Brenda Knox is a CFP® with 26 years of industry experience. She has been with Financial Elements, Inc. since 2008. Financial Elements, Inc. provides comprehensive financial planning and discretionary investment management for individuals, trusts, estates, charitable organizations, and business entities. The firm emphasizes strategic asset allocation based on Modern Portfolio Theory, using globally diversified portfolios primarily composed of mutual funds and ETFs, and operates as a small, fee-only advisory practice with multiple professional fiduciary credentials.

Dennis Karstens is a financial advisor at Karstens Wealth in Oak Brook, IL, with 11 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 credentials and previously worked at Interactive Financial Advisors for eight years. Outside of his advisory role, he is the owner-member of Karstens Financial LLC. Karstens Wealth serves individuals, families, trusts, charitable organizations, small businesses, and retirement plans, offering comprehensive financial planning and portfolio management. The firm employs a primarily passive, cost- and tax-efficient investment approach, with flexibility to use active management when appropriate, and integrates digital planning tools alongside discretionary account management.

Christopher Jones is a CFP® certificant and Series 66 license holder with 14 years of experience in the financial advisory industry. He has worked at Ameriprise Financial Services, Inc. for 10 years before founding Azalea Wealth Management LLC, where he has been the sole advisor since 2020. Azalea Wealth Management LLC is an independent registered investment adviser serving individuals, pension and profit-sharing plans, charitable organizations, and corporations. The firm provides discretionary portfolio management and financial planning, using tailored strategies that include option writing and structured products alongside conventional investments, combining technical, fundamental, and modern portfolio theory analyses.

Shawn Roberts is a CFP® and holds a Series 66 license with three years of experience in the financial industry. He is the principal of SMR Strategic Investments, LLC and has prior experience managing trading-related businesses, including SMR Crescent LLC and Shawn M. Roberts Trading Company. Outside of financial advisory, he serves as Assistant Treasurer for the Glen Ellyn Library Foundation, where he assists with investment decisions and financial reporting. SMR Strategic Investments, LLC provides investment advisory and portfolio management services to individual clients, focusing on ongoing portfolio management and financial planning. The firm manages approximately $8.6 million in assets across 16 client relationships.

Scott Sierens is a CFP® professional with 10 years of industry experience. He is the principal at Sierens Financial Group, Inc. in Elgin, IL, and has prior experience with AE Wealth Management, Gradient Advisors, and AptarGroup. He also works as a paid contractor creating content for YouTube. Sierens Financial Group, Inc. provides discretionary asset management and financial planning to individuals, trusts, estates, and high-net-worth clients, combining mutual funds, ETFs, and both fundamental and technical analysis. The firm offers educational seminars and workshops and accommodates client-specific investment restrictions and goals.

Daniel Short is the sole advisor at Directional Asset Management, LLC in Arlington Heights, IL, holding Series 65 and Series 63 licenses with 29 years of industry experience. He has been with Directional Asset Management since 2010 and previously worked at JVM Securities LLC and JVM Realty Corp. Outside of advising, he owns the commercial property leased to his firm. Directional Asset Management, LLC is an independent, single-advisor registered investment adviser serving individual, high-net-worth, and charitable clients. The firm combines fundamental, technical, and cyclical analysis to construct customized investment portfolios and employs strategies including discretionary management, options, margin, and third-party managers where authorized.

Eeshan Ahuja is a financial advisor at Baker Street Investment Partners LLC with four years of industry experience. He holds a Series 65 designation and previously worked as an independent private equity investor and at Woodlawn Partners. Baker Street Investment Partners provides discretionary investment management primarily to pooled vehicles and institutional-type clients, serving a broad mix of entities including banks, sovereign wealth funds, pension plans, and charitable organizations. The firm’s investment approach focuses on fundamental analysis and concentrated, long-term equity ownership, with flexibility to invest across various asset classes and employ derivatives, margin, and short-selling as appropriate.

Charles Horonzy is a CFP® professional with seven years of industry experience. He is the sole advisor at Focused Up Financial, LLC, where he has worked since 2017. Prior to that, he was employed at Sullivan Mermel, Inc. and Accountemps. Outside of his advisory role, Horonzy is employed as a Tax Pro for Intuit and has worked as an independent contractor for Bluestem Financial Advisors, LLC. Focused Up Financial serves individual and family clients as well as businesses and plan sponsors, offering comprehensive financial planning, investment advisory, and tax preparation services. The firm emphasizes integrated planning that coordinates investment allocation with tax, risk management, and business-planning considerations, primarily employing passive, asset-class-based investment strategies with discretionary portfolio management delegated to a third-party sub-adviser.

