Eric Smeby is the sole advisor at eSmeb Inc. in Leesburg, VA, holding a Series 65 designation with 16 years of industry experience. His prior roles include positions at Capital One, Camino Financial, and Ellucian, among others. He is also involved with affiliated entities FTToken Inc. and Waterfall Wealth LLC. eSmeb Inc. delivers automated investment advisory services through its online platform, WaterfallWealth.ai, serving individual investors and companies seeking rules-based portfolio management without in-person advice. The firm’s algorithmic approach incorporates trend-based weighting, risk scoring, and automated rebalancing, offering managed model portfolios and self-directed custom portfolios entirely via the Internet.

Kevin Bernard is a financial advisor at Pivot Capital Management, LLC with 10 years of industry experience. He holds Series 65 and Series 66 credentials and has worked in various roles at firms including Avantax Insurance Agency and Solomon Edwards. In addition to his advisory work, he is a licensed CPA and serves as Director of Assurance and Federal Practice at a public accounting and consulting firm, as well as managing member and CEO of a bookkeeping, tax preparation, and consulting firm. Pivot Capital Management provides portfolio management and financial planning services to individuals, charitable organizations, and businesses. The firm customizes investment strategies using a broad range of asset classes and employs both discretionary and non-discretionary account management tailored to client suitability and changing circumstances.

Bryan Lohr is a financial advisor at Present Value Financial Services LLC with seven years of industry experience and a Series 65 credential. He has been with Present Value Financial Services since 2018 following a period of semi-retirement from 2015 to 2018. Present Value Financial Services serves individual and family clients with financial planning, investment management, tax preparation, and financial education. The firm employs a fiduciary standard, using bottom-up fundamental analysis combined with capital market techniques to construct diversified, tax-aware portfolios and offers fee structures that do not rely on assets under management.

Robert Allen is a Series 65-licensed financial advisor with 22 years of industry experience. He has been the principal at Allen Investment Management since 2014. Allen Investment Management serves individual investors, foundations, charitable organizations, businesses, and pension/profit-sharing plans by providing discretionary investment supervisory services combined with integrated financial planning. The firm emphasizes a value-oriented, long-term investment approach supplemented by active sector rotation or limited short-term trades and manages roughly $27.1 million in discretionary client assets across approximately 41 client relationships.

Jonathan Winter is a CFP® professional with 17 years of industry experience. He is the principal advisor at Continuum Wealth Strategies, LLC, an independent firm he has been with since 2013. Outside of his advisory role, Winter works seasonally as a ski instructor at Vail Resorts. Continuum Wealth Strategies provides investment management and financial planning services to individuals, trusts, and employer retirement plans. The firm offers wrap fee programs, third-party manager due diligence, and ERISA consulting, managing client portfolios primarily through discretionary, long-term strategies.

Mark Helm is a CFP® and holds a Series 65 license, with 22 years of experience in financial advisory. He has been the sole advisor and founder of Helm Financial Advisors, LLC since 2003. Helm Financial Advisors, LLC is a fee-only, state-registered firm providing holistic financial planning and investment advisory services primarily to individuals and families. The firm employs a retainer and project fee model, offers integrated tax preparation and IRS representation, and focuses on non-discretionary advice with client-approved trading.

Jonathan Peyton is a CFP® professional with 21 years of experience in financial advisory services. He is the principal of Different Investments, LLC, an independent firm based in Ashburn, VA, and has held roles at firms including USAA and LPL Financial. Outside of advising, Peyton is involved in multiple business ventures such as a publishing firm producing educational content and a business consulting service. Different Investments, LLC offers discretionary investment management and comprehensive financial planning to individuals, trusts, estates, charitable organizations, and business clients. The firm employs a range of analytical techniques to customize portfolios and provides specialized planning services including divorce consulting, exit planning, and special-needs planning.

Kyle Kim is the founder of Kyo Asset Management, LLC and holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses with 30 years of industry experience. Prior to establishing his current firm, he worked at LPL Financial and Invest Financial Corporation. Outside of advisory services, he is involved in residential and commercial real estate development through ownership of Kyo Capital Management. Kyo Asset Management, LLC provides discretionary investment management and advisory services to individuals, high-net-worth clients, trusts, estates, businesses, and retirement plans. The firm uses a combination of fundamental and technical analysis to construct customized portfolios primarily focused on long-term strategies, with a discretionary approach to portfolio implementation and monitoring.

