Ryan Bellis is an advisor at Vertex Partners in Downers Grove, IL, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses. He has been with Vertex Planning Partners since 2024 and has prior experience at Natixis Investment Managers. Ryan entered the industry recently after completing his studies in 2024. Vertex Partners provides advisory services to individuals, trusts, estates, retirement plans, and charitable and corporate entities through financial planning, investment and wealth management, consulting, and retirement plan consulting. The firm employs a diverse investment process focusing on asset allocation, diversification, and behavioral finance, utilizing a combination of active and passive model portfolios across various platforms and strategies.

Julia Khazan is a CFP® professional with four years of industry experience, currently serving at MEDIQUS Asset Advisors, Inc., where she has been with the firm since 2007. She is based in Chicago, IL, and is part of a five-advisor team. MEDIQUS Asset Advisors serves individuals, including many physicians and medical groups, as well as retirement plans and not-for-profit medical organizations. The firm provides investment advisory, financial planning, and educational services, using a long-term asset allocation strategy managed via the Betterment for Advisors platform.

Michael Adler is a CFP® with 15 years of industry experience, currently serving as an advisor at Rothschild Wealth LLC. His prior experience includes roles at Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC and The AYCO Company, L.P./Mercer Allied. He is also a licensed insurance agent and registered representative of Rothschild Investment, LLC. Rothschild Wealth LLC provides investment advisory and financial planning services to individuals, corporate executive groups, trusts, retirement plans, and institutional clients. The firm employs asset-allocation models supported by quantitative analysis and offers a range of portfolio management and consulting services.

Joshua Beachler is a CFP® with nine years of industry experience. He is currently with Goldstone Financial Group, LLC and has previously worked at Clearwater Capital Partners and Bank of America, N.A. Beachler holds the Series 66 designation. Goldstone Financial Group is a multi-team SEC-registered investment adviser managing over $1 billion for individual and high-net-worth clients. The firm offers discretionary portfolio management, financial planning, and access to sub-advisers and third-party model portfolios, using a range of investment strategies including mutual funds, ETFs, fixed income, and select alternatives.

Jeremy Lorenz is a CFP® professional with four years of experience at Capstone Financial Advisors Inc. He has a background that includes roles at Illinois State University, Ikea, LegoLand Discovery Center, and Schaumburg High School. Capstone Financial Advisors serves individuals, pension and profit-sharing plans, trusts, charitable organizations, and corporate clients. The firm emphasizes asset-class allocation, cost control, and tax positioning, managing approximately $2.44 billion in client assets through a multi-advisor team and offering private fund investments and in-house tax services.

James Oswald is a CFA® charterholder with 11 years of industry experience. He has worked at T2 Asset Management, LLC since 2015 and was previously with Asbury Investment Management LLC from 2019 to 2023. Based in Naperville, IL, he is part of a seven-advisor team at T2 Asset Management. T2 Asset Management provides investment management, wealth planning, and business advisory services to individuals, small businesses, and institutions. The firm uses proprietary, rules-based models combining technical and fundamental analysis to manage multi-asset portfolios across various risk profiles.

Ricki Hanna is a financial advisor at Asset Strategies, Inc. with 13 years of industry experience. He holds the Series 66 designation and previously worked at RR Donnelley & Sons for seven years. Asset Strategies, Inc. provides discretionary investment management and standalone financial planning to individual clients and charitable organizations. The firm constructs portfolios using equities, fixed income, mutual funds, and ETFs, and offers negotiable AUM-based advisory arrangements alongside fixed-fee planning engagements.

Alex Offerman is a CFP® with eight years of industry experience, currently serving as an advisor at Model Wealth. He has worked at Model Wealth since 2018 and has held roles at Highpoint Advisor Group, LLC, and LPL Financial, LLC. Model Wealth, Inc. is a virtual, fee-only financial planning and wealth management firm serving individuals, families, estates, trusts, and small businesses. The firm emphasizes a broadly passive investment approach with cost-effective, tax-aware implementation and integrates robo-advisor strategies and direct indexing within a flat annual fee structure.

James Dawson is a CFP® with 12 years of experience in the financial services industry. He has worked at Rothschild Wealth LLC since 2019 and Rothschild Investment LLC since 2024, and previously held roles at Halo Securities LLC and Charles Schwab. Rothschild Wealth LLC provides investment advisory and financial planning services to individuals, corporate executive groups, trusts, retirement plans, and institutional clients. The firm employs an asset-allocation approach supported by quantitative analysis and offers portfolio management, financial planning, tax and estate coordination, and retirement consulting.

Colin Schwerin is a financial advisor at North Star Investment Management Corporation with two years of industry experience. He holds a Series 65 designation and has prior work experience at Burns and McDonnell, Sargent and Lundy, and Kentucky Utilities. Schwerin is also associated with CAPS Financial Group, where he provides financial planning services. North Star Investment Management Corporation serves a range of clients including individuals, pension and profit-sharing plans, and charitable organizations, offering discretionary portfolio management, financial planning, and family office services. The firm manages approximately $2.5 billion in client assets and employs strategies such as equity positions, fixed income, option strategies, and direct indexing, often allocating client assets into its own mutual funds.

