George Acheampong is a financial advisor at Capitalwize, LLC with eight years of industry experience. He holds a Series 65 designation and has worked at firms including Wells Fargo and Gradient Investments, LLC. Outside of advisory services, he is President of Acheampong Enterprises, LLC, which sells digital financial education resources and apparel promoting wealth building for minorities. Capitalwize, LLC provides fee-only financial planning and portfolio management primarily to non-high-net-worth individuals and business entities. The firm emphasizes a documented client profile and risk tolerance through a financial audit and intake interview, often delegating portfolio management to third-party managers and digital platforms while retaining discretionary authority.

Evan Mc Coy is a financial advisor at Blue Financial with one year of industry experience. He holds a Series 66 credential and has held prior roles at Trinity Wealth Securities, Florida Financial Advisors, and the Dubois Center at UNC Charlotte Center City. Outside of advisory work, he is also an insurance agent focusing on fixed insurance sales. Blue Wealth Inc., where Evan is affiliated, provides discretionary asset management and financial planning services to individuals, small businesses, trusts, estates, and high-net-worth clients. The firm manages approximately $145 million across about 324 client relationships and employs a long-term, tailored investment approach without the use of short sales, margin, derivatives, leverage, or options.

Austin Tilles is a CFA® charterholder with six years of industry experience, currently serving as a financial advisor at Verum Partners LLC in Charlotte, NC. His prior experience includes roles at The Vanguard Group and self-employment. Verum Partners provides customized wealth management services primarily to high-net-worth individuals, families, trusts, and estates. The firm employs a wrap-fee program with discretionary portfolio management and financial planning, often incorporating independent managers while maintaining direct oversight and client access to their portfolio managers.

William Kernodle is a financial advisor at Strathmore Capital Advisors with 17 years of industry experience. He holds a Series 65 designation and has been with Strathmore Capital since 2009. Strathmore Capital Advisors serves individuals, trusts, endowments, and participant-directed retirement plans with discretionary portfolio management and ongoing, goals-based financial planning. The firm employs an asset-allocation driven investment approach focused on mutual funds and ETFs, complemented by technology tools for client service and an integrated offering that includes tax preparation and a securities-backed lending strategy.

Linda Walden is a CFP® with 16 years of industry experience and has been with Novare Capital Management since 2004. She is based in Charlotte, NC, and holds the Series 65 designation. Novare Capital Management is an SEC-registered wealth management firm with 18 advisors managing approximately $1.9 billion for individuals, high-net-worth clients, trusts, estates, charitable organizations, businesses, and financial institutions. The firm provides comprehensive financial planning and portfolio management using proprietary strategies and incorporates AI tools alongside human oversight in its investment process.

Angela Connolly is a financial advisor at Verum Partners LLC in Charlotte, NC, holding a Series 65 designation with three years of industry experience. Her career includes roles at SPX Technologies, The Broadway, MFS Investment Management, and Fidelity Investments, as well as academic experience at Northeastern University. Verum Partners LLC provides customized wealth management services primarily to high-net-worth individuals, families, trusts, and estates, offering discretionary portfolio management and financial planning. The firm incorporates independent managers in client portfolios while maintaining oversight and uses a wrap-fee structure that combines transaction costs.

Jonathan Bolston is a financial advisor at Wilson Wealth Management Group, L.L.C. in Charlotte, NC, holding Series 66 and Series 63 licenses with 10 years of industry experience. His prior roles include positions at Empower Financial Services, Fort Bend ISD, and Edward Jones, among others. Wilson Wealth Management Group is a team-based registered investment advisor serving high-income and high-net-worth individuals, families, business owners, and early-career investors. The firm combines model and customized portfolios using a mix of technical analysis and passive ETF strategies, while also offering financial planning, estate planning coordination, and insurance and annuity solutions.

Leslie Watson is a CFP® with 24 years of industry experience, currently serving at Tru Independence Asset Management, LLC. His prior roles include positions at Bank of America, Merrill, and A.G. Edwards & Sons. Watson is also involved in managing YellowWood Financial Advisors, LLC, an investment advisory firm. Tru Independence Asset Management provides discretionary and non-discretionary investment management, financial planning, and pension consulting to individuals, high-net-worth clients, retirement plans, and institutional clients. The firm employs diversified portfolios using both active and passive strategies and integrates independent managers, third-party sub-advisors, and digital platforms to serve over one thousand accounts.

Amanda Pate is a Certified Financial Planner™ (CFP®) and Chartered Financial Consultant® (ChFC®) with nine years of industry experience. She has worked at Summit Wealth Partners, LLC since 2014. Summit Wealth Partners serves individuals, including high-net-worth clients, as well as institutional and tax-sheltered entities across more than 20 states. The firm offers comprehensive financial planning and portfolio management with an investment approach that emphasizes broad diversification, strategic asset allocation, and tax-efficient funds, supported by academic frameworks and technological tools.

Justin Louis is a CFP® with nine years of industry experience, currently serving as an advisor at Verum Partners LLC since 2023. His prior roles include work at Carolinas Wealth Consulting LLC and Carolinas Investment Consulting LLC. He also works as an assistant for a CPA firm during tax season. Verum Partners LLC provides customized wealth management services and discretionary portfolio management primarily for high-net-worth individuals, families, trusts, and estates. The firm sponsors a wrap-fee program and commonly engages Independent Managers while maintaining oversight and client access to its portfolio managers.

