Robert Bower is a CFA® charterholder with four years of industry experience. He has been with The Invictus Collective, LLC since 2019 and previously worked at Health Care Service Corporation for seven years. Outside of his advisory role, he manages and invests in Invictus Proprietary Opportunity 1 LLC and Invictus Private Group 1 LLC, entities involved in consolidating investors for a synthetic graphite manufacturer. The Invictus Collective provides financial planning, consulting, and investment management services to high-net-worth individuals, trusts, corporations, institutional investors, and advisers, including clients outside the U.S. The firm constructs diversified portfolios using a range of investment vehicles guided by Modern Portfolio Theory and offers both discretionary and non-discretionary arrangements, managing private pooled investment vehicles and marketing structured-product strategies to institutional clients.

Michael Klenn is a CFA® charterholder with one year of experience currently with Significance Capital Management LLC. He previously worked at Allspring Global Investments for three years and Calamos Investments for two years, with prior roles at Timpani Capital Management and periods of unemployment. Significance Capital Management LLC is an independent investment adviser that provides discretionary portfolio management to individuals and high-net-worth clients. The firm employs its Enhanced Alpha Strategy, which tactically allocates among large-cap equities using a combination of fundamental, quantitative, factor, and technical analyses, and serves as sub-adviser to the Significance Capital Enhanced Alpha ETF.

Christine Sibrava is a financial advisor at Stevard LLC with 15 years of industry experience. She holds the PFS™ designation and Series 65 license. Prior to joining Stevard in 2016, she worked at Whitnell & Co for five years. Stevard LLC provides family office and investment advisory services to high-net-worth individuals, trusts, family LLCs and partnerships, private foundations, and family businesses. The firm focuses on multi-asset portfolios implemented primarily through independent investment managers and managed products, offering expanded family office functions including accounting, tax compliance, and estate planning.

David Vaught is a CFA® charterholder with 29 years of experience in financial advising. He has worked at Propel Financial Advisors, LLC since 2018 and previously spent over two decades at Mitchell, Vaught & Walker, Inc., as well as operating as a sole proprietor. He holds a Series 65 license and is based in Chicago, IL. Propel Financial Advisors is an independent, employee-owned firm serving individuals, small businesses, nonprofits, and institutional clients. The firm offers customized portfolio management and financial planning, employing a combination of fundamental, technical, and cycle analysis with a focus on long-term holdings and active adjustments during volatile markets. Several principals at the firm also provide tax and legal services through affiliated firms.

Natalie Baros is a Series 65-licensed financial advisor at Aurelien Capital Partners with three years of industry experience. Her prior roles include positions at Merrill and Firstrock Capital, among others. Outside of her advisory work, she serves as a managing member of NEB, LLC, providing consulting support for operations and business development at a CPA firm. Aurelien Capital Partners serves individuals, families, and high-net-worth clients, with a focus on professional athletes and exonerees, offering wealth management, financial planning, and family office services. The firm employs an open-architecture investment approach, blending active and passive strategies across public and private markets to build diversified portfolios.

Allison Meers is a CFP® professional with four years of industry experience. She has worked at Pebble Valley Wealth Management since 2021 and previously was with CIBC from 2012 to 2021. Pebble Valley Wealth Management serves individual, charitable, and corporate clients, offering discretionary portfolio management, financial planning, and pension consulting. The firm’s investment approach includes asset allocation and mutual fund/ETF selection supported by technical analysis and third-party research, with a notable use of derivative-based option strategies within separately managed accounts.

Benjamin Wilson is a Series 65 licensed advisor at Stabile Investment Management with one year of industry experience. His prior roles include positions at Aerotek, North American Derivatives Exchange, Crypto.com, The Small Exchange, Illinois Institute of Technology, and United Launch Alliance. Benjamin is based in Chicago, IL. Stabile Investment Management serves individual and high-net-worth clients with discretionary and non-discretionary portfolio management and investment consulting. The firm follows a documented investment process emphasizing diversification and fundamental analysis, primarily using ETFs and no-load mutual funds, and conducts regular portfolio reviews.

