Michael Woods is a financial advisor at Beach Cities Wealth Management, LLC with 36 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and has worked at Beach Cities Wealth Management since 2011. In addition to his advisory role, he is also involved with Blue Cross Health Insurance in an insurance advisory capacity. Beach Cities Wealth Management serves individuals and high-net-worth clients by providing personalized asset management through tailored portfolios that include stocks, bonds, ETFs, options, mutual funds, and private securities. The firm uses fundamental and cyclical analysis with a combination of long-term, short-term, and trading strategies, maintaining nearly all assets on a non-discretionary basis.

Eric Johanson is a CFA® charterholder with 10 years of experience in the financial industry. He has been with Scope Wealth Management in Santa Monica, CA since 2015. Scope Wealth Management provides personalized financial planning and discretionary investment management to private clients, including individuals, businesses, families, trusts, and estates. The firm uses a core-satellite portfolio construction approach that integrates low-cost passive holdings with fundamentally selected individual positions and employs option and derivative strategies within separately managed accounts.

Charles Armendarez is a CFA® charterholder with six years of industry experience. He has worked at Ascendant Capital Management since 2019 and previously at One Source Capital Group and Canyon Holdings. Ascendant Capital Management provides discretionary portfolio management and financial planning to individuals, high-net-worth clients, and business entities. The firm integrates modern portfolio theory with fundamental and technical analysis to construct tailored portfolios that are reviewed quarterly and may include a range of securities such as stocks, bonds, ETFs, and private securities.

Mitchel Katz Winnick is a CFP® and holds a Series 65 license with two years of industry experience. He has worked at several firms, including Edelman Financial Engines and Morgan Stanley, before joining My Portfolio Guide, LLC. Outside of financial advising, his background includes time at In-N-Out Burger and studying at Chapman University. My Portfolio Guide, LLC offers discretionary and non-discretionary portfolio management and financial planning for individual