Donald Baran is a financial advisor with TLG Advisors, Inc. holding a Series 66 license and five years of industry experience. His professional background includes roles at The Leaders Group Inc., FSG, Pizza Hut, Edward Jones, Weiman Products, and EMCO Chemical Distributors. He also works as an insurance wholesaler for fixed insurance products directly with financial advisors through FSG. TLG Advisors, Inc. serves a wide range of clients including individuals, high-net-worth clients, trusts, charitable organizations, corporations, pension and retirement plans, and other institutional investors. The firm focuses on manager selection and ongoing portfolio monitoring using fundamental analysis and Modern Portfolio Theory, offering services through independent representatives, sub-advisors, and a direct-to-consumer digital program called Starlight Portfolios.

James King is a CFP® with 15 years of industry experience, currently serving with Corient since 2022. Prior to Corient, he worked at Balasa Dinverno Foltz LLC for 12 years. Corient provides investment advisory and financial planning services to a diverse range of clients, including individuals, trusts, pension plans, charitable organizations, and corporate entities. The firm employs a goals-based, team investment approach that integrates in-house strategies with third-party managers and utilizes risk management tools and alternative investments where appropriate.

Robert Fenby is a financial advisor with Hornor, Townsend & Kent, LLC, holding a Series 66 designation and 12 years of industry experience. He has been with Hornor, Townsend & Kent since 2012 and has a concurrent role at Penn Mutual Life Insurance Company dating back to 2011. Fenby is also involved in life insurance brokerage through multiple roles, including Regional Marketing Director at Penn Mutual, Senior Vice President at Insurance Wholesale Solutions, and proprietor of Fenby Life Insurance Planning. Hornor, Townsend & Kent serves a diverse client base including individuals, trusts, businesses, charitable organizations, and retirement plans. The firm offers advisory programs, financial planning, and retirement plan consulting, combining SEC-registered advisory services with broker-dealer capabilities and managing over $8 billion in discretionary assets.

Eric Eimen is a financial advisor at William Blair with five years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 66 credentials. Prior to joining William Blair in 2022, he worked at BMO Private Bank from 2011 to 2022. William Blair’s Private Wealth Management division offers investment management, financial planning, and wealth services to individuals, foundations, pension, and corporate clients. The firm employs an active, research-driven approach across multiple asset classes and provides clients access to proprietary models, third-party sub-managers, and private investment opportunities.

Dominic Defazio is a CFP® with 20 years of industry experience, currently serving at Fifth Third Securities, Inc. since 2011. He is also the owner of Aqua Body Floats, a business focused on designing upholstery for recreational activities. Fifth Third Securities, Inc. provides brokerage and investment advisory services through its Passageway Managed Account Program to individuals, charitable organizations, corporate and business clients, and institutional investors. The firm offers multiple discretionary managed-account programs with features such as direct indexing and tax-overlay services, distinguishing itself through its municipal-advisor registration and affiliation with Fifth Third Bank.

Todd Bessey is a CFP® with 31 years of industry experience and is currently affiliated with Integrated Wealth Concepts LLC. He previously worked at Wayne Hummer Investments for 17 years before joining Integrated Wealth Concepts in 2021. Integrated Wealth Concepts serves individuals, families, trusts, estates, businesses, and retirement plans through a network of independent financial advisors. The firm offers discretionary investment management, financial planning, family office and retirement plan advisory services, and sponsors wrap-fee programs, focusing on customized portfolios that combine internal management and third-party asset manager oversight.

Sean Brooks is a financial advisor with Focus Advisor Solutions, LLC, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and bringing 16 years of industry experience. He has held roles at several firms, including Assetmark Brokerage, LLC and Centurion Capital Group, Inc., before joining Focus Advisor Solutions in 2018. Brooks also serves as a divisional manager maintaining financial advisor relationships in the Great Lakes region. Focus Advisor Solutions provides turnkey asset management and back-office services primarily to independent registered investment advisors and their clients. The firm offers diversified, systematically invested mutual fund and ETF model portfolios, discretionary fixed-income management, and retirement plan fiduciary services, managing approximately $41 billion in assets for over 33,000 clients.

