I’m Didi, a first-generation immigrant from China, a proud mom, and the founder of Everleap Financial Planning™. I came to the U.S. at 23 carrying my family’s hopes and a familiar “default script” of chasing stability and success. After earning my master’s degree, I spent seven years in financial services and five more in the fast-paced tech world, eventually reaching prestigious titles and earning over half a million dollars a year. On paper, it looked like I had made it. But behind those accomplishments was a story many first-generation immigrants know well: the relentless pursuit of security, the weight of visa uncertainty, and the quiet burnout that comes from running at full speed for too long. When my daughter was born, the tension between work, identity, and family became impossible to ignore. In 2024, I took a leap of faith and stepped away from a high six-figure tech career. Not because I had everything figured out, but because I finally had the courage to ask better questions: What is enough? What truly matters? What kind of life am I modeling for my child? That pause gave me space to reflect and recalibrate. I realized that financial planning was where my lived experience, technical background, and values naturally intersected. It offered a way to help others navigate complex financial decisions while honoring their identity, culture, and aspirations. At Everleap Financial Planning™, I work with high-achieving immigrant professionals who are building new roots in the U.S. while navigating big transitions in career, family, and life. Our work begins with listening. Through Initial Comprehensive Financial Planning, we clarify your vision and align your income, investments, stock compensation, and long-term goals around what matters most. For those who want continued partnership, Ongoing Financial Planning provides steady guidance as your life evolves. My role is not just to optimize numbers, but to help you use money as a tool for freedom, clarity, and balance, so your next leap feels intentional, not reactive. 🔎 Learn more about my services and approach: https://everleapfp.com/services/ 🗓️ Schedule a free intro meeting here: https://everleapfp.com/contact/

Li Li is a financial advisor at Klahanie Investment LLC with eight years of industry experience. Li holds a Series 65 designation and has been with Klahanie Investment since 2018. Klahanie Investment LLC is an independent, single-advisor registered investment adviser that provides discretionary portfolio management to high-net-worth clients through separately managed accounts and manages a privately offered limited partnership for accredited investors. The firm uses a combination of technical, fundamental, and macroeconomic analysis to construct concentrated, equity-oriented portfolios and employs strategies including long/short positions, options, and ETFs for hedging and income.

Kedar Mohare is a financial advisor at Steelhead Capital Management LLC in Issaquah, WA, holding a Series 65 designation and starting his advisory career in 2026. Prior to this role, he held positions at Amazon Inc, Microsoft Corporation, and Command Systems Inc. Steelhead Capital Management LLC provides discretionary portfolio management and fixed-fee financial planning primarily for individual and high-net-worth clients, focusing exclusively on US-listed equities. The firm employs a long-term value investing approach with detailed fundamental analysis and selective technical tools, maintaining concentrated portfolios with discretionary trading authority limited to liquid US equities and certain hedging options.

Joel Mellor is a financial advisor at Mellor & Associates LLC in Bellevue, WA, with 17 years of industry experience. He holds a Series 63 designation and has been with Mellor & Associates since 1996. Outside of his advisory role, Mellor provides tax preparation services and sells life and disability insurance. Mellor & Associates offers discretionary investment management to individuals, trusts, and businesses, focusing on retirement planning, wealth maintenance, and intergenerational transfers. The firm employs a fundamental, long-term investment approach and uses cash-flow modeling and asset allocation to align portfolios with clients’ liquidity needs and risk tolerance.

Carlton Ellis is a financial advisor at Chimera Wealth LLC with 37 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and has worked at firms including Nobles and Richards, Inc. and Landolt Securities, Inc. Ellis was involved with In House Hemp LLC from 2019 to 2021. Chimera Wealth serves individual and high-net-worth clients, providing portfolio management, financial planning, pension consulting, and held-away portfolio consulting. The firm combines strategic and tactical model allocations using a mix of analytical approaches and offers unique services such as subscription-based portfolio reports and digital asset access.

