Stephen spent the first six years of his career in the Dallas office of Ernst & Young, LLP, in various roles, including Manager in Mergers & Acquisitions Due Diligence, where he assisted private equity funds in acquiring businesses. Stephen then spent the next fifteen years in various roles at Maverick Capital, Ltd., one of the world’s largest, oldest, and most prestigious hedge funds, ultimately serving as a Managing Director in Private Equity and Venture Capital, overseeing the valuation of over $5B in private investments. Stephen obtained his undergraduate and graduate degrees in accounting and finance from Texas A&M University and was a proud member of the Texas Aggie Corps of Cadets, where he served as Company D-2’s Executive Officer in his senior year. He also completed the certificate program in Financial Planning from Southern Methodist University.​ Stephen has been married to his wife Amy for over 20 years, having met as young CPAs at Ernst & Young, LLP. Amy and Stephen live in Lake Highlands with their daughter, who attends Ursuline Academy, where she rows crew. An avid doubles tennis player, he can be found with his friends on courts all over North Dallas. Stephen has a passion for not-for-profit finance leadership and has served on the board of directors of various Dallas organizations, including the Maverick Capital Foundation, Church of the Incarnation, Incarnation Foundation, Incarnation Place, and Incarnation House. Additionally, he has served as Treasurer of The Family Place, Junior Warden, and Treasurer at Church of the Incarnation. Stephen is currently Vice-Chairman of the Dick Granger Neighborhood Ministry, where he co-leads a team of over 30 volunteers providing episodic financial assistance for the working poor in the Uptown area. He is also on the board of directors of the Ursuline Academy of Dallas Foundation and a member of the finance committee. ​Stephen is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ professional, an active Certified Public Accountant in Texas, and holds the American Institute of CPA's (AICPA) Personal Financial Specialist credential, Series 65 license, and the Certificate in Investment Performance Measurement from the CFA Institute. He is a member of the Financial Planning Association (FPA), CFA Institute, and the AICPA, and is active in both the Texas Society of CPAs – Dallas Chapter and the FPA – DFW Chapter, where he serves on the boards of both.

Stephen Ratchford is the sole advisor at R5 Capital Management in Dallas, TX, holding a Series 66 designation with 18 years of industry experience. He has been with R5 Capital Management since 2013. Outside of his advisory role, he has worked as an insurance agent on a limited basis. R5 Capital Management serves individual and high-net-worth clients, trusts, estates, charitable organizations, and employer retirement plans. The firm offers asset management, comprehensive portfolio management, and retirement plan consulting, using a combination of analytical methods and typically pursuing long-term purchase strategies with periodic rebalancing.

Temitayo Ilori is a financial advisor at Hyvorian Financial in Garland, TX, holding a Series 65 designation with one year of industry experience. Prior to joining Hyvorian Financial, Ilori worked at Insight Global, Hub International, Summa Health, and Visa. Ilori also owns Hyvorian LLC, a business currently in the process of winding down. Hyvorian Financial serves individuals, families, charitable organizations, corporations, small businesses, and certain institutional clients with investment management, financial planning, and educational seminars. The firm’s stewardship-based, biblically grounded investment approach emphasizes long-term, values-aligned portfolios and includes faith-based financial literacy seminars available to the public.

Kyle Grisz is a financial advisor at Voyage Wealth Management, LLC with three years of industry experience. He holds a Series 65 designation and previously worked at Paratus Financial, Inc. for ten years. Voyage Wealth Management, LLC also provides tax planning and compliance services to clients. Voyage Wealth Management offers portfolio management and financial planning primarily to individual and high-net-worth clients. The firm emphasizes fundamental analysis and modern portfolio theory with a long-term investment approach, managing accounts primarily on a discretionary basis and providing custodial services through Charles Schwab.

Dana Bentz is a financial advisor at Vestie with a Series 65 designation and no prior industry experience. Her work history includes roles at AirStudio, Inc., StreamYard, Inc., and Keller Williams Realty. Vestie provides discretionary investment management to individual investors through a digital platform that offers personalized portfolio services based on risk tolerance. The firm employs a strategic asset-allocation approach using diversified ETF portfolios and operates exclusively through software without traditional advisor-client meetings.

