Merrit Strunk is a financial advisor at Momentum Financial and Insurance Services LLC with seven years of industry experience. She holds a Series 65 designation and has worked at Momentum Financial and Insurance Services since 2017, including prior roles at Foundations Investment Advisors and Asset Marketing Systems. In addition to advisory services, she is active as an insurance agent, focusing on insurance sales and tax mitigation strategies. Momentum Financial and Insurance Services LLC provides discretionary asset management, financial planning, and consulting to individuals, high-net-worth clients, foundations, and business entities, and also offers insurance products. The firm uses an open-architecture platform with third-party model strategies and conducts seminars and webinars for client education.

Born and raised in Saigon, I moved to the U.S. alone at 16. Shortly after, my family’s business collapsed, and I became financially independent when I was still a teenager. That experience lit a fire in me—a desire to understand how money works, and how to use it to protect and empower the people we love. As I went deeper into the world of finance, spent over a decade working with leading private wealth management firms in California, I realized wealth isn't just about income or investments. It's about peace. It's about having choices. And it's about living a life that reflects who you are—not just what you’ve earned. Too often, we’re taught to chase someone else’s version of success. I’ve seen people climb hard, high, and fast—only to realize they were on the wrong mountain. That’s why I started Anora Wealth: to help people like you pause, get clear on your “why,” and build a financial life rooted in intention, not pressure. Today, I work with first-generation wealth builders, content creators, and women in transition to align their money with what matters most—so they can stop surviving, and start designing a life of clarity, calm, and confidence. Outside of work, I love learning new things, listening to podcasts, crafting, and spending time in nature. I stay active through boxing, cycling, hiking, tennis, and yoga. I’m fluent in Vietnamese, currently learning Mandarin, and know a bit of French.

Philip Spencer is a financial advisor with Family Investment Management L.P. in Carlsbad, CA, holding Series 63 and Series 65 credentials and having 37 years of industry experience. He has been with Family Investment Management since 2014 and previously worked at LPL Financial LLC for over two decades. Family Investment Management provides financial planning, consulting, and investment management services to individuals, business entities, and retirement plans. The firm uses proprietary algorithms alongside active management and Modern Portfolio Theory to guide investment decisions, typically employing mutual funds and ETFs in portfolio implementation.

Boonseon Gudmundsen is a CFP® and Series 65-licensed financial advisor with 14 years of industry experience. He has been the principal of Beacon Financial Management LLC since 2011 and has also managed family financial matters since 2004. Beacon Financial Management LLC is a fee-only registered investment adviser serving individuals, small businesses, trusts, estates, and retirement plans. The firm offers comprehensive and limited-scope financial planning along with discretionary investment management, focusing on long-term asset allocation and diversified portfolios tailored to clients’ objectives and risk tolerance.

Tommy Wadsworth is a Series 65-licensed financial advisor with three years of industry experience. He operates Safe Harbor Assets, an independent registered investment adviser based in Fallbrook, CA. Prior to founding Safe Harbor Assets, Wadsworth worked at Voice by the Sea Inc. for over a decade. Safe Harbor Assets serves individuals, high-net-worth clients, and business entities by offering discretionary and non-discretionary asset management along with financial planning and consulting. The firm tailors portfolios to client goals and risk tolerance using various analysis methods and investment strategies, and it does not impose a minimum account size.

Darren Caris is a financial advisor at Caris Investment Partners with 27 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and has worked at Caris Investment Partners since 2019, following prior roles at Western Financial Corp and Caris Global Advisors. Caris Investment Partners is an independent investment adviser serving individuals, trusts, estates, charitable organizations, retirement plans, small businesses, and high-net-worth clients. The firm emphasizes active portfolio management using fundamental research and technical analysis across a range of strategies and asset types, offering both discretionary portfolio management and institutional services.

At Arcadia, we focus on helping people over age 45 lower taxes, manage their wealth, and retire on their terms. We charge a fair, flat fee which covers all financial planning and investment management. Before founding Arcadia I was an equity Partner at one of the largest Registered Investment Advisors (RIA) in the country where I was directly responsible for managing over $400 million in client assets and 120 client relationships. Over my 18 years in the wealth management industry, I became critical of the notion that wealth management firms should be entitled to a percentage of a client’s portfolio by charging an assets under management (AUM) fee. It also began to dawn on me that – in this industry – most traditional wealth management firms would value me based on how much client assets I brought in each year, and not necessarily on how much I was helping my clients. This ultimately is what led me to become fully independent and found Arcadia Private Wealth, implementing flat fee pricing so clients are treated more equitably and more conflicts of interests are removed from the advisor-client relationship.