I'm Linda Rapisardo, CFP® and founder of Canela Wealth, a flat-fee, advice-only financial planning firm for first-generation wealth builders. My clients are first-gen professionals in their 30s and 40s who have worked hard to build successful careers, but never got a roadmap for what comes next. They're often the person their family turns to with money questions, even while quietly asking themselves: Am I saving enough? Am I spending too much? What should I even be prioritizing right now? That mental load is real. And it can feel heavier when you've spent most of your life figuring things out on your own. I know that feeling. I grew up in a working-class, immigrant family where my parents navigated an unfamiliar financial system without anyone trustworthy to guide them. The 2008 financial crisis hit us hard. My parents were smart, resourceful, and hardworking, but the system wasn't designed with them in mind. I watched what it costs a family to go it alone, and it shaped everything about how I show up for clients today. My goal is to be the person my parents never had: someone who cuts through the noise, explains how things actually work, and makes sure you never feel alone navigating the financial system. I believe transparency and education are everything. As an advice-only planner, I never manage assets or earn commissions. My flat-fee structure means my only incentive is to give you excellent, unconflicted advice. I help with comprehensive financial planning, including cash flow, debt strategy, retirement projections, tax planning, insurance review, home-buying decisions, and investment guidance for those managing their own portfolios. My favorite moments are when the weight lifts. When a client stops stressing about money and starts focusing on the things they actually care about. That's why I do this work. When I'm not helping clients, I'm chasing my two kiddos, Luca (4) and Camila (1), and dreaming up our next big family trip.

Dustin Javier is a financial advisor at Defined Capital LLC with 14 years of industry experience. He holds the CFP® and Series 66 designations. Prior to joining Defined Capital, he worked at Ausdal Financial Partners, Inc. and operates a sole proprietorship focused on fixed insurance sales. Defined Capital provides discretionary asset management, comprehensive financial planning, and retirement-plan consulting for individuals, high-net-worth clients, and plan sponsors. The firm emphasizes customized portfolio construction with regular reviews and offers a specialized limited-scope ERISA 3(21) fiduciary service for retirement plans.

My goal is to provide working professionals with sound financial advice to help them best position themselves and their financial lives for success. While the majority of our clients have medical backgrounds or are business owners, our services are best targeted to those with investable assets and are in the asset accumulation phase of their life. I provide comprehensive financial planning services as well as investment advisory services. PVA Financial LLC is a SEC-registered RIA firm. We focus our business on providing PRACTICAL, VALUABLE and ALIGNED advice. I found that to be missing when I was looking for an advisor more than two decades ago and have vowed to keep focused on those three tenets. Before founding PVA Financial, I worked as a private equity executive. With over 15 years of financial services experience, I've spent the majority of my career evaluating businesses, investing in them, finding ways to accelerate their growth and improve their operational efficiency. This background has given me unique insight into the importance of building strong foundations and the necessity for clear and effective communication...both of which are incorporated into our relationships with clients. I graduated from Washington University in St. Louis with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration. I also received my MBA from the Booth School of Business at the University of Chicago, with a focus on Finance & Accounting. I also hold the CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ designation, which requires comprehensive knowledge in all areas of financial planning, including insurance planning, risk management, employee benefits planning, investment planning, income tax planning, retirement planning, and estate planning. On the personal side, I enjoy spending time with my wife, three kids and our goldendoodle Leo. I was the Cubmaster for my kids Scout group (sadly a while ago) and am heavily involved in a few charitable organizations. I'm an avid Chicago Bears fan and enjoy playing tennis, basketball and golf. Additional information can be found at www.pvafinancial.com and I can be reached at [email protected]

Lauren Hunt is a CFP® professional with 11 years of industry experience. She is the sole advisor at Daybreak Wealth, LLC, where she has worked since 2022. Prior to this, she spent eight years at Pinnacle Financial Group LLC. Daybreak Wealth, LLC provides customized financial planning and ongoing wealth management to individuals, high-net-worth clients, and estates and trusts. The firm focuses on primarily passive, long-term portfolios using low-cost mutual funds and ETFs, applying principles from Modern Portfolio Theory and the Fama–French three-factor model.