Christopher Williams is a financial advisor at Capital Fiduciary Advisors in Ashburn, VA, holding a Series 66 designation with 17 years of industry experience. He has worked at Capital Fiduciary Advisors since 2011, including a period at Andersen from 2016 to 2021. Capital Fiduciary Advisors provides wealth advisory and portfolio management services to high-net-worth individuals, trusts, estates, and institutional clients such as pension and profit-sharing plans. The firm offers personal financial planning and uses a formal due-diligence process to select third-party investment managers, supporting clients with institutional-style reporting and educational seminars.

Darren Straniero is a CFP® with 17 years of industry experience. He is the sole advisor at OnPlane Financial Advisors, an independent firm he has led since 2018. Prior to founding OnPlane, he worked for Park Ave Securities and Guardian Life Insurance for ten years each. OnPlane Financial Advisors serves individual clients and families, providing comprehensive financial planning and asset management primarily through virtual meetings. The firm employs a passive, index-oriented investment strategy and uses a fixed retainer fee model rather than percentage-of-assets billing.

Bradley Piesco is the managing principal of Magpie Consulting LLC, an independent advisory firm based in Leesburg, VA. He holds the CFP® and ChFC® designations and has 16 years of industry experience. Piesco has led Magpie Consulting since 2007. Magpie Consulting LLC provides fee-only asset management and financial planning services to individual clients, including high-net-worth and private investors. The firm uses a disciplined financial planning process and constructs diversified portfolios mainly with exchange-traded funds, offering both discretionary and nondiscretionary management options.

Lamar Watson, a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ professional, founded Dream Financial Planning to serve the needs of young professionals and minorities who typically don’t have access to fee-only and fiduciary financial planning. Prior to founding Dream, Lamar worked at a wealth management firm in Reston, VA, for over a decade. At his most recent firm, he served as the lead research analyst on a team of advisors that managed approximately $2 Billion in assets. He also served as a Vice President and Financial Advisor in the Private Wealth Management division. In this role, he worked with hundreds of clients across the country to help them meet their financial goals. Lamar’s proprietary process, the DREAM Financial Planning Process™, is the culmination of 15+ years of industry insight and experience. Less than 30% of all CFPs nationwide are in their 20s and 30s. I use The DREAM Financial Planning Process ™ to help my clients save, grow, and protect their wealth. We operate as a virtual firm and offer evening and weekend meetings for our client’s convenience. Ask about our unique pricing structure that starts at $100 per month for young professionals. We don’t have asset minimums for our clients. Less than 3.5% of all the 80,000 Certified Financial Planners (CFPs) in the United States are black or Latino, according to a new survey from the CFP Board Center for Financial Planning. Put another way; there are just 2,700 black or Latino CFPs in America; 1,200 blacks and 1,500 Latinos. Born in D.C. and a lifelong resident of Virginia, Lamar is a die-hard fan of many Washington D.C. area sports teams, most notably the Washington Redskins. His love for the Redskins all began when his grandfather started taking him to games when he was just eight-years-old. Previously, Lamar served as a volunteer basketball coach for the Chantilly Youth Association and Frederick County Parks and Recreation. In his free time, Lamar enjoys working out, biking on the Washington & Old Dominion Trail, and traveling. Feel free to contact me to schedule a complimentary 30-minute phone call to see if Dream Financial Planning is a good fit for you and your family.

Melanie Brophy is a CFP® and holds a Series 66 license with 12 years of experience in the financial services industry. She has worked at Next Play Financial Solutions, LLC since 2018 and previously spent five years with Ameriprise Financial Services, Inc. Next Play Financial is an independent, fee-only advisory firm serving individual and high-net-worth clients with investment management and comprehensive financial planning. The firm’s investment approach emphasizes passive strategies using diversified index funds and ETFs, supplemented by fundamental analysis and select third-party managers.

