Cristof Ensslin is a financial advisor at Pine Ridge Wealth LLC with three years of industry experience. He holds a Series 65 designation and previously worked at Simple and Aligned LLC and Pine Ridge Creative, LLC, as well as running mindful FX UG for over a decade. Pine Ridge Wealth LLC is a state-registered, fee-only investment adviser serving individuals, families, nonprofits, foundations, and businesses. The firm focuses on long-term, passive, tax-aware portfolios primarily using index-tracking ETFs, guided by a scenario-based process and historical analysis, and offers a structured onboarding process along with educational initiatives such as Project Mindful Money.

David Brodie is the principal of Brodie Wealth Management and holds a Series 66 designation. He has one year of experience in financial advisory roles and has worked at Osaic Advisory Services and Osaic Wealth. He also operates Brodie CPA PLLC, a CPA firm based in Cary, NC, where he serves as principal. Brodie Wealth Management provides wealth management, financial planning, and asset management services to individual and institutional clients. The firm offers tailored investment strategies across traditional and alternative asset classes and provides retirement plan advisory services, leveraging its affiliation with an in-house accounting practice for tax and estate planning support.

Ryan Bannister is a financial advisor at 1Up Financial Advisors LLC in Cary, NC, holding a Series 65 designation with three years of industry experience. Prior to founding 1Up Financial Advisors, he worked at Duke University Hospital and Carr, Riggs & Ingram. Bannister is also a member of Oak City Investment Group, LLC, a real estate investment company. 1Up Financial Advisors LLC provides investment management and financial planning primarily for individual clients, offering tailored portfolio management, written financial plans, and both ongoing and hourly planning engagements. The firm integrates accounting services such as in-house tax preparation and bookkeeping, along with educational seminars and consulting for content creators, combining passive and active investments with strategic asset allocation.

Are you passionate about preserving our Earth, upholding corporate responsibility, and contributing to a just society? If so, you’re in the right place. Do you find yourself thinking: “Where does all my money go, and how can I support causes I care about?” “I want to invest, but I refuse to support fossil fuels or the weapons industry.” “What do we need to do now that we’ve had a baby?” “How do I navigate my company benefits or start a Roth IRA?” “Am I doing the right things?” I see financial planning as a medium to facilitate long-lasting change—not just a way to accumulate “more.” My practice, Just Advising, is an advice-only space designed for environmentally and socially conscious people who want clear guidance without the baggage of commissions, high fees, or someone else managing your money. When we work together, you’ll walk away with guidance while feeling understood and empowered. My first question is not, “how much do you have?”; Instead, it’s “what do you want?” To paraphrase John F. Kennedy, ask not what you can do for money—ask what your money can do for you. Outside of the office, you can usually find me rock climbing (attempting to) or making a great (depending on the day) cup of coffee.

Rupa Pereira is a CFP® with four years of experience and the principal of FWJ Planning LLC in Apex, NC. She also owns FWJ Tax LLC, a tax planning and preparation business. Her prior roles include tax counseling with VITA and work with XY Planning Network. FWJ Planning LLC provides fee-only financial planning services focusing on project-based and comprehensive plans for individuals, households, and small businesses. The firm does not offer investment management or custody services and emphasizes passive, low-cost fund recommendations for client-implemented portfolios.

Jesse Bradin is a financial advisor with J Bradin Financial LLC in Cary, NC, holding Series 63 and Series 65 credentials and nine years of industry experience. His work history includes roles at Gradient Investments, JD Melberg Financial, Appreciation Financial, and Finely Finished. Bradin is also a licensed life insurance agent affiliated with his firm. J Bradin Financial LLC is a state-registered, solo investment adviser serving individuals, pension and profit-sharing plans, trusts, estates, and charitable organizations. The firm offers comprehensive financial planning, investment management, insurance review, and educational seminars, using a discretionary model investing approach alongside possible third-party manager recommendations.

David Lundberg is a financial advisor with Awaken Financial Designs LLC, holding Series 63 and Series 66 credentials and eight years of industry experience. His prior positions include roles at Merrill Lynch and Equitable Advisors. Lundberg is also involved in fixed insurance and fixed annuity sales through Awaken Financial Designs. Awaken Financial Designs provides financial planning and consulting services, offering discretionary asset management through third-party model portfolios. The firm serves individual and high-net-worth clients with customized financial plans and a structured service calendar, using a combination of hourly and fixed fees for planning and delegating portfolio management to selected sub-advisors.