Dan Kanivas is a CFP®, CFA®, and Series 65 credentialed financial advisor with nine years of industry experience. He has been with Triple Summit Advisors, LLC since 2015. Triple Summit Advisors, LLC manages approximately $90.3 million in discretionary assets for around 170 clients, including individuals, trusts, and corporate entities. The firm offers a range of investment strategies, including ETF-based global asset allocation, global compounding value, and event-driven approaches that incorporate performance-based fees and specialized techniques such as merger arbitrage and options trading.

Nathan Ricks is a CFP® professional with 24 years of industry experience. He has served as an advisor at Financial Freedom for Dentists LLC since 2019 and previously worked at Dental Wealth Advisors, LLC from 2013 to 2019. Financial Freedom for Dentists LLC advises dentists, other individual and high-net-worth clients, as well as corporations and employer-sponsored retirement plans. The firm offers discretionary portfolio management, retirement-plan support, and tailored financial planning, employing Modern Portfolio Theory with regular monitoring, rebalancing, and tax-loss harvesting. Additionally, the firm provides public educational seminars and retirement-plan education for plan participants.

Vogt Wilkison is the sole advisor at Wilkison Investment Services, LLC, an independent firm based in Snoqualmie, WA. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and has 28 years of industry experience, having worked at the firm since 1988. Wilkison Investment Services provides personalized, fee-only investment management and financial planning services to individual and high-net-worth clients. The firm uses an asset-allocation approach, constructing diversified portfolios with passive index and exchange-traded funds, actively managed mutual funds, and individual securities, and emphasizes a combination of fundamental and technical analysis.

Yue Cheng is a financial advisor at Mercer Island Capital Management, LLC with one year of industry experience. Cheng holds a Series 65 designation and has prior work experience at Mercer Island Telecom, LLC, Seattle University, and Shanghai International Studies University. Mercer Island Capital Management provides discretionary portfolio management, financial planning, and educational seminars for individuals, high-net-worth clients, trusts, retirement plans, and nonprofit entities. The firm employs an investment approach based on asset allocation and Modern Portfolio Theory, combined with fundamental and quantitative stock selection, and utilizes various risk management strategies including derivatives within Separately Managed Accounts.

Rachel Sehayek is a financial advisor at Prism Financial Planning, LLC in Issaquah, WA. She holds a Series 65 designation and began her advisory career in 2024. Prior to joining Prism, she worked at Beacon Hill Staffing Group, Washington State University, and the Issaquah School District. Prism Financial Planning provides written financial plans and advice to individuals, couples, and families on topics including retirement planning, college savings, and tax efficiency. The firm emphasizes client needs and risk tolerance to recommend asset allocations and investment options, typically favoring no-load mutual funds and index-based ETFs, and operates on a fee-only basis without managing client assets directly.

Loyd Burleson III is a CFP® professional with five years of industry experience, currently serving at Financial Freedom for Dentists LLC. His work history includes roles at Advanced Planning Educational Group, Inc. and BANDER Investments. Financial Freedom for Dentists LLC advises dentists and other high-net-worth individuals, as well as corporations and employer-sponsored retirement plans. The firm employs Modern Portfolio Theory in portfolio construction and offers discretionary management, comprehensive financial planning, public educational seminars, and retirement-plan support services.

Brian Jennison is a financial advisor at Paysse Jennison Financial Advisors with 29 years of industry experience. He holds a Series 65 designation and has been with Paysse Jennison, Inc. since 1996. Paysse Jennison Financial Advisors is a fee-only firm serving individuals, small businesses, and small-business retirement plans. The firm manages approximately $64.5 million using a core-portfolio approach focused on diversified allocations, low-cost funds, and selective use of ETFs and large-cap stocks, typically managing accounts on a discretionary basis with regular reviews and detailed reporting.

Christian Sessions is a financial advisor at Financial Freedom for Dentists LLC with three years of industry experience. He holds a Series 65 designation and has worked in various roles including at Beehive Federal Credit Union and as a missionary. Financial Freedom for Dentists LLC advises dentists, other individuals, high-net-worth clients, corporations, and employer-sponsored retirement plans. The firm uses Modern Portfolio Theory to construct portfolios, offers discretionary portfolio management, and provides financial planning integrated with investment management, along with public educational seminars on investments and retirement topics.