Brian Schaeffer is a CFP® with 14 years of industry experience, currently serving as a financial advisor at Impact Financial. He previously worked for 11 years at Shankervalleau Wealth Advisors, Inc. Outside of advisory work, he is an accountant assisting with tax preparation and serves as treasurer for the Morrison-Shearer Foundation, an organization dedicated to preserving the legacy of dancer-choreographer Sybil Shearer and photographer Helen Balfour. Impact Financial provides fee-only wealth management and comprehensive financial planning to individuals, trusts, estates, and small business owners. The firm uses a factor-based, smart-beta investment approach primarily with low-cost mutual funds and ETFs, supported by in-house planning and tax expertise, serving a notable non-U.S. client base with cross-border financial analysis capabilities.

Jay Plourde is a financial advisor at Joseph Wealth Management, LLC with two years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and has previously worked at Riposte Capital and Wedbush Securities. Plourde serves on the boards of two nonprofit organizations: Joseph Business School in Forest Park, Illinois, and Kenneth Copeland Ministries in Fort Worth, Texas. Joseph Wealth Management provides discretionary portfolio management, financial planning, and consulting services to individuals, charitable organizations, and corporations. The firm manages approximately $17.6 million in client assets and employs a mix of analytical approaches, including fundamental, technical, and modern portfolio theory, to tailor portfolios to client objectives and risk tolerances.

Wendi Svitak is a CFP® professional with seven years of industry experience. She currently works at Bard Associates Inc and has prior experience at The Retirement Network Ltd, LPL Financial, and Morgan Stanley. Outside of her advisory role, she provides administrative support to independent investment advisor firms. Bard Associates, Inc. offers discretionary portfolio management and portfolio-monitoring services to a range of clients including individuals, IRAs, trusts, and charitable organizations. The firm emphasizes a long-term, buy-and-hold investment strategy focused on smaller-company and micro-cap equities, and also manages the Bard Micro-Cap Value Fund L.P., a private pooled vehicle closed to new investors.

Peter Newman Jr. is a CFA® charterholder with 12 years of experience in the financial advisory industry. He has been with Peak Wealth Planning, LLC since 2014 and previously worked at the University of Illinois for 27 years. Peak Wealth Planning is a small, supported advisory firm serving individual, high-net-worth, trust, and select institutional clients. The firm employs an asset-allocation driven investment approach using low-cost mutual funds and ETFs, and provides financial planning, discretionary investment management, and due diligence on alternative investments.

John Hering is a CFP®-designated financial advisor at Composure Wealth Management, LLC with 16 years of industry experience. He has worked at Composure Wealth Management since 2019 and previously held positions at Bank of America and Merrill from 2016 to 2019. Composure Wealth Management serves individuals, high-net-worth clients, families, trusts, estates, charitable organizations, and employer-sponsored retirement plans by providing portfolio management, financial planning, and retirement plan consulting. The firm uses a multi-disciplinary investment approach combining individual securities and third-party sub-advisors, employing both strategic and tactical asset allocation methods.

Daniel Carey is a CFP® with 17 years of industry experience and has been with Mentor Capital Management Inc. since 2007. He holds a Series 66 license and is based in Chicago, IL. Mentor Capital Management Inc. serves individual clients through fee-only wealth management and financial planning, offering services such as investment management, income tax planning, and estate-planning review. The firm employs a fundamental analysis approach within a broad asset-allocation framework, favoring passive, low-expense, index-based strategies for long-term holdings.