Allen Bass III is a CFP® certificant with nine years of industry experience. He has been the sole advisor at Carolina Wealth Strategies, LLC since 2014. Carolina Wealth Strategies serves individual investors and small businesses with financial planning, investment supervisory services, and educational workshops. The firm uses a combination of passive and active management strategies, providing both broad-based and modular planning, and typically manages client accounts on a discretionary basis with regular monitoring and rebalancing.

Patrick Walsh is a financial advisor with Walsh Capital LLC in Raleigh, NC, holding a Series 65 credential and nine years of industry experience. He has worked at Defender Capital and is a partner at Diligence Group, a private business consulting firm. He also maintains a personal blog to share ideas with family and friends. Walsh Capital provides discretionary asset management and consulting services primarily to individual and high-net-worth clients, focusing on a value-oriented, fundamental analysis approach with long-term holdings and tactical asset allocation tailored to client objectives. The firm offers portfolio construction, retirement-account rollover advice, and planning consultations, and is noted for its educational resources and work with charitable clients, including donor-advised fund management without advisory fees.

Gregory Dunne is a financial advisor at Raleigh Investment Advisors, Inc. in Raleigh, NC, holding a Series 65 designation with nine years of industry experience. His prior work includes eleven years at General Electric and a period of self-employment beginning in 2016. Raleigh Investment Advisors is an independent firm managing approximately $25 million for a select group of individual clients. The firm provides ongoing portfolio management with a focus on client-specific factors and quantitative risk measures, conducting quarterly account reviews and typically meeting clients twice yearly for in-person updates.

David Perkins is the sole advisor at Pharos Capital Management, LLC in Fuquay-Varina, NC, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses with 20 years of industry experience. He has led Pharos Capital Management since 2010. Pharos Capital Management provides discretionary investment management primarily through its SYNTHESIS Investment Program and serves individuals, high-net-worth investors, businesses, and other entities. The firm employs a blend of technical and fundamental analysis across multiple timeframes and offers diversified strategies aimed at managing risk through active monitoring and a structured framework.

With 15 years of experience in wealth management and financial planning, I bring both deep technical knowledge and a practical, people-first approach to financial planning. Throughout my career, I’ve had the opportunity to work in both a large financial institution and a smaller independent firm. That range of experience has shaped how I work today, blending the structure and resources of big firms with the personalized, relationship-driven approach of a boutique firm. It also gave me a clear perspective on what clients and their families truly need: a tailored approach, proactive planning, and a partner they can count on through every life stage. I started Highwind Wealth Management with this vision in mind. At Highwind Wealth Management, we integrate investment management, tax strategy, estate planning, and financial planning into a cohesive and adaptable plan. Life, markets, and goals change, and your financial plan should evolve with them. I also believe that comprehensive financial and tax planning shouldn’t be a luxury reserved for the ultra-high-net-worth; everyone deserves access to financial planning and the financial freedom that comes with it. To deliver the highest level of service, I intentionally keep a small client base. That allows me to focus deeply on each relationship and ensure that my clients and their families always receive the time and attention they deserve, as well as my family, who also receive the same focus and attention from me. Outside of work, I’m lucky to share life with my amazing wife, Lizz, and our two kids, Fallon and Charlie. When I’m not working or with my family, you’ll likely find me on a mountain bike trail, exploring the outdoors, or lost in some great music.

Dexter Perry is a CFP®-certified financial advisor with 21 years of industry experience, currently operating through One Providence Capital, LLC in Apex, NC. He has been managing One Providence Capital since 2006 and concurrently leads The Providence Group of NC, LLC, where he also holds a life and health insurance license for fixed insurance products. Perry serves as a director at First Bank & First Bancorp, Inc., and as a trustee for RBC Funds Trust, overseeing fiduciary governance of mutual funds. One Providence Capital primarily serves individual investors along with churches, non-profits, corporations, and other business entities, managing approximately $23 million in client assets. The firm employs a long-term, strategic, risk-based asset-allocation approach, constructing diversified portfolios documented through investment policy statements and risk-tolerance profiles, with quarterly monitoring and rebalancing.