Chloerissa Kirwan is a financial advisor at Grey Kirwan Financial with 25 years of industry experience. She holds the CFP® and ChFC® designations and previously worked at LPL Financial and Reston Wealth Management. In addition to her advisory role, she is a licensed notary public in Virginia and an independent insurance agent. Grey Kirwan Financial is an independent, single-advisor firm serving individuals, families, trusts, foundations, and small businesses. The firm provides comprehensive portfolio management and financial planning, focusing on fundamental analysis and a buy-and-hold investment approach with diversified asset allocation.

Kenneth Robinson is a Certified Financial Planner (CFP®) with 26 years of industry experience. He has been the principal advisor at KCR Wealth Management, LLC since 2014. The firm provides fee-only discretionary investment management and personalized financial planning to individuals, families, and various institutional clients. KCR Wealth Management emphasizes a structured onboarding process and manages client assets in-house, focusing on asset allocation, diversification, and low-cost investment vehicles.

Rahul Aggarwal is the sole advisor at Aris Alpha LLC, holding a Series 65 designation with one year of industry experience. His prior work includes roles at Accenture Federal Service and several other firms. Aris Alpha LLC provides portfolio management and financial planning services to individuals and high-net-worth clients, employing fundamental analysis and a long-term trading approach. The firm offers a broad range of investment options and manages accounts on a discretionary basis, tailoring strategies to each client’s risk tolerance and objectives.

Jessie Rancourt is the principal of Opportunity Cost Investors LLC and holds the Series 65 designation with four years of industry experience. Prior to founding the firm in 2019, Jessie worked at Harris Miller Miller & Miller and UFA, Inc., and concurrently serves at the Federal Aviation Administration. Jessie is also the owner of Opportunity Cost Media, which produces finance-related content on YouTube. Opportunity Cost Investors LLC is a solo registered investment adviser that provides discretionary portfolio management to retail clients, primarily focusing on a fundamental, value-oriented investment approach targeting deeply discounted, high-quality public equity securities. The firm manages a small number of concentrated portfolios and operates an affiliated media outlet aligned with its investment views.

Phillip Bour is a CFP® professional with 21 years of industry experience. He is the sole advisor at Bour Group, an independent financial planning firm based in South Riding, VA. Bour retired from active practice in 2011 but continues to provide financial planning services through his firm. Bour Group serves individuals and couples across various life stages, offering comprehensive financial planning advice without managing client assets. The firm emphasizes long-term, buy-and-hold investment strategies focused on asset allocation and diversification, and provides clients with written plans and limited implementation support.

I founded Luminate Financial Planning because I am passionate about the power of planning and about helping you build a life based on what matters most to you. Financial planning is a mix of art and science. It’s not just about the numbers, but what the numbers mean for you. It's how you can use money as a tool to build your own great life. I will work with you to simplify and take control of your financial life. I will empower you to align your financial assets with your own values and goals. I believe that financial planning should be transparent, using a fee-only structure to minimize conflicts of interest. No commissions and no hidden fees. I personally understand the transformative power of sound financial planning and advice. Before leaving my prior career in corporate finance, and before I knew financial planning was even a profession, I built my own extensive plan for my family. We wanted to figure out if I could take time off of my career to start a family and become a stay-at-home mom while our kids were young. That basic plan (built with an Excel spreadsheet) served as a guidepost for the financial decisions my family and I have faced. My background  I have an MBA in Finance from Georgetown University and an undergraduate degree in Business Administration from Bloomsburg University. I hold the CFP® certification and passed the Series 65 Uniform Investment Adviser exam. I worked as an associate financial advisor and wealth planner for an independent broker-dealer before launching my own practice.

John Seraphin is a CFP® and Series 66 designated advisor with seven years of industry experience. He is the sole advisor at Phin Wealth Planning, LLC, an independent firm based in Middleburg, VA. His prior roles include positions at Steigerwald, Gordon & Koch Wealth Advisors, Eagle Strategies (NY Life), and several other firms. Phin Wealth Planning provides financial planning and investment management to individuals, high-net-worth individuals, families, and nonprofit organizations. The firm offers fixed upfront and recurring fee planning engagements across Core and Advanced tiers, with discretionary portfolio management that combines passive and active strategies tailored to client objectives.