John Gerdes is the principal of Gerdes Energy Research LLC, an independent firm based in Houston, TX. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and has 27 years of experience in the financial industry. His prior roles include positions at Mkm Partners LLC and the KLR Group, LLC. Gerdes Energy Research LLC provides subscription research and advisory publications focused on the economics of U.S. energy producers and integrated energy companies. The firm uses a data-centric, full-cycle approach combining fundamental and technical analysis to deliver market outlooks and research to institutional investors and corporate executives.

Jason Leder is the sole advisor at Leder Fiduciary Capital LLC in Bellaire, Texas, holding the CFA® designation and Series 63 license with 23 years of industry experience. He founded Leder Fiduciary Capital LLC in 2016 and has managed the firm since then. Outside of his advisory role, he owns a rental property for which he handles management tasks. Leder Fiduciary Capital LLC is an independent, solo-registered investment adviser serving individuals, charitable organizations, foundations, trusts, and businesses. The firm offers customized portfolio management and financial consulting, focusing on low-cost, passive investments and tax efficiency, while managing assets for both individual and institutional clients.

Cesar Delacerda is a financial advisor at Envisionvest with 13 years of industry experience. He holds Series 65 and Series 63 licenses and has worked at Envisionvest since 2017, following a three-year tenure at Next Financial Group Inc. Outside of his advisory role, he is involved with My Benefit Pro, where he markets and services insurance products including fixed annuities and life, health, and long-term care insurance. Envisionvest serves individuals, trusts, business clients, and employer-sponsored retirement plans by offering portfolio management, financial planning, and retirement-plan consulting. The firm builds diversified portfolios emphasizing mutual funds and ETFs, delivers both discretionary and non-discretionary managed services, and provides educational workshops and employer-focused financial wellness programs.

Amol Desai is a CFA® charterholder and holds a Series 65 license with seven years of industry experience. He is the sole advisor at Perceptive Wealth Advisors LLC, an independent firm he has been with since 2019. He also serves as a consultant with K Carpenter Associates Inc., dedicating up to 15% of his time to this role. Perceptive Wealth Advisors LLC manages approximately $10.4 million in discretionary assets for a client base of 18 high-net-worth and individual investors. The firm primarily employs passive investment strategies using index funds and ETFs, complemented by fundamental and technical analysis, and offers a range of financial planning services tailored to client needs.

Jeffrey Franco is a financial advisor at JV Global Capital, Inc. in Houston, TX. He holds a Series 65 designation and has two years of industry experience. His prior work includes positions at the University of Houston and DeBakey High School for Health Professions. JV Global Capital, Inc. serves high-net-worth individuals, families, institutions, corporations, trusts, and asset protection structures, including both domestic and international clients. The firm employs a goals-based investment approach with tailored asset allocation and risk analysis, providing predominantly non-discretionary proposals and offering institutional retirement plan consulting with co-fiduciary and discretionary advisory roles.

Frederick Hanish is an independent financial advisor with Old Drake, LLC, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and 37 years of industry experience. His work history includes roles at multiple firms such as Republic Wealth Advisors, Mercer Global Advisors, and FP Transitions. Outside of his advisory work, he is involved in a farmland business as a land agent with Midwest Land Group, LLC. Old Drake serves individual clients primarily through consulting and referral arrangements rather than managing client accounts directly. The firm offers macro consulting, portfolio coaching, land acquisition and development guidance, and risk-control coaching, focusing notably on strategies involving U.S. farmland and timberland as part of income and diversification planning.

Thomas Till is a financial advisor with APPS Wealth Management, Inc. in Friendswood, TX, holding Series 63 and Series 66 licenses and bringing 29 years of industry experience. He has been with APPS Wealth Management since 2017 and also owns Compass Tax Solutions, a local tax preparation business. Till has a background that includes roles at Investment Advisors, Life Planning Solutions, Inc., Proequities, Inc., and APPS Financial Group, Inc. APPS Wealth Management is an independent advisory firm that provides financial planning and investment advice primarily to individual clients. The firm refers clients to third-party money managers for portfolio management and custody, assisting with onboarding and monitoring without exercising discretionary trading authority.

Theodore Koinis is a CFP® professional with 26 years of industry experience, currently serving as the sole advisor at Helios Wealth Advisors, LLC since 2005. Based in Pearland, TX, he holds Series 63 and Series 66 licenses. Koinis also manages the operations of Silver Pear 518 Business Park, Ltd., where he oversees budgeting and maintenance. Helios Wealth Advisors is an independent firm providing discretionary investment management, financial planning, and retirement-plan consulting to individuals, trusts, charitable organizations, and pension plans. The firm employs a strategic asset allocation approach with actively managed mutual funds and diversified asset classes, reviewing accounts quarterly and tailoring portfolios to client objectives.

Sam Ghaly is a financial advisor at Santa Monica Wealth Management, LLC in Houston, TX, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses with 14 years of industry experience. He has worked at Santa Monica Wealth Management since 2018 and previously at Cambridge Investment Research advisors, Inc. from 2014 to 2018. Santa Monica Wealth Management provides discretionary investment management to individuals, high-net-worth clients, trusts, estates, charitable organizations, and business entities. The firm employs a core-and-satellite investment approach with a multi-year market-cycle perspective, emphasizing long-term holdings and strategic use of cash, managing approximately $21.7 million across 35 client accounts.

Charles Adi is a CFP® professional with 15 years of experience in financial advising. He is the principal of Blueprint 360 LLC, an independent firm he has led since 2018. Prior to founding Blueprint 360, he worked at Wealth Development Strategies Investment Advisory, Penn Mutual Life Insurance Co, and Hornor Townsend & Kent Inc. Outside of advising, he is involved in insurance brokerage and leads a digital platform focused on financial education. Blueprint 360 provides investment management, financial planning, and advisory services to individuals, high-net-worth clients, trusts, estates, corporations, and businesses. The firm emphasizes a customized, long-term investment approach using low-cost mutual funds and ETFs, supplemented by educational seminars and a paid digital education platform.

