Michael Burke is a financial advisor with Monere Wealth Management, Inc. in Schaumburg, Illinois. He holds Series 63 and Series 66 licenses and has 37 years of industry experience. He has been with Monere Investments, Inc. since 2015. Monere Wealth Management is a team-based advisory firm managing approximately $312 million in assets for individuals, high-net-worth clients, pension plans, charities, and business accounts. The firm offers financial planning, portfolio management, and pension consulting, with a majority of assets managed on a non-discretionary basis through various advisory programs and third-party managers.

Matthew Schwerin is a CFA® charterholder with 20 years of industry experience. He has been associated with North Star Investment Management Corporation and CAPS Financial Group since 2005 and also holds leadership roles as President of Home Town Financial Group and as a director on the board of Flanagan State Bank. North Star Investment Management Corporation serves a diverse client base including individuals, pension plans, trusts, and charitable organizations, providing discretionary portfolio management and financial planning. The firm manages approximately $2.5 billion in assets and offers a range of investment strategies, frequently utilizing its own mutual funds as part of client portfolios.

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.

Marisa Marshall is a CFP® professional at Capstone Financial Advisors Inc with six years of experience in the financial services industry. Her prior roles include positions at The Mather Group, Baroncini, Shorts, and Morton Private Wealth. Capstone Financial Advisors serves individuals, pension and profit-sharing plans, trusts, charitable organizations, and corporate clients, offering portfolio management, financial planning, and supplementary services such as tax preparation and access to private fund investments. The firm emphasizes asset-class allocation, cost control, and tax positioning, managing approximately $2.44 billion in client assets across a multi-advisor team.

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.

Robert Wootton is a CFP® professional with 15 years of experience in financial advising, currently with Capstone Financial Advisors Inc. He has worked at USAA Financial Planning Services and USAA Financial Advisors, Inc. since 2011. Capstone Financial Advisors serves individuals, including high-net-worth clients, as well as pension plans, trusts, charitable organizations, and corporate clients. The firm offers portfolio management, financial planning, pension consulting, and tax preparation, with an investment approach that emphasizes asset-class allocation, cost control, and tax positioning.

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.

Gino Poli is a Certified Financial Planner® with seven years of industry experience. He is currently with Pendulum Wealth Partners, having previously worked at Ameriprise, Alliance Global Partners, and J.P. Morgan Securities among others. Outside of advisory work, Poli is a licensed insurance agent involved in insurance sales and implementation of insurance recommendations. Pendulum Wealth Partners serves individuals, high-net-worth clients, trusts, estates, businesses, and retirement plans through discretionary portfolio management and financial planning. The firm employs a fundamental, long-term investment approach and offers a family office suite including tax projections and estate strategies, managing approximately $283 million for around 267 clients.

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.

Troy Bute is a CFP® professional with 19 years of industry experience, currently serving at Capstone Financial Advisors Inc since 1999. He is based in Downers Grove, IL, and has spent his entire advisory career at Capstone. Capstone Financial Advisors serves a diverse client base including high-net-worth individuals, pension and profit-sharing plans, trusts, charitable organizations, and corporate clients. The firm focuses on asset-class allocation, cost control, and tax positioning, offering portfolio management, financial planning, pension consulting, and specialized services such as tax preparation and private fund investments.

Michael Ingardona is a CFP® professional with 12 years of experience at Feldman, Ingardona & Co. based in Downers Grove, IL. He has been with the firm since 2014, working as part of a six-advisor team. Feldman, Ingardona & Co. provides investment advisory services primarily to high-net-worth individuals, families, and institutions, typically requiring a minimum account size of $5 million. The firm focuses on long-term strategic asset allocation combined with opportunistic tactical shifts, utilizing both active managers and low-cost passive funds.