Thomas Walshe is a financial advisor at Benchmark Investment Advisors LLC with five years of industry experience. He holds a Series 65 designation and previously worked at Ruffalo Noel Levitz from 2017 to 2021. Benchmark Investment Advisors provides discretionary and non-discretionary investment advisory services to individuals, pension plans, trusts, estates, charitable organizations, and businesses. The firm’s investment approach focuses on long-term strategic allocation between global equity and fixed-income portfolios, incorporating proprietary valuation metrics and tactical overlays to manage client assets.

Kortney Mcculley is the principal advisor at McCulley Financial Group, LLC, an independent registered investment adviser based in Westchester, IL. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 credentials and has 18 years of industry experience. In addition to his advisory role, Mcculley is involved in several entrepreneurial ventures, including ownership of a technology company and participation in agriculture commodities investment and consulting businesses. He is also the author of a book focused on helping clients plan and organize their financial goals. McCulley Financial Group serves individuals, trusts, estates, charitable organizations, small businesses, and retirement plan clients, providing financial planning, portfolio management, and corporate retirement plan consulting. The firm offers both discretionary and non-discretionary asset management integrated with written financial plans and ongoing investment monitoring.

Amanda Vaught is a financial advisor at Propel Financial Advisors, LLC in Chicago, IL, with nine years of industry experience. She holds a Series 65 designation and has worked at Merriment Advisors LLC (dba Propel Financial Advisors LLC) since 2018, following roles at Mitchell, Vaught and Taylor and Simpson Thatcher Bartlett. Outside of her advisory work, she is a member and landowner at Elise Farms LLC. Propel Financial Advisors is an independent, employee-owned firm serving individuals, small businesses, nonprofit organizations, and institutional clients. The firm offers customized investment solutions and financial planning, combining fundamental, technical, and cycle analysis with a preference for longer-term holdings and active repositioning during volatile markets.

John Brick is a CFA® charterholder with nine years of industry experience. He has worked at Kruse Asset Management since 2021 and previously held roles at Altman Advisors, Inc. and Morningstar. Based in Chicago, IL, Brick holds a Series 63 license. Kruse Asset Management provides discretionary and non-discretionary portfolio management, financial planning, and consulting services to individuals, trusts, estates, family offices, and select institutional clients. The firm combines modern portfolio theory with proprietary quantitative equity models and technical indicators, offering a range of strategies including options and alternative investments, and operates a Virtual Family Office coordinating external tax and estate counsel.

Sarah Pierce is a financial advisor at Watershed Private Wealth with 17 years of industry experience. She holds a Series 66 designation and has worked at firms including Northwestern Mutual and Creative Planning. Watershed Private Wealth provides investment advisory services to individuals, trusts, estates, and pension plans, offering discretionary portfolio management and financial planning. The firm uses a combination of fundamental, quantitative, technical, and modern portfolio theory analyses to build customized investment programs tailored to client goals and risk tolerance.

Julie Murphy is a financial advisor at JMC Wealth with over 31 years of industry experience. She holds the CFP® and ChFC® designations and has worked at firms including Sequoia Wealth Management and LPL Financial. Outside of her advisory work, she is the owner of Beyond Your Wildest Dreams, LLC. JMC Wealth provides project-based financial planning for individuals, business owners, and other entities, focusing on fixed, plan-oriented engagements rather than ongoing discretionary portfolio management. The firm covers a broad range of planning topics and refers clients seeking implementation to third-party managers and platforms.

Nicholas Lovitsch is a financial advisor at Steward Advisors, LLC with a Series 65 designation and two years of industry experience. He previously worked at The Red Lion from 2019 to 2023. 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 and integrates financial planning into its services, using a range of investment vehicles including ETFs, mutual funds, individual stocks, bonds, and privately placed securities.

Andrew Kuhn is a financial advisor with Kuhn Capital Partners in Oak Brook, IL, holding Series 65 and Series 63 licenses and bringing 10 years of industry experience. He has worked at Kuhn Capital Partners since 2016 and also has experience with Focused Compounding Capital Management. As a partner of the General Partner for Bison Alpha Fund, he is involved in managing a private fund affiliated with his firm. Kuhn Capital Partners is an SEC-registered investment adviser serving individuals, high-net-worth clients, trusts, foundations, and other entities. The firm offers tailored portfolio management with a range of investment vehicles and serves pooled investment clients, acting as general partner and investment manager to affiliated private funds.

Shivam Patel is a financial advisor at SC Wealth Advisors with a Series 65 designation and five years of industry experience. He has worked at SC Wealth Advisors since 2023 and is also involved with SPTRADEZ LLC. SC Wealth Advisors serves individual clients, retirement plans, trusts, estates, charities, and business entities by providing discretionary portfolio management, financial planning, and pension consulting. The firm employs a tactical allocation strategy that uses fundamental, technical, and cyclical analysis to manage downside risk and seek improved performance.

Ritu Jain is a CFP® and Series 65-licensed financial advisor at The Retirement Solutions Group with two years of industry experience. Prior to joining her current firm, she worked at Savant Wealth Management and was involved in entrepreneurial ventures through TinkRworks LLC and Xplore Cultures LLC. The Retirement Solutions Group offers discretionary and non-discretionary portfolio management alongside comprehensive financial planning services for individual clients, serving both high-net-worth and non-high-net-worth households. The firm’s investment approach incorporates fundamental and technical analysis tailored to clients’ goals and risk tolerances, with regular portfolio reviews and optional discretionary trading authority.