Clayton Curley is a financial advisor at Ridgeback Financial LLC with nine years of industry experience. He holds the Series 66 designation and previously worked at Edward Jones and New Benefits. Ridgeback Financial LLC is a single-advisor independent registered investment adviser that provides discretionary asset management, financial planning, and consulting to individuals, trusts, estates, business entities, and retirement plans. The firm offers tailored investment programs using multiple analysis methods and provides ERISA 3(21) pension consulting and participant education services.

Gary Kinder is a financial advisor at Wealth Architects, LLC with 39 years of industry experience. He holds the ChFC® designation along with Series 63 and Series 65 licenses. Prior to founding Wealth Architects, he was involved with Gradient Wealth Management and Gradient Securities. In addition to his advisory work, Kinder owns CPA Advisory Network, which provides marketing services to CPA firms seeking to establish financial services divisions. Wealth Architects, LLC is a fee-based financial planning firm serving individual and high-net-worth clients through fixed-fee plans, educational seminars, and co-advisory arrangements with third-party money managers. The firm acts as an adviser and referral source, utilizing a third-party platform that employs modern-portfolio asset allocation and discretionary trading, while Wealth Architects supports client onboarding and periodic reviews.

John Gray is a financial advisor at Hamilton Gray Wealth Management LLC in Houston, TX, with 10 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and has been with his independent firm since 2016. Hamilton Gray Wealth Management provides wealth management, investment advisory, and financial planning services primarily for high-net-worth individuals, multi-generational families, and related entities. The firm acts as a family CFO, coordinating with attorneys, accountants, and insurance advisers, and uses a top-down, asset-allocation approach based on Modern Portfolio Theory.

Biniam Keleta is the president of Westcenter Advisors Ltd in Houston, TX, with 25 years of experience in the financial industry. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 credentials and has worked at several firms, including Royal Fund Management, LLC, and Ims Financial Advisors, Inc. In addition to his advisory role, he owns and operates an insurance agency. Westcenter Advisors Ltd offers discretionary investment management, retirement-plan advisory services including ERISA 3(21) and 3(38) roles, financial planning, and public educational seminars. The firm serves individuals, high-net-worth clients, corporations, non-profits, and employer retirement plans, combining pension consulting with public workshops and flexible financial planning options.

Darvon Webb is a financial advisor at Retirement Solutions with 25 years at the firm and 11 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses. Webb also sells life, health, and variable insurance products, dedicating up to half of his time to insurance-related business. Retirement Solutions is an independent, fee-based advisory firm serving primarily individual clients with portfolio management and tailored financial plans. The firm employs both fundamental and technical analysis, manages approximately $12.6 million across about 45 clients, and integrates insurance-policy reviews into its financial planning.

Cody Garrett is a CFP® professional with seven years of industry experience, currently operating as the sole advisor at Measure Twice Financial LLC. He previously worked at Legacy Asset Management, Inc. and spent seven years at St. Luke's United Methodist Church. Garrett also owns two educational websites that provide financial planning content for the public and other advisors. Measure Twice Financial LLC offers fee-only financial planning services to individuals, high-net-worth clients, and corporations through comprehensive written plans and hourly engagements. The firm does not manage client assets directly and uses various investment analysis methods within a modern portfolio theory framework, focusing on passive strategies.

Andre Norman is a financial advisor with Gravity Advisers LLC in Houston, TX. He holds Series 66 and Series 63 credentials and has worked in the financial services industry since 2016, including roles at Jellifin Financial, Inc., Tradier, Inc., and Opencash Finance, Inc. He is also involved with Norman Hospitality Group LLC. Gravity Advisers LLC provides digital portfolio management to individual investors through an online platform that offers preselected managed portfolios and AI-assisted custom portfolio construction. The firm combines rules-based implementation with automated rebalancing and limits managed holdings to individual equities and unleveraged ETFs, with discretionary authority granted only after client approval.

Anasuya Meyer is a CFP® and holds a Series 66 license with 11 years of industry experience. She has been with JayKay Wealth Advisors, Inc. since 2015 and also maintains an affiliation with LPL Financial. JayKay Wealth Advisors serves individual and high-net-worth clients, charitable organizations, and retirement plan sponsors by providing portfolio management, financial planning, and retirement plan consulting. The firm employs a long-term investment approach based on modern portfolio theory and offers discretionary account management along with ERISA-focused fiduciary consulting for retirement plans.

Marisa Ponti is a financial advisor at Ridgeback Capital Management with three years of industry experience. She holds a Series 65 designation and has worked in both healthcare and wealth management sectors, including roles at the University of Houston College of Medicine and Vecino Health Centers. Ridgeback Capital Management serves individuals, high-net-worth clients, corporations, trusts, estates, and charitable institutions by offering portfolio management, financial planning, and access to third-party money managers through a managed account program. The firm’s investment approach is based on Modern Portfolio Theory and primarily involves engaging sub-advisors who hold discretionary trading authority and conduct ongoing research and portfolio monitoring.

Donald Wellings is a financial advisor at Strategic Advisory Services, L.L.C. with six years of industry experience. He holds a Series 65 designation and has worked in various roles including at Shepherds Theological Seminary and Range Leather Company. Strategic Advisory Services, L.L.C. provides discretionary wealth management to individuals, trusts, estates, and business entities, managing over $184 million in discretionary assets. The firm offers portfolio management, oversight of third-party money managers, and financial planning services that include retirement distribution planning, frequently utilizing SEI Investments’ institutional programs with customized asset allocations.