Michael Molitoris is a financial advisor with Flagship Wealth Management Group, LLC, holding a Series 66 designation and 21 years of industry experience. He previously worked at The Pinnacle Financial Group and LPL Financial LLC and has maintained an independent insurance agent practice since 2010. Outside of advisory work, he sells fixed insurance products as part of his business activities. Flagship Wealth Management Group is an independent registered investment adviser serving individuals, including high-net-worth clients, charitable organizations, trusts, and businesses. The firm offers comprehensive financial planning, discretionary asset management, and hourly consulting, integrating multiple planning topics with an investment approach based on fundamental and technical analysis, modern portfolio theory, and Monte Carlo planning.

Elliott Mc Cown is a CFP® with nine years of industry experience, currently serving as the sole advisor at HanaFara. His prior roles include positions at UBS Financial Services, Personal Capital Advisors Corporation, Evergreen Wealth Advisors, Empower Advisory Group, and The Vanguard Group. HanaFara is an independent firm providing wealth management and financial planning primarily to individual and high-net-worth clients. The firm’s investment approach emphasizes asset allocation using Modern Portfolio Theory, combining passive and active strategies, and includes the use of third-party model portfolios and Outside Managers with ongoing monitoring.

Marcus Terdik is a financial advisor with Piedmont Private Wealth, LLC in Raleigh, NC, holding Series 63 and Series 66 licenses and bringing 19 years of industry experience. He previously worked at UBS Financial Services for eight years and has been with Piedmont Private Wealth since 2018. Outside of his advisory role, Marcus serves on the Board of Governors for North Ridge Country Club, advising on strategic planning initiatives. Piedmont Private Wealth, LLC is an independent SEC-registered advisory firm that serves individual and high-net-worth clients with discretionary portfolio management, asset allocation advice, and financial planning. The firm employs a long-term investment approach based on modern portfolio theory, utilizing diversified allocations across ETFs, mutual funds, municipal bonds, and equities.

Chris Di Domenico is the sole advisor at Sparrows Financial in Apex, NC, holding a Series 65 credential with one year of industry experience. He previously operated DiDomenico Investments and has been a full-time student for over a decade. Sparrows Financial is an SEC-registered investment adviser providing discretionary portfolio management and investment planning to individuals, high-net-worth clients, and business entities. The firm employs fundamental analysis with intermediate-term trading and quarterly rebalancing, primarily using mutual funds, equities, fixed income, and ETFs.

Lenoris Yarborough, Jr is a financial advisor with Yarborough Asset Management Strategies in Raleigh, NC, holding a Series 66 designation and 12 years of industry experience. His prior work includes roles at Cisco Systems and Envestnet before founding Yarborough Asset Management Strategies in 2017. He serves on the boards of several nonprofit organizations focused on education, the arts, and economic resources for African Americans. Yarborough Asset Management Strategies provides discretionary portfolio management and financial planning services to individuals, high-net-worth clients, and charitable organizations. The firm employs a range of investment techniques, including fundamental, technical, and cyclical analysis, and uses both long- and short-term strategies with documented risk tolerance and occasional use of higher-risk instruments.

Geoffrey Sirhal is the sole advisor at Charmarline Wealth Management in Cary, NC, holding Series 65 and 66 designations with 20 years of industry experience. His prior roles include nearly two decades at Blackrock Investments and founding Charmarline Capital Partners, where he also oversees rental property activities. Charmarline Wealth Management serves individuals and high-net-worth clients with a mix of discretionary and non-discretionary investment management, financial planning, and retirement advice. The firm uses a fundamental, long-term approach to build diversified, low-cost portfolios incorporating mutual funds, ETFs, stocks, bonds, and options, managing approximately $119 million in client assets.

David Carter is a financial advisor with Wood Capital Investments LLC in Raleigh, NC. He holds the Series 66 designation and has eight years of industry experience. Prior to founding his independent firm, he worked at Morgan Stanley Private Bank and Morgan Stanley from 2017 to the present, and was previously employed at Healthtrax Fitness and Wellness from 2015 to 2017. Wood Capital Investments LLC provides discretionary portfolio management and investment analysis to individuals, high-net-worth clients, trusts, estates, corporations, and other business entities. The firm’s investment approach combines quantitative, fundamental, technical, and economic analysis, employing both long- and short-term strategies, including market-timing techniques uncommon among solo independent advisors.