Erik Barnes is a financial advisor at Retirement Portfolio Partners in Warrenville, IL, holding a Series 66 designation with 17 years of industry experience. He has been with The Farm Capital Management, LLC since 2008. Retirement Portfolio Partners provides wealth management services to individuals, high-net-worth households, and families, combining portfolio management with comprehensive financial planning. The firm employs passive, cost- and tax-aware strategies using mutual funds, ETFs, and select individual securities, and offers ongoing portfolio oversight through quantitative tools and client digital portals.

Steven Johnson is a financial advisor at SRJ Financial Consulting LLC in Lombard, IL, holding a Series 65 designation with one year of industry experience. His prior experience includes roles at Willamette Management Associates and Charles River Associates. SRJ Financial Consulting LLC provides investment advisory services, financial planning, tax-planning analyses, and tax-return preparation for a diverse client base that includes individuals, small businesses, trusts, estates, and charitable organizations. The firm offers investment advice on a non-discretionary basis and features a formal no-fee program of educational seminars and workshops along with compensated tax-return preparation.

Patrick Keedy is the principal advisor at Patrick Capital Management in Geneva, Illinois, holding Series 63 and Series 66 licenses with 24 years of industry experience. He has led Patrick Capital Management since 2004. The firm provides personalized financial planning and discretionary and non-discretionary investment management for individuals, institutions, and business clients, including pension and profit-sharing plans, trusts, and charitable organizations. Its investment approach combines strategic and tactical asset allocation with macroeconomic and bottom-up security analysis, utilizing global diversification across multiple asset classes.

John Beck is a financial advisor at Midwest Retirement Partners, LLC with 10 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 66 licenses and has worked previously at ADP LLC, ADP Broker-Dealer Inc., and Inland Securities Corporation. Midwest Retirement Partners is an independent, single-advisor firm that primarily serves pension and profit-sharing plans. The firm emphasizes quantitative analysis and a long-term investment approach, focusing on plan consulting and referring clients to third-party advisers rather than managing individual client portfolios directly.

Louis Orloff is a financial advisor with Reserve Fund Advisers, holding a Series 65 credential and four years of industry experience. He has been involved with several business ventures since 1988, including founding Orloff Advisers LLC and operating multiple companies over the past decades. His various companies require minimal time commitment. Reserve Fund Advisers specializes in financial planning, investment monitoring, and consulting for condominium and homeowner association reserve funds, offering educational seminars at no charge. The firm serves individuals, associations, trusts, estates, and business entities using an academic-based investment approach that incorporates fundamental and technical analysis across diverse strategies.

Theodore Barnhart is the sole advisor at Barnhart Investment Advisory in Elmhurst, Illinois, holding Series 63 and Series 65 credentials with 20 years of industry experience. He has led Barnhart Investment Advisory since 2009. Barnhart Investment Advisory serves individuals, families, trusts, and estates with discretionary portfolio management and investment consulting, focusing on active, tactical asset allocation and inflation-sensitive strategies. The firm manages a concentrated client base with customized solutions and requires clients to use a designated custodian platform for managed-account services.

Matthew Nordman is a financial advisor with Crown Financial Group, Inc., holding a Series 65 designation and 28 years of industry experience. He operates as the sole advisor at an independent firm. Crown Financial Group provides investment supervisory and financial planning services to a diverse client base, including individual and institutional investors such as corporate pension plans, charitable institutions, and municipalities. The firm employs a multi-method investment process incorporating technical, cyclical, and fundamental analysis and offers a range of strategies from long-term buy-and-hold to short-term trading.

Clayton Lawrie is a Series 65 licensed financial advisor at Trac Asset Management LLC with 17 years of industry experience. He has worked at Trac Asset Management since 2015. Trac Asset Management provides investment advisory and portfolio management services to high-net-worth individuals as well as institutional clients including trusts, estates, and corporations. The firm employs both discretionary and non-discretionary strategies, using fundamental, technical, and cyclical analysis across a range of investment vehicles, and offers educational seminars and workshops for clients and the public.