Rachel Jennison is a CFP® with 24 years of industry experience. She has been with Paysse Jennison, Inc. since 1996. Paysse Jennison Financial Advisors is a two-advisor, fee-only firm serving individuals, small businesses, and small-business retirement plans. The firm manages approximately $64.5 million across about 30 client relationships, providing discretionary investment management and hourly consulting with individualized portfolios emphasizing diversified, low-cost investments and regular portfolio reviews.

WealthCollab was created to help analytically minded business owners and technology professionals achieve and maintain financial independence. As a boutique firm, we take a uniquely personal and transparent approach to understanding and advising on your fundamental financial priorities. While making smart investment decisions is critical to success, a focus on other areas of your finances like taxes, budgeting, insurance needs, retirement contributions, savings targets and business/real estate interests can be just as important. For this reason, our focus is to provide a comprehensive framework for aligning ALL your financial decisions with your objectives. Unlike traditional firms, WealthCollab charges a fixed fee rather than a percentage of assets or commission schedule. In most cases, this better aligns our interests and saves clients money.

Garrett Grigas is a financial advisor at Gevers Wealth Management with five years of industry experience. He holds a Series 66 designation and has worked previously at Cetera and Cetera Wealth Services. Outside of his advisory role, he serves as vice-president of the CFA Society of Seattle. Gevers Wealth Management is an SEC-registered investment adviser offering discretionary investment management and stand-alone financial consulting services to individuals, trusts, estates, nonprofits, and business entities. The firm employs a range of investment strategies using quantitative and qualitative analysis, with regular portfolio monitoring and rebalancing.

Tyson Farmer is a financial advisor at Vega Financial LLC with 19 years of industry experience. He holds a Series 66 designation and previously worked at Edward Jones for 10 years before joining Vega Financial in 2020. Vega Financial serves individual, high-net-worth, and corporate clients by providing discretionary and non-discretionary portfolio management along with comprehensive financial planning services. The firm’s investment approach is based on Modern Portfolio Theory, using primarily passive portfolio construction complemented by tactical analysis and options strategies tailored to client-specific investment policies.

Daniel Wilkison is the sole advisor at Wilkison Investment Services, LLC in Snoqualmie, WA, with 24 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 66 designations and has operated his independent firm since 2001. Wilkison Investment Services provides personalized, fee-only investment management and financial planning services to individual and high-net-worth clients. The firm emphasizes asset allocation and constructs diversified portfolios using a combination of passive index funds, actively managed mutual funds, and individual securities, employing a mix of fundamental and technical analysis.

Richard Mellor is a financial advisor at Mellor & Associates LLC in Bellevue, WA, holding a Series 65 designation with 13 years of industry experience. Prior to his advisory role, he worked at United Parcel Service from 2012 to 2017. Mellor & Associates provides discretionary investment management services to individuals, trusts, and businesses, focusing on retirement planning, wealth maintenance, and intergenerational transfers. The firm employs a fundamental, long-term investment approach, utilizing equities, fixed income, ETFs, and selected non-traded REITs to align portfolios with clients’ liquidity needs and risk tolerance.

Carlos Obando is a financial advisor with Mercer Island Capital Management, LLC, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and bringing 26 years of industry experience. He has been with Mercer Island Capital Management since 2014. Outside of advisory work, Obando is an adjunct professor at Seattle University and serves as CEO of an education technology company, 34PI.COM Corporation. Mercer Island Capital Management provides discretionary portfolio management, financial planning, and educational seminars for individuals, high-net-worth clients, trusts, retirement plans, and nonprofit entities. The firm employs asset allocation, Modern Portfolio Theory, and both fundamental and quantitative stock-selection methods, supplementing strategies with outside money managers and using derivatives and margin in certain client accounts.