John Moore is a financial advisor with Dallas Money Management LLC in Garland, TX, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and bringing 15 years of industry experience. He has been with Dallas Money Management since 2010 and is also the owner and a licensed real estate broker with Intown Realtors LLC. Dallas Money Management LLC provides discretionary investment supervisory services primarily to individuals and high-net-worth clients, utilizing client-specific Investment Policy Statements to guide portfolio construction. The firm employs a combination of charting, fundamental, and technical analysis and offers strategies including long- and short-term trading, short sales, margin, and options writing.

Bradford Rodrigues is the sole advisor at R1 Financial Group, a Texas-registered independent investment adviser. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and has 16 years of industry experience. R1 Financial Group serves individuals, high-net-worth individuals, and trusts, offering portfolio management and financial planning services. The firm uses a combination of fundamental and technical analysis with a long-term, value-oriented investment strategy that may include small- and mid-cap stocks, turnaround or undervalued companies, and high-yield fixed income.

Adib Motiwala is the principal advisor at Motiwala Capital in Irving, TX, holding a Series 65 designation with 14 years of industry experience. His prior roles include positions at Citigroup, Orange People, Deloitte Consulting LLP, and several other firms. Outside of his advisory work, he is a full-time program manager for software delivery teams at Citigroup. Motiwala Capital provides discretionary investment management and financial planning to private individuals, high-net-worth clients, and small businesses. The firm employs a bottom-up value approach for U.S. capital appreciation and offers specialized strategies including Japan-focused and Shariah-compliant portfolios.

Markus Byrd is a financial advisor at Candor Wealth Management, LLC in Dallas, TX, with 34 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and previously worked at Kestra Advisory and Kestra Investment Services. Byrd is also a licensed insurance agent. Candor Wealth Management is an independent, solo-advisor firm providing discretionary portfolio management and financial planning primarily for individual and high-net-worth clients. The firm emphasizes individualized investment strategies that include equities, mutual funds, ETFs, fixed income, and insurance products.

Cindy Mikel is the principal of Mikel Wealth Management in Dallas, TX, with 13 years of industry experience. She holds a Series 66 designation and previously worked at Smith Wealth Advisors, Symmetry Financial Services, Securian Financial Services, Minnesota Life Insurance Company, and Planto Roe Financial Services. Outside of her advisory role, she practices law as the owner of the Law Office of Cindy Mikel and serves as a bookkeeper for Central Presbyterian Church. Mikel Wealth Management serves individuals, families, high-net-worth clients, and small businesses with personalized investment advisory and financial planning services. The firm manages portfolios across a range of securities using fundamental analysis and asset allocation, primarily operating in a non-discretionary capacity.

James Bruno Jr. is a financial advisor at Five Keys Private Advisors LLC in Dallas, TX, holding a Series 65 designation with experience beginning in 2020. His prior roles include work at Kennedy Private Client Services LLC and ownership in the Bruno Restaurant Group, LLC. He is also a passive owner of Village Way Financial LLC, an accounting services business. Five Keys Private Advisors provides discretionary investment advisory services to accredited investors, focusing on pooled investment vehicles and a fundamental, macroeconomic-based approach to identifying fairly priced assets. The firm actively monitors risk and may engage unaffiliated managers for specialized allocations.

Donald Laseter is a CFP® professional with 10 years of industry experience, currently serving as the sole advisor at Financial Consulting Services in Dallas, TX. He has been with the firm since 1989. Financial Consulting Services specializes in discretionary investment management and financial planning for individuals, families—including high-net-worth clients—and small businesses. The firm employs a long-term investment approach that combines fundamental, technical, cyclical, and charting analyses, alongside active trading strategies including options, leverage, and alternative investments.