Shane Kochon is a financial advisor at Harvestwise Wealth Planning with 17 years of industry experience. He holds a Series 66 designation and previously worked at Ameriprise Financial Services from 2013 to 2024. Outside of advisory work, he serves as Treasurer on a nonprofit board and holds a real estate license. Harvestwise Wealth Planning provides investment advisory and financial planning services to individuals, trusts, charitable organizations, pension and profit-sharing plans, and business clients. The firm manages approximately $38.3 million in discretionary assets and employs a tailored investment approach using fundamental, technical, quantitative, and values-based analysis.

Helping you organize and simplify your finances, build steady income, and retire with clarity and confidence. Over the last decade, I’ve worked at different wealth management firms, gaining valuable experience alongside some incredibly smart, kind people. My biggest takeaway? There’s no one-size-fits-all solution when it comes to personal finances. Customized financial planning works. And that’s what makes this work so rewarding. That’s why I created JRO Wealth Management. I built this firm for people who want to cut through the jargon and complexity and get real guidance from someone in their corner. Someone who understands how all the pieces of your financial life fit together — retirement income, taxes, investments, healthcare, legacy — and helps you make decisions across the board that actually work for you. My job isn’t to sell products or try to time the market. It’s to help you weigh the tradeoffs, see the bigger picture, and make smart, informed decisions with someone you trust by your side.

Robert Shabkie is a financial advisor at Pathlight Wealth Management with 15 years of industry experience. He holds a Series 66 designation and has previously worked at Cetera Investment Advisers LLC, Cetera Advisor Networks, and VOYA Financial Advisors. In addition to his advisory role, he maintains a legal practice focused on estate planning and serves as a licensed independent insurance agent. Pathlight Wealth Management is a single-advisor independent firm managing approximately $20.7 million for around 61 clients, including individuals and institutional pension plans. The firm provides discretionary portfolio management, financial planning, and consulting services, employing various analytical methods to tailor investment strategies that may include mutual funds, ETFs, equities, and more active trading approaches.

Darren Devries is the principal of De Vries Asset Management, LLC, with 11 years of industry experience. He holds a Series 66 designation and has a background that includes roles at Tweet Management Services and ownership of a CPA and tax preparation practice, FleetRidge Financial, Inc., which he continues to operate. De Vries Asset Management serves individuals, businesses, endowments, and nonprofit organizations primarily by acting as a promoter and referral source to third-party asset managers, while also providing direct wealth management, discretionary portfolio management, and financial planning services tailored to client objectives. The firm is affiliated with an accounting practice, reflecting Mr. Devries's dual role as a licensed CPA offering tax and accounting services separate from advisory offerings.

James Reyes is a financial advisor with Allen James Financial LLC in San Marcos, CA, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and 17 years of industry experience. His prior roles include positions at First Advisors National, LLC, JCG Investments, LLC, and Crossroads Capital Management, Inc. He also owns and operates Allen James Financial & Insurance Services, where he brokers fixed indexed insurance contracts. Allen James Financial LLC provides portfolio management and investment advisory services to individuals and high-net-worth clients, focusing on technical analysis and a long-term trading orientation. The firm generally recommends insurance products, ETFs, hedge funds, and private placements and operates on a non-discretionary basis using TD Ameritrade Institutional as custodian.

Steven Allen is a financial advisor at SOP Advisors LLC in Rancho Santa Fe, CA, holding a Series 65 designation with two years of industry experience. He has been with SOP Advisors LLC since 2022 and also has a long tenure at Greenbriar Partners L.P. dating back to 1994. SOP Advisors LLC provides discretionary investment management services primarily to individual clients and small businesses, employing a tailored portfolio management approach that includes a range of trading strategies across U.S.-based commodity, cyclical, and real asset sectors. The firm uses a combination of charting, fundamental, technical, and cyclical analysis along with proprietary models to implement both short-term and long-term investment positions within client-directed guidelines.

Christopher Lis is a Series 65-registered advisor with FOX Wealth Strategies in Claremont, California. He has no prior experience in the financial advisory industry but has worked in commercial real estate, recruiting, and currently at John Paul the Great Catholic University. FOX Wealth Strategies serves individuals and families in Southern California by providing fee-based financial planning and standalone investment advice. The firm emphasizes customized, non-discretionary recommendations using fundamental analysis and offers services on an hourly or flat-fee basis rather than a percentage of assets under management.