Jennifer Merida is a financial advisor at Empower Advisory Group with 17 years of industry experience. She holds Series 63 and Series 66 licenses and has previously worked at firms including 818 Capital Group, Money Concepts Capital Corp., ADP, and BMO Harris Financial Advisors. Outside of her advisory role, she is a 2% owner and performs back-office work for Kaidence Chiropractic & Wellness, a business owned by her husband. Empower Advisory Group provides financial planning and investment management services primarily to employer-sponsored retirement plan sponsors and their participants, as well as to Empower Premier IRA and certain retail brokerage clients. The firm integrates its services with Empower’s recordkeeping and administrative platforms, focusing on long-term portfolio returns and participant savings rates.

James Brandt is a financial advisor with Independent Financial Group, LLC, holding Series 63 and Series 66 licenses and bringing 40 years of industry experience. His career includes long-term roles at Fortis Investors, Inc. and Brandt Financial Concepts, a firm he has been involved with since 1983. Outside of his advisory work, Brandt serves as a FEMA-certified trainer for the Community Emergency Response Team and holds leadership positions in local organizations including a homeowners association and the Palatine Fire Pension Board. Independent Financial Group, LLC is a dual-registered broker-dealer and SEC-registered investment adviser serving individuals, charities, corporations, and plan sponsors. The firm offers a range of advisory and brokerage services, utilizing various investment platforms and third-party managers, with approximately $11.3 billion in regulatory assets under management.

Adam Larson is a CFA® charterholder with 18 years of industry experience. He is currently with Corient, where he has worked since 2022, following previous roles at Balasa Dinverno Foltz LLC and Savant Capital Management. Corient provides investment advisory and financial planning services to a diverse client base, including individuals, high-net-worth clients, trusts, pension and profit-sharing plans, charitable organizations, and corporate entities. The firm uses a goals-based, team investment approach that combines in-house strategies with third-party managers and employs risk management tools alongside alternative investments where appropriate.

Douglas Clermont is a financial advisor with TLG Advisors, Inc., holding a Series 63 designation and 26 years of industry experience. His prior roles include positions at The Leaders Group, Inc., GBS Insurance & Financial Services, Principal Life Insurance Co., and PrinCor Financial Services. He is also licensed as an outside insurance agent, selling fixed life, fixed annuities, disability, long-term care, and health insurance. TLG Advisors, Inc. is an SEC-registered investment adviser managing approximately $2.0 billion in discretionary client assets. The firm serves individuals, retirement plans, trusts, estates, charitable organizations, businesses, and institutional investors, offering investment supervisory and portfolio management, comprehensive financial and estate planning, and ERISA fiduciary services. Its approach combines fundamental analysis and Modern Portfolio Theory, with a direct-to-consumer program called Starlight Portfolios that uses risk questionnaires to customize portfolios reviewed quarterly.

Frank Schoen is a financial advisor with Transamerica Financial Advisors in Hoffman Estates, IL, holding Series 63 and Series 65 credentials and 27 years of industry experience. He is the owner of The Force Agency, Inc. and S2C Tax & Accounting Services LLC, where he provides tax preparation and accounting services. Schoen has been with Transamerica Financial Advisors since 2012. Transamerica Financial Advisors serves a diverse client base including individual investors, pension and profit-sharing plans, trusts, estates, charitable organizations, and corporations. The firm offers both advisory and broker-dealer services with a range of proprietary and third-party investment models in discretionary and non-discretionary programs.

Tyrone Ball is a financial advisor with Commonwealth Financial Network based in Barrington, IL, holding a Series 66 designation and 12 years of industry experience. His prior work includes eight years at Edward D. Jones & Co. L.P. and four years at Best Energy LLC. Commonwealth Financial Network is a registered investment adviser serving a national network of approximately 2,950 advisors and their clients. The firm provides advisory programs, technology, and operational support while offering a variety of investment solutions, including discretionary model portfolios and customized program structures.