Eric Lockerman is a financial advisor at Novare Capital Management with 10 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and has worked previously at Wells Fargo Bank and Tiaa. Novare Capital Management is an SEC-registered wealth management firm with a team of 18 advisors managing approximately $1.9 billion for individuals, high-net-worth clients, trusts, estates, charitable organizations, businesses, and financial institutions. The firm provides comprehensive financial planning and portfolio management, employing proprietary strategies and AI-supported research overseen by an investment committee.

James Scharff is a financial advisor with Stark Financial Advisers, Inc. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and has 26 years of industry experience. His career includes over two decades at R.M. Stark & Co., Inc., where he serves as assistant branch manager with responsibilities in client account management, portfolio supervision, and trading. Stark Financial Advisers, Inc. manages approximately $94.7 million in discretionary assets for individuals, pension and profit-sharing plans, corporations, and other entities. The firm employs an asset-allocation driven approach using both fundamental and technical analysis and offers a range of portfolio strategies from conservative to aggressive, including the use of derivatives and options.

Claudia Stern is a financial advisor with Lebenthal Global Advisors, LLC in Charlotte, NC, holding Series 63, 65, and 66 licenses and bringing 29 years of industry experience. Her career includes roles at Merrill from 2005 to 2016, Fusion Analytics Securities LLC, and Avenir Private Advisors before joining Lebenthal Global Advisors in 2020. Lebenthal Global Advisors serves individuals, high-net-worth clients, families, trusts, estates, retirement accounts, and small business pension and profit-sharing plans. The firm employs model-based portfolio strategies managed through an affiliated sub-adviser, offering diversified, tax-sensitive, and specialty investment options with ongoing monitoring and rebalancing tailored to client objectives.

Luther Lockwood II is a ChFC® credentialed financial advisor with 36 years of industry experience. He is affiliated with MBL Advisors and MBL Wealth, where he has held leadership roles since 1996. Lockwood serves as vice chairman of the Atrium Health Foundation and is involved with the University of Georgia Foundation’s Patrick H. Mell Leadership Fund selection committee, among other nonprofit and corporate board positions. MBL Wealth serves individuals, high-net-worth clients, trusts, estates, charitable organizations, businesses, and retirement plans, providing discretionary and non-discretionary wealth management, financial planning, and retirement plan consulting. The firm manages approximately $1.42 billion in discretionary assets using a goals-based, diversified investment approach supported by macro, fundamental, and technical analysis.

Cormac Lynch is a financial advisor at Cannon Advisors in Charlotte, NC, holding Series 65 and Series 63 licenses with one year of industry experience. Prior to joining Cannon Advisors, he was a financial consultant at Florida Financial Advisors (DBA Tristate Financial Advisors). Cannon Advisors serves individual and high-net-worth clients by providing discretionary portfolio management, financial planning, and limited financial consulting. The firm employs a variety of analytical approaches and strategies such as options trading and tax-efficient asset-location tools, managing approximately $181.6 million across roughly 228 clients.

Michael Klaiber is a CFA® charterholder with 11 years of industry experience, currently serving as an advisor at Verity Investment Partners since 2017. He previously worked at UBS from 2015 to 2017. Klaiber is a board member and finance chair for Lowcountry Legal Volunteers and also serves on the Duke Fuqua School of Business Alumni Board. Verity Investment Partners is a 12-advisor team providing discretionary investment management, ongoing financial planning, and family office consulting to individuals, trusts, retirement plans, and charitable organizations. The firm manages approximately $1.4 billion in assets and emphasizes portfolios constructed with dividend-paying equities, fundamental and technical analysis, and client suitability.

Jack Lawrence is a CFP® professional with recent experience at Linden Thomas Advisory Services, LLC and prior roles at West Financial Services and Sandy Spring Bank. He has worked in financial services since 2018 and is currently based in Charlotte, NC. Linden Thomas Advisory Services, LLC manages approximately $1.77 billion and provides wealth management services to individuals, families, businesses, and retirement plans. The firm’s investment approach is based on modern portfolio theory and includes proprietary index-enhanced portfolios and diversified strategies tailored to client tax and investment needs.

Brian Alderson is a CFA® charterholder with eight years of industry experience, currently serving at Providence Capital Advisors, LLC. He has been with the firm and its predecessor entity since 2016. Providence Capital Advisors, LLC is an SEC-registered investment adviser providing discretionary and non-discretionary investment management and comprehensive financial planning to individuals, high-net-worth clients, corporations, and small businesses. The firm’s investment approach emphasizes fundamental analysis enhanced by technical and cyclical analysis, with a focus on individual securities and customized portfolio construction, including the use of derivatives and margin within separately managed accounts.

Henry Barringer is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ professional with 15 years of industry experience. He has been with Alpha Financial Advisors, LLC since 2013 and previously worked at Credit Union Investment Services from 2011 to 2013. Alpha Financial Advisors, LLC is an SEC-registered investment adviser serving individuals, families, trusts, estates, and small businesses, including high-net-worth clients. The firm focuses on personalized financial planning and discretionary investment management, implementing strategic asset allocation primarily through no-load mutual funds and ETFs with global diversification and periodic rebalancing.

Nathan Carey is a financial advisor at Blue Financial with two years of industry experience. He holds a Series 65 designation and previously worked at Equitable Advisors and Roanoke College. Carey is also a licensed insurance agent involved in insurance planning activities. Blue Wealth Inc., the firm where Carey works, provides discretionary asset management and financial planning services to individuals, small businesses, trusts, estates, and high-net-worth clients. The firm manages approximately $145 million across about 324 client relationships and emphasizes tailored investment strategies without the use of short sales, margin, derivatives, leverage, or options.