Michael Bellis is a CFP® professional with over 32 years of experience in the financial services industry. He is currently affiliated with Vertex Partners and has previously worked with Highpoint Advisor Group and LPL Financial. Bellis also has involvement in an accounting and tax preparation partnership, Vertex Accounting Partners, LLC. Vertex Partners provides advisory services to individuals, trusts, estates, charitable organizations, corporations, and retirement plans. The firm tailors portfolios based on clients’ risk tolerance, time horizon, and liquidity needs, using a diversified approach that includes proprietary model portfolios, mutual funds, ETFs, individual securities, and third-party program platforms.

Brian Niksa is a CFP® professional with 11 years of industry experience, currently serving at Capstone Financial Advisors Inc since 2009. Based in Downers Grove, IL, he is part of a multi-advisor team at the firm. Capstone Financial Advisors serves individuals, pension and profit-sharing plans, trusts, charitable organizations, and corporate clients, offering portfolio management, financial planning, pension consulting, tax preparation, and access to private fund investments. The firm’s investment approach emphasizes asset-class allocation, cost control, tax positioning, and employs both fundamental and cyclical analysis within a multi-year horizon framework.

Daniel Leitner is a Series 65-licensed financial advisor with Hendricks Wealth and Estate Management in Algonquin, IL, with one year of industry experience. Prior to joining Hendricks, he held roles at Commerce Partners, LLC, Miller Commons, LLC, Rose Plaza Partners, Haill 911, Uline, and the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Outside of his advisory work, Leitner is involved as a member or manager in several real estate and agriculture-related ventures, including a precision spray agriculture technology company. Hendricks Wealth and Estate Management serves individuals, trusts, retirement plans, and business entities, providing portfolio management, financial planning, and retirement consulting. The team manages assets across a diversified range of investments utilizing a multi-asset allocation approach grounded in fundamental, technical, and cyclical analysis.

Tammy Billadeau is a CFP® professional with 15 years of industry experience, currently serving at Vertex Partners. Her prior experience includes roles at LPL Financial, LLC and Churchill Management Group. She also provides administrative support to Vertex Partners. Vertex Partners offers advisory services to individuals, trusts, estates, charitable organizations, corporations, and retirement plans. The firm emphasizes tailored portfolios based on risk tolerance, time horizon, and liquidity needs, utilizing a variety of investment strategies and platforms.

John Dorn is a financial advisor with Leelyn Smith, LLC in Geneva, IL, holding Series 63 and Series 65 credentials and having 21 years of industry experience. His prior career includes roles at National Planning Corporation and LPL Financial. Leelyn Smith, LLC provides discretionary and non-discretionary investment advisory services to individuals, pension and profit-sharing plans, business entities, and trusts. The firm employs model-based and individualized asset allocations across various investment vehicles and utilizes multiple third-party technology platforms and service providers, distinguishing itself through its affiliation with an accounting practice and the incorporation of structured notes and AI tools in its processes.

Hunter Sims is a financial advisor at Clearwater Capital Partners with five years of industry experience. He holds a Series 65 designation and has held roles at the University of Cambridge Cambridge Centre for Alternative Finance since 2019, where he serves as Associate Director of Business & Operations. He is also involved with Financial Innovation Commons Ltd. and Regulatory Genome Development Ltd., which focus on financial technology and regulatory applications. Clearwater Capital Partners serves high-net-worth individuals, family offices, and institutional clients, offering services including private wealth and family office management, institutional advisory, and retirement plan strategies. The firm emphasizes portfolio construction based on written Investment Policy Statements and uses a combination of fundamental, technical, quantitative, and thematic analysis.

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.

Ryan Kahlenberg is a financial advisor with Leelyn Smith, LLC, holding Series 63 and Series 66 licenses and 14 years of industry experience. He has worked at LPL Financial since 2022 and was previously with Kahlenberg Wealth Partners/Berthel Fisher & Co. and Dunham & Associates Investment Counsel, Inc. Since 2022, he provides investment advisory services through Leelyn Smith, LLC. Leelyn Smith, LLC serves a diverse client base including individuals, pension and profit-sharing plans, corporations, and trusts. The firm offers portfolio management, financial planning, and retirement plan consulting, utilizing multiple technology platforms and investment strategies that include equities, fixed income, mutual funds, ETFs, and private investment funds for qualified clients.

Linda Foltos Mahler is a financial advisor with Signature Financial Services, Ltd, holding a Series 66 designation and 26 years of industry experience. She has been associated with Signature Financial Services since 1999 and First Heartland Capital, Inc. since 2001. In addition to her advisory roles, Mahler operates Mahler Financial Services and provides tax and accounting services through Linda F. Mahler, CPA. Signature Financial Services offers investment advisory services to individuals, high-net-worth clients, pension and profit-sharing plans, trusts, and business entities. The firm employs an asset-allocation driven investment approach based on modern portfolio theory, utilizing model portfolios and institutional strategists across various asset classes while emphasizing periodic rebalancing and risk-based guidelines.

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.