John Swift is a CFA® charterholder with 22 years of industry experience, currently serving as an advisor at Benchmark Investment Advisors LLC since 2017. His prior experience includes roles at Gentry Private Wealth Management, Swift Wealth Management, Leonetti & Associates, Harrisdirect, and AllianceBernstein. He also works as a CFA review program instructor with Becker Professional Development Corp. Benchmark Investment Advisors LLC provides discretionary and non-discretionary investment advisory services to individuals, pension and profit-sharing plans, trusts, estates, charitable organizations, and businesses. The firm focuses on long-term strategic allocation between global equity and fixed-income model portfolios, employing proprietary valuation metrics and tactical overlays, and offers formal quarterly client communications along with specialized services such as retirement plan consulting and sub-advisory arrangements.

Samuel Feldman is a financial advisor at 755 Financial with nine years of industry experience. He holds a Series 66 designation and previously worked at Edward Jones for a total of ten years. Outside of finance, Feldman is the owner of Sweetwater Meat and Seed Company, a food review and consulting business based in Chicago. 755 Financial is an SEC-registered adviser providing portfolio management and financial planning services to individual and high-net-worth clients. The firm employs a client-driven approach tailored to objectives, time horizon, and risk tolerance, utilizing strategies such as asset allocation and dollar-cost averaging.

Sarah Bodach is a Series 65-licensed financial advisor at Mentor Capital Management Inc. in Chicago, IL, with nine years at the firm and three years of industry experience. Prior to joining Mentor Capital Management, she was a homemaker for six years. Mentor Capital Management Inc. is a fee-only advisory firm serving individual clients, trusts, estates, and business entities. The firm focuses on long-term, low-cost index-based investing combined with fundamental analysis and a broad asset-allocation approach, offering services that include wealth management, financial planning, and tax-related advice.

Timothy Obendorf is a CFP® and holds a Series 65 license with 16 years of industry experience. He has been with Steward Advisors, LLC since 2011. Outside of his advisory role, he is a 25% minority owner and board member of McLennan Property Management Company, which manages commercial and industrial properties in the Chicago area. Steward Advisors serves individuals, businesses, trusts, estates, retirement plans, charitable organizations, corporations, and family offices with fee-based financial planning and private portfolio management. The firm manages approximately $137 million in assets, integrating financial planning with investment strategies that include ETFs, mutual funds, individual securities, and privately placed investments, while employing options and derivatives for hedging and tactical purposes.

Charles Marien III is a CFP® professional with 28 years of industry experience. He has worked at CTS Financial Planning, Inc. since 1984 and has been associated with Certified Insurance Consultants, Inc. since 1989. CTS Financial Planning serves individual and high-net-worth clients with comprehensive financial planning, retirement planning, investment planning, and discretionary asset management, while also providing accounting and income tax preparation services. The firm employs an active, technically driven investment approach and integrates in-house tax and accounting capabilities alongside advisory services.

Nathan Gale is a CFP® and holds a Series 65 license with four years of industry experience. He is the founder and investment advisor representative of Fleur-De-Lis Financial and has prior experience with WellAcre Global Wealth Advisors and Peak Wealth Planning, LLC. Outside of financial advising, he is a partner and CFO of WanderWren, an apparel retailer. Fleur-De-Lis Financial serves individual clients, including high-net-worth individuals, as well as pension plans, charitable organizations, and corporate plan sponsors. The firm offers fee-only investment management and financial planning, employing both passive and active strategies, and incorporates borrowing and margin use in its portfolio management.

Andrew Farinelli is a financial advisor at Wavvest Wealth with 11 years of industry experience. He holds a Series 66 designation and has previously worked at Embree Financial Group, McAdam LLC, and Purshe Kaplan Sterling Investments. Outside of his advisory role, he is the owner and president of Farinelli Financial LLC, providing comprehensive financial planning and investment management services. Wavvest Wealth serves individual clients directly and through sub-advisory arrangements, as well as managing employer-sponsored retirement plans. The firm uses proprietary technology to support risk profiling and portfolio construction, offering discretionary management across a diversified range of securities with oversight from an Executive Investment Committee.