William West is a CFP® professional with 10 years of experience in financial advising. He is currently with RAI Wealth, where he has worked since 2014, and previously worked at Securities America Advisors and National Planning Corporation. West serves on the Wheaton Academy Alumni Board, a nonprofit private high school, participating in community advocacy and alumni events. RAI Wealth provides investment advice and financial planning to individuals, families, high-net-worth clients, trusts, estates, corporations, small businesses, and retirement plans. The firm uses a combination of third-party model portfolios and in-house management, applying quantitative and fundamental analysis to tailor portfolios to client objectives and risk tolerances.

Joshua Bretl is a financial advisor with Wellment Financial in Elmhurst, IL, holding Series 63 and Series 66 licenses and bringing 20 years of industry experience. He has worked with FSR Insurance Planning, Ltd. since 2017 and FSR Wealth Management, LTD. since 2013, and has been involved with FSR Certified Public Accountants, Ltd. since 2005. He serves on the Board of Directors for Community Bank of Elmhurst. Wellment Financial provides investment management, financial planning, and retirement-plan advisory services to individuals, high-net-worth clients, and institutional sponsors. The firm uses vetted model portfolios and a sub-advisor platform focusing on tax-aware retirement planning, while also offering client-managed account options and modular or comprehensive financial plans.

Marie Beckman is a CFP® professional with 26 years of experience in financial advisory. She previously worked for A. Robert Taylor Financial Advisory Services, Ltd. for 13 years and transitioned her clients to Financial Solutions Advisory Group, where she currently serves as an advisor in Chicago, IL. Financial Solutions Advisory Group provides investment advisory and portfolio management services to individuals, corporations, pension and profit-sharing plans, and trusts. The firm uses a combination of fundamental, technical, quantitative, and qualitative analysis to develop investment policies and manages approximately $900 million in discretionary assets across about 350 client relationships.

Michael Lantz is a CFP® with 36 years of industry experience, currently serving at Lantz Financial LLC, where he has worked since 2017. Prior to that, he spent 25 years with Wells Fargo Advisors and four years at Private Client Services. He holds a Series 63 designation and operates out of Naperville, IL. Lantz Financial LLC serves individuals, families, businesses, and retirement plans with portfolio management, financial planning, and retirement-plan advisory services. The firm manages approximately $994 million in assets and employs a globally diversified investment approach using mutual funds, ETFs, and tailored strategies aligned with clients’ risk profiles and objectives.

John Kosik is a CFP® with 14 years of industry experience, currently serving at Capstone Financial Advisors Inc since 2009. He holds the Series 63 designation and is based in Downers Grove, Illinois. Capstone Financial Advisors serves a diverse client base including individuals, pension and profit-sharing plans, trusts, charitable organizations, and corporate clients. The firm emphasizes asset-class allocation, cost control, and tax positioning in its investment process, managing approximately $2.44 billion in client assets through a multi-advisor team.

Robert Perkins is a financial advisor at Hunter Capital Management with 44 years of industry experience. He has held positions at Perkins Investment Management LLC, Janus Distributors LLC, and PWMCO, LLC prior to joining Hunter Capital Management in 2020. Perkins holds Series 63 and Series 66 designations. Hunter Capital Management is an SEC-registered investment adviser that serves high-net-worth individuals, pooled investment vehicles, and institutional clients. The firm manages assets across separate accounts, a mutual fund, and privately offered pooled vehicles, with a value-oriented equity investment approach and a team of five advisors.

Kurt Newsom is a CFP® and holds a Series 66 license with 15 years of industry experience. He currently serves as an advisor at XXI Wealth, LLC, a role he has held since 2024. Prior to that, he worked at CIBC Private Wealth Advisors, Inc. and CIBC World Markets Corp. for seven years, Atlantic Trust Investment Advisors for one year, and Geneva Investment Management of Chicago for six years. XXI Wealth, LLC provides comprehensive financial planning and wealth management services to individual and high-net-worth clients. The firm offers customized portfolio construction using a mix of equities, fixed income, index funds, ETFs, direct indexing, alternative investments, and private placements, and employs active oversight of third-party money managers.

Edward Keating is a CFA® charterholder with four years of industry experience, currently serving as an advisor at SAGE Private Wealth Group, LLC. Prior to joining SAGE, he worked at Calamos Wealth Management LLC and BMO Harris Bank. He is actively involved in the Waubonsee Community College Foundation, serving as board president and participating in finance, investment, and scholarship committees. SAGE Private Wealth Group provides wealth management and discretionary portfolio management to individuals, retirement plans, trusts, estates, and businesses. The firm offers customized investment strategies and family office services, utilizing a variety of asset classes and ongoing portfolio monitoring.

Igor Yukhvidin is a financial advisor at Vertex Partners with one year of industry experience. He holds a Series 65 designation and previously worked at JP Morgan Chase Bank for seven years and Ernst & Young for four years. Vertex Partners provides advisory services to individuals, trusts, estates, retirement plans, and charitable and corporate entities through financial planning, investment and wealth management, and consulting. The firm’s investment approach emphasizes asset allocation, diversification, and behavioral finance, utilizing a mix of active and passive model portfolios across various platforms and strategies.

Bradley Schaffnit is a financial advisor at Apollon Financial, LLC with 24 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 66 licenses and has previously worked at Highpoint Advisor Group, LLC and LPL Financial, LLC. His outside business activities include involvement with Leaders Partners, Inc., a non-variable insurance firm. Apollon Financial, LLC is an SEC-registered advisory firm serving individuals, high-net-worth clients, families, trusts, estates, businesses, and retirement plans. The firm manages approximately $1.45 billion through a team of 16 advisors, offering financial planning, portfolio management, retirement-plan advisory, and access to private and alternative investments.