planning, and retirement plan advisory services, employing a long-term, fundamental investment approach tailored to client goals and risk tolerance.

Richard Chew is a financial advisor with Polaris Wealth Management, LLC, holding a Series 65 license and five years of industry experience. He has worked at Polaris Wealth Management since 2021 and also runs 1st Capital Insurance Group, where he sells life insurance and annuities. Outside of his advisory role, Chew hosts a public-access radio talk show on WCPT AM-820. Polaris Wealth Management provides advisory services to individual investors and retirement plan clients, offering portfolio management, financial planning, and pension consulting. The firm applies modern portfolio theory to tailor investment strategies and conducts educational seminars for retirement-plan clients at no charge.

Joshua Youel is a financial advisor at SAGE Private Wealth Group, LLC with 13 years of industry experience. He holds Series 65 and Series 63 licenses and has worked previously at Brighthouse Financial, Motorola Solutions, and LaSalle Investment Management. SAGE Private Wealth Group is an SEC-registered advisory firm serving individuals, retirement plans, trusts, estates, and business entities. The firm offers wealth management and discretionary portfolio management with a client-specific process tailored by financial goals and risk tolerance, utilizing a variety of investment vehicles and ongoing portfolio monitoring.

Peter Recchia is a financial advisor with 24 years of industry experience, currently serving at 4 Wealth Advisors, Inc. since 2012. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses. Outside of his advisory role, he is involved as president of an accounting and tax practice and is an owner and agent in an associated insurance group. 4 Wealth Advisors provides investment advisory and financial planning services to individuals, pension plans, trusts, charitable organizations, and businesses. The firm utilizes customized portfolios and a range of analytical methods, including technical analysis, and is affiliated with accounting and insurance entities to offer integrated client services.

Peggy Hauser is a financial advisor with SAGE Private Wealth Group, LLC, holding a Series 66 designation and 11 years of industry experience. She has worked at SAGE Private Wealth Group since 2015 and previously spent five years with Raymond James Financial Services Advisors Inc. SAGE Private Wealth Group is an SEC-registered advisory firm serving individuals, retirement plans, trusts, estates, and business entities. The firm offers wealth management and discretionary portfolio management, employing a client-specific process that incorporates tailored asset allocation and diverse investment strategies.

Jason Andryzak is a financial advisor at Unique Wealth Strategies with 18 years of industry experience. He holds the Series 66 designation and previously worked at Private Advisor Group, LLC and LPL Financial, LLC. Unique Wealth Strategies serves individuals, small businesses, trusts, estates, and charitable clients with asset management, financial planning, and retirement plan services. The firm offers asset management through its proprietary wrap program and provides ERISA plan advisory roles, employing a mix of fundamental, technical, quantitative, and modern portfolio theory approaches.

Justin Dagostino is a CFP® and holds a Series 66 license, with nine years of experience in the financial services industry. He is currently with Vertex Partners, where he has worked since 2019 in various capacities, including the launch of Vertex Partners as an independent investment advisor firm in 2022. His prior experience includes roles at LPL Financial, TD Ameritrade, Scottrade, Executive Wealth Management, and INVEST Financial Corp. Vertex Partners provides advisory services to individuals, trusts, estates, retirement plans, and charitable and corporate entities. The firm’s investment approach emphasizes asset allocation, diversification, and behavioral finance, using a combination of active and passive model portfolios implemented through various investment vehicles and third-party manager platforms.

Daniel Hamburger is a CFP® and holds a Series 66 license, with nine years of experience in the financial advisory industry. He is currently with Sikich Financial and has held positions at firms including UBS Financial Services and Wells Fargo Clearing. His background also includes self-employment and roles at several other advisory firms. Sikich Financial is an SEC-registered multi-team advisory firm serving individuals, retirement plans, trusts, estates, and business entities. The firm provides integrated wealth management through financial planning and portfolio management, utilizing an asset-allocation approach supported by both in-house and third-party managers.

Sean Moran is a CFP® with 21 years of experience in financial services. He is currently with Pinnacle Financial Group LLC and has previously worked at Charles Schwab and UBS Financial Services Inc. Pinnacle Financial Group LLC is a fee-only, SEC-registered investment adviser serving individuals, retirement plans, trusts, estates, charitable organizations, and business entities. The firm combines modern portfolio theory with factor investing, quantitative optimization, and third-party research to provide personalized financial planning and investment management.