Lucille Shaw is the sole advisor at Finances for Life, LLC, an independent firm based in Carlsbad, CA. She holds Series 63 and Series 66 licenses and has 23 years of industry experience. In addition to her advisory role, Shaw is president of FFL Insurance Agency, LLC, where she is involved in life, health, long-term care, and disability insurance sales. Finances for Life, LLC provides investment management and comprehensive financial planning services to individuals, high-net-worth clients, retirement plans, trusts, and business entities. The firm emphasizes client-specific investment strategies, primarily manages accounts on a non-discretionary basis, and integrates advisory services with an affiliated insurance agency.

I’m on a mission to inspire women to be more intentional with their financial choices and provide a place where they can learn and share – without judgment. I’ve been through divorce and death of loved ones, I’ve worked with hundreds of clients with unique financial situations. One thing hasn’t changed throughout my career – my commitment to providing personalized services to my clients to inspire their financial journeys. You’re a busy professional woman in the middle to later stages of your career (or maybe you’ve already retired!). You have a lot going on, but you want to make sure you’re making smart financial moves. Whether you’re the family CFO or not, you want to be treated with respect. You won’t be afraid to ask questions and learn what you don’t know. You’d like to find someone you can bounce ideas off of, to get help making financial decisions, or to delegate to an expert. Finances don’t have to be a drag. You probably are already in the habit of saving. You may be making a lot of money, but haven’t been intentional about what you’re doing with it. Throughout my career, I’ve been inspired by so many women who are doing amazing things in their professional lives. However, the traditional financial advice industry does not serve us well. ➡️Our plans need to account for income shortfalls due to the gender pay gap – leading to a lifetime of reduced savings opportunities. ➡️We may need to plan around periods of income plateaus due to caregiving responsibilities for children or parents – it’s important to be intentional about career choices. ➡️Women live longer than men and are often entering or experiencing retirement solo – this impacts all aspects of retirement income, taxes, and leaving a legacy.

Michael Cortina is the sole advisor at Cortina Capital, LLC, where he holds Series 65 and 66 licenses and has 11 years of industry experience. He previously worked at UCSD from 2012 to 2016 before founding Cortina Capital in 2016. Located in Fallbrook, CA, he focuses on portfolio management and investment strategies. Cortina Capital, LLC provides discretionary portfolio management to individual and high-net-worth clients, creating written Investment Policy Statements that outline goals, time horizons, and risk tolerance. The firm employs an investment approach combining charting, fundamental, and technical analysis, with concentrated positions in mid- and large-cap technology stocks, using a range of long and short strategies as well as options trading tailored to account type and risk tolerance.

James Heczko is the principal advisor at Opus Investment Advisors, LLC, holding Series 63 and Series 65 credentials with 18 years of industry experience. He has worked at Opus since 2002. Outside of his advisory role, he owns and manages a small avocado farm and is involved in developing a consumer appliance startup. Opus serves institutional clients and family offices, focusing on pension trusts, corporations, and ultra-high-net-worth family offices. The firm provides consulting services including performance reviews, manager evaluations, and pension consulting, operating solely on a fee-for-service basis without managing client assets or exercising investment discretion.

Christopher Edwards is the principal of Pax Horizon Wealth Management, LLC, an independent firm based in Vista, CA. He holds a Series 65 designation and began his advisory career in 2025. Prior to founding Pax Horizon, Edwards has worked since 2016 at Viasat, Inc., where he manages people and operations within the Global Planning department of the satellite communications business. Pax Horizon Wealth Management is a fee-only advisory firm serving individual clients with investment management and financial planning services. The firm employs a Modern Portfolio Theory-based asset allocation approach with a preference for passive funds and manages portfolios on a discretionary basis with quarterly reviews.

Eric Rodriguez is a CFP® professional with nine years of industry experience, currently serving as the sole advisor at WealthBuilders, LLC in Carlsbad, CA. His prior experience includes roles at Fleetcor Technologies and LearnVest, Inc. He is the author of a personal finance book titled *R.E.T.I.R.E. On Your Terms: 6 Steps To Build Your Wealth* and co-hosts the Avocado Toast Podcast, which focuses on financial education for millennials. WealthBuilders, LLC serves individuals, high-net-worth clients, trusts, estates, charitable organizations, corporations, and retirement plan sponsors. The firm offers wealth management, financial planning, retirement plan consulting, and educational seminars, employing an evidence-based investment approach centered on low-cost index strategies and model portfolios.