Randolph Yu is a financial advisor at Clearwater Capital Partners with Series 65 registration and one year of industry experience. Prior to joining Clearwater, he worked at MISUMI USA for nine years and held positions at NVR, Inc. and periods of unemployment. Clearwater Capital Partners offers family office services, private wealth management, institutional advisory, and retirement plan advising. The firm serves a diverse client base including high-net-worth individuals and institutional clients such as sovereign wealth funds and government entities, employing a variety of investment approaches and coordinating services through affiliated entities.

Charles Ieuter is a financial advisor at Sequoia Wealth Management, LLC with over 41 years of industry experience. He holds the ChFC® designation and Series 63 license. His career includes work at LPL Financial since 2014 and founding Secure Futures, Ltd. in 1983, where he currently serves as president. Sequoia Wealth Management serves individuals, trusts, estates, corporations, and employer retirement plans, providing asset management, financial planning, and retirement-plan consulting. The firm uses a combination of quantitative optimization, third-party research, and manager selection to tailor portfolios, offering both discretionary management and third-party strategist models.

Thomas Castronovo is a financial advisor with Total Clarity Wealth Management, Inc, holding a Series 66 designation and 14 years of industry experience. His prior roles include positions at LPL Financial, Cetera Advisor Networks, and Criterion Wealth Advisors. Outside of his advisory work, he serves as a program director and coach for boys' and girls' tennis programs at Benet Academy High School and provides tennis instruction at the Naperville Tennis Club. 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, and specialized advisory services, utilizing a range of investment strategies from conservative wrap programs to more active approaches involving derivatives and leverage.

Mark Laspisa is a CFP® with 28 years of industry experience and has been with Vermillion Financial Advisors, Inc. since 1988. He is based in South Barrington, IL, and holds a Series 63 license. Vermillion Financial Advisors offers financial planning, investment advisory, and employer-sponsored retirement plan services to individuals, trusts, business entities, and pension/profit-sharing plans. The firm provides both stand-alone financial planning and ongoing investment advisory programs, utilizing model and customized portfolios with a non-discretionary approach and a range of client education and reporting services.

Elizabeth Gieser is a financial advisor at Timothy Financial Counsel, Inc. She holds a Series 65 designation and has one year of industry experience. Her prior work includes roles at Apriem Advisors and Wright Ford Young & Co. Timothy Financial Counsel, Inc. is a fee-only, hourly financial planning firm serving individuals, families, businesses, trusts, charities, and retirement plans. The firm provides project-based advice on a range of financial topics and uses a time-based billing model, favoring diversified exposure through no-load mutual funds and ETFs with an emphasis on asset allocation and rebalancing.

Kimberly Velasco is a CFP® with 11 years of experience in financial advising. She has worked at The Dala Group, LLC since 2024 and previously held roles at Corient, Balasa Dinverno Foltz LLC, and WIPFLI Financial Advisors. The Dala Group serves individual and high-net-worth clients with portfolio management and financial consulting, including retirement, estate, tax, and charitable planning. The firm uses a combination of fundamental, quantitative, and qualitative analysis to develop diversified asset-allocation strategies tailored to client objectives and risk tolerance.

Chad Anderson is a financial advisor at James T. Borello & Co. with four years of industry experience. His background includes roles in construction, insurance, and sports-related organizations such as the Miami Dolphins and Florida Panthers. He also has experience running One Time Show LLC. James T. Borello & Co. serves individuals, high-net-worth clients, family offices, small businesses, trusts, and other legal entities, managing approximately $514 million across about 700 client relationships. The firm offers discretionary portfolio management and comprehensive financial planning, utilizing asset-allocation models tailored to client goals and employing quantitative analysis and third-party software.

James Hendricks is a CFP® professional with 23 years of industry experience, currently serving at Hendricks Wealth and Estate Management. His prior roles include positions at Hero Investment Planners LLC, J.G. Hendricks Financial Services, Cetera Advisors LLC, and Investors Capital Corporation. He is also the owner of J.G. Hendricks Financial Services, where he works as an investment advisor. Hendricks Wealth and Estate Management advises individuals, high-net-worth clients, trusts, pension and profit-sharing plans, and business entities. The firm provides comprehensive portfolio management, financial planning, and retirement plan consulting, employing a range of analytical approaches and offering coordinated legal, tax, and insurance services through affiliated professionals.

Jacob Frerichs is a CFP® and holds a Series 65 license with eight years of industry experience. He has worked at Timothy Financial Counsel, Inc. since 2018 and previously held positions at Thrivent Financial, Stone Creek Golf Club, and the University of Illinois. Timothy Financial Counsel, Inc. is a fee-only, hourly financial planning firm serving individuals, families, businesses, trusts, charities, and retirement plans. The firm emphasizes time-based billing and offers advice on income management, retirement planning, tax strategies, and risk management, favoring diversified exposure through no-load mutual funds and ETFs rather than individual securities.

Phillip Coad is a CFP® professional with 14 years of industry experience, currently serving at Vermillion Financial Advisors, Inc. in South Barrington, IL. He has been with Vermillion Financial Advisors since 2005, working as part of a six-advisor team. Vermillion Financial Advisors provides financial planning, investment advisory, and employer-sponsored retirement plan services to individuals, trusts, business entities, and pension/profit-sharing plans. The firm offers both stand-alone financial planning and ongoing investment advisory programs, utilizing model and customized portfolios along with structured service tiers and educational workshops for plan participants.