John Shryack is the sole advisor at JS Wealth Investment Group, an independent firm based in Dallas, TX. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 designations and has 37 years of industry experience. He has led JS Wealth Investment Group since 2012. The firm primarily serves individual clients, including both non‑high-net-worth and high-net-worth individuals, as well as small businesses, charities, and small pension plans. JS Wealth Investment Group provides financial planning and portfolio management with a client-driven, largely non-discretionary approach, typically investing in broad markets through stocks, bonds, mutual funds, government securities, and options.

Melody Jackson is a CFP® professional with 15 years of industry experience, operating through her firm, Jackson Financial Services LLC in Dallas, TX. She has worked at Unum since 2010, providing group and individual financial counseling related to employee benefits. In addition to her advisory role, she is a licensed CPA and life and health insurance agent, offering tax compliance and insurance services. Jackson Financial Services LLC provides fee-based comprehensive financial planning, investment advisory, and income tax services to individuals, families, and small businesses. The firm serves as a fiduciary advisor to employer-sponsored retirement plans, delivering non-discretionary, advice-only investment guidance focused on long-term strategies and diversified allocations using mutual funds and ETFs.

Alan Lawrence is the sole advisor at Lawrence, Alan, an independent firm based in Dallas, TX. He holds the CFA® designation and Series 63 license and has 39 years of industry experience, including 36 years at First Research Financial. Outside of advising, he is involved in personal real estate investment activities through ownership, management, and financing of properties for his own account and trust. The firm provides portfolio management and advisory services to individuals, retirement plans, business entities, trusts, estates, and occasionally pension and profit-sharing plans. Investment decisions emphasize fundamental and macroeconomic analysis, with portfolios that can include a range of securities such as equities, bonds, ETFs, options, futures, and real-estate related instruments.

Edward Milner is a financial advisor at CasMilner Consulting LLC in Dallas, TX, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses with two years of industry experience. He has been with CasMilner Consulting LLC since 2015 in various roles. Outside of advisory work, Mr. Milner serves as a volunteer mentor at a startup accelerator and holds advisory or board positions with six startup companies across technology and service sectors. CasMilner Consulting LLC provides discretionary portfolio management primarily to individual and high-net-worth clients, focusing on long-term investments in technology-driven companies. The firm emphasizes proprietary qualitative and quantitative analysis to select securities, targeting large-cap dividend-paying industry leaders and smaller- to mid-cap firms developing advanced technologies.

William Scott is the sole advisor at Scott and Associates of Texas, Inc. in Garland, TX, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses with 25 years of industry experience. He has led Scott and Associates since 2013. Scott is also a licensed insurance agent offering fixed and indexed annuities and life insurance. Scott and Associates of Texas provides investment supervisory services and financial planning primarily to individual and high-net-worth clients. The firm uses both fundamental and technical analysis, employs a mix of long- and short-term trading strategies including options writing, and conducts regular account reviews.

Dmitri Rabkin is the sole advisor at Rabkin Advisors LLC in Richardson, TX, holding a Series 65 designation with eight years of industry experience. Prior to founding his independent advisory firm in 2017, he worked at Amdocs Inc. for 14 years. Rabkin Advisors LLC provides discretionary portfolio management primarily to individual investors, including IRAs and self-directed 401(k)s, as well as trusts, estates, and small-business pension clients. The firm’s investment approach focuses on dividend-paying companies with growth potential and share repurchases, offering personalized plans and ongoing portfolio monitoring tailored to each client’s objectives and risk profile.

Dominic Dougherty IV is a CFP® professional with seven years of industry experience, currently serving as the sole advisor at Advising for Life, LLC. His prior roles include positions at Northwestern Mutual Investment Services and TD Ameritrade. Dougherty also operates a bookkeeping subscription service and has passive real estate interests along with property management activities. Advising for Life, LLC provides wealth management and financial planning services primarily to individuals, high net worth clients, trusts, and estates. The firm employs a Modern Portfolio Theory-based investment approach utilizing diversified, low-cost ETFs alongside selective individual securities and alternative investments, offering discretionary portfolio management and estate planning support as needed.