John Souter Jr. is a financial advisor at Rail-Splitter Capital Management LLC with two years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and previously worked at Delta Investment Management, LLC. Rail-Splitter Capital Management provides investment advisory services to high-net-worth individuals, families, trusts, and estates, offering both discretionary and non-discretionary portfolio management. The firm employs a fundamentally driven, long-term approach with personalized client engagement and sponsors a wrap fee program that includes transaction and custodial costs within its advisory fee.

Oliver Kupe is a financial advisor at Aurelien Capital Partners with 13 years of industry experience. He holds a Series 66 designation and has worked at firms including Red Oak Capital Investments, Fort Point Capital Partners, Bank of America, and Merrill Lynch. Kupe serves as an advisory board member of 548 Capital's Solar Chicago Fund, providing non-binding advice on housing, environmental, and economic issues in inner cities. Aurelien Capital Partners serves individuals and families, including high-net-worth clients, professional athletes, and exonerees, offering wealth management, financial planning, and family-office services. The firm employs a plan-driven, open-architecture investment approach combining active and passive strategies across public and private markets tailored to client goals and risk tolerance.

Catherine Lannan is an advisor at Lakewood Asset Management, LLC in Chicago, IL, holding Series 65 and Series 63 designations with four years of industry experience. Her prior work includes roles at Charles Schwab & Co., Inc. and various positions within retail and university environments. Lakewood Asset Management serves individual and high-net-worth clients as well as trusts, estates, pension, and charitable entities, managing approximately $249 million across about 155 client relationships. The firm uses a bottom-up, fundamental, long-term value investment approach and offers both discretionary portfolio management and stand-alone financial planning services.

Michael Liccar is a financial advisor with Signet Private Wealth, LLC in Chicago, IL, holding Series 63 and Series 65 designations and possessing 31 years of industry experience. His work history includes leadership roles at Andiamo Vento LLC, Liccar Securities & Custodial Services, LLC, and Michael J. Liccar & Co., L.L.C., along with service at Crete Township since 2001. Outside of finance, he manages a brewery business through Pintsetters Brands, LLC. Signet Private Wealth LLC provides investment advice and wealth management primarily to individuals, trusts, estates, charitable organizations, and retirement plans. The firm employs a value-oriented, long-term investment approach incorporating fundamental and technical analysis, strategic asset allocation, and incorporates services such as direct indexing, option-writing, and ESG considerations.

Brian Vogler is a CFA® charterholder with three years of industry experience. He is currently with Highview Capital Management, LLC, where he has worked since 2022. His prior experience includes roles at Holman, Fitch Ratings, and Wheels, Inc. Highview Capital Management provides discretionary wealth management and financial planning services to individuals, high-net-worth clients, trusts, estates, and business entities. The firm employs a variety of analytical methods to implement asset-allocation strategies tailored to client goals and risk tolerance, managing approximately $363.6 million in regulatory assets.

Mark Schwartz is a financial advisor with Estate & Trust Advisors, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and bringing 25 years of industry experience. He has worked at Re-Direct Securities Corp. since 2001 and with Estate & Trust Advisors since 1997. In addition to advisory services, he is involved in fixed insurance products. Estate & Trust Advisors serves individual and high-net-worth clients, as well as pension plans, trusts, estates, charitable organizations, and other business entities. The firm offers custom portfolio management using a strategic core-and-satellite approach and provides wealth management, financial planning, and participant consulting services.

Nicholas Norby is a financial advisor at Taursas Investments in Chicago, IL, holding a Series 65 designation with under one year of industry experience. His prior work includes roles at Deloitte and NN Financial Services LLC. Taursas Investments provides discretionary investment management and financial planning to individuals, families, trusts, corporations, and endowments. The firm emphasizes fundamental business and industry analysis with an economic outlook, avoiding speculation and predictive models.

Brett founded Impact Financial after spending nearly a decade working at some of the largest Registered Investment Advisory firms in the country. Brett held a variety of investment, tax, financial planning and business consulting roles, which contributes to his comprehensive approach that he maintains today. During this time, Brett saw that there was a need for services tailored to each individual/family, considering businesses/private assets and tax complexities as well as opportunity to add more meaning to investments through impact investing (aligning investments with values). Brett founded Impact Financial to offer this comprehensive approach and to help people make the impact they want, not only once they’ve accumulated savings, but before and while accumulating assets as well. Brett earned an undergraduate and master’s degree in personal financial planning from University of Illinois and Texas Tech University, respectively. After graduation, Brett earned his CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNERTM (CFP®) designation and his Certified Exit Planning Advisor designation (CEPA). In his free time, Brett loves to catch a Cubs game or great concert. Brett and his wife, Jenny, also love being outdoors on a bike ride, a run or trying to learn to sail. Brett and Jenny currently split their time between Boston and Chicago.

Kelly Stanley is a CFP® with 17 years of industry experience and has been with Cogent Strategic Wealth LLC since 2015. He holds a Series 66 license and participates in paid speaking engagements on approved financial topics. Cogent Strategic Wealth manages approximately $266 million for individuals, trusts, charitable organizations, and participant-directed retirement plans. The firm employs a Personal Chief Financial Officer model, focusing on diversified portfolios primarily composed of passively managed mutual funds and ETFs, with an emphasis on advanced planning and relationship management with outside specialists.

Avedis Mavilian is a financial advisor at Bayworth Capital in Chicago, IL, with eight years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and has worked with Bayworth Capital since 2018. In addition, Mavilian serves as the managing member of Tailwind Financial Strategies, LLC, an insurance agency and tax advisory practice. Bayworth Capital provides financial planning, portfolio management, and pension consulting services to individuals, corporations, and pension plans. The firm offers tailored investment strategies across various asset classes and facilitates access to alternative investments while also providing specialized services such as pension consulting and assistance with securities-backed lines of credit.