Susan Winklebleck is a financial advisor with TIAA-CREF in Palatine, IL, holding a Series 66 designation and 14 years of industry experience. She has been with TIAA-CREF and TIAA since 2014. TIAA-CREF Individual & Institutional Services, LLC’s Advice & Planning Services division offers financial planning and discretionary managed account programs to individuals, trusts, estates, partnerships, corporate entities, and small retirement plans, often serving clients with existing TIAA-administered employer retirement plan relationships. The firm provides separate broker-dealer services, acts as adviser to a donor-advised fund, and employs a fiduciary standard within its RIA services.

James Juengling is a financial advisor at Independent Financial Group, LLC with 49 years of industry experience. He holds the ChFC® designation along with Series 63 and Series 65 licenses. Juengling has been with Independent Financial Group since 2010 and has owned Juengling & Associates, an insurance agency, since 1972. He is also a member of the National Association of Insurance and Financial Advisors and has served on the Illinois Legislative Council since 2016. Independent Financial Group, LLC is a dual-registered broker-dealer and SEC-registered investment adviser that provides brokerage, portfolio management, financial planning, and retirement plan services to individuals, charities, corporations, and plan sponsors. The firm offers advisory programs through its AccessPoint platform and third-party asset managers, serving a diverse client base including high-net-worth individuals and institutional clients.

Kevin Sanders is a financial advisor with AE Wealth Management, LLC, holding a Series 65 credential and 11 years of industry experience. He is also the owner and sole proprietor of The Sanders Law Firm, where he provides legal services including real estate closing advice and estate planning. His work history includes roles at Guardian Wealth Advisory Group and Sanders Financial Services Inc. AE Wealth Management is a registered investment adviser serving a diverse client base, including individual investors, retirement plan sponsors, trusts, charitable organizations, and businesses. The firm offers a platform-centered investment approach that combines model portfolios from multiple sources with discretionary management and financial planning services.

Richard Kasher is a financial advisor with Independent Financial Group, LLC, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and bringing 31 years of industry experience. He has been with Independent Financial Group since 2009 and is also the owner of Diversified Tax Services, Inc., a tax preparation and consulting firm. In addition to his advisory role, Kasher provides consulting services related to business valuation and forensic analysis. Independent Financial Group, LLC is a dual-registered broker-dealer and SEC-registered investment adviser serving individuals, charities, corporations, and plan sponsors. The firm offers a range of brokerage, portfolio management, financial planning, and retirement services, utilizing multiple advisory programs and third-party asset managers to meet diverse client needs.

Robert Richardson is a financial advisor with Integrity Alliance, LLC, holding the ChFC® designation and Series 63 and 65 licenses. He has 32 years of industry experience and has worked with firms including IZALE Financial Group and Lion Street Advisors. Outside of advisory work, he owns an online retail business, Cultivated Community LLC. Integrity Alliance serves a diverse client base including individuals, charitable organizations, corporations, and retirement plans through a network of independent advisers. The firm offers continuous asset management, financial planning, retirement plan consulting, and access to third-party manager programs, employing a range of portfolio construction approaches across multiple custodial platforms.

Katelyn Depew is a Series 66-licensed financial advisor with 14 years of industry experience. She currently works at Mercer Global Advisors Inc. and previously spent 11 years at TIAA-CREF and Tiaa. Mercer Global Advisors serves individuals, families, small business owners, plan sponsors, foundations, non-profits, and endowments, providing a range of investment advisory, financial, tax, retirement, and estate planning services. The firm follows an investment approach based on Modern Portfolio Theory with globally diversified portfolios implemented through low-cost ETFs, index funds, separate account managers, and other strategies.

Sarah Tobolski is a CFA® charterholder with eight years of industry experience. She has worked at William Blair since 2017 and previously spent three years at DiMeo Schneider. William Blair’s Private Wealth Management division offers discretionary and non-discretionary investment management, financial planning, and wealth services to individuals, foundations, pension plans, and corporate clients. The firm applies active, research-driven management across multiple asset classes and provides proprietary models and access to private funds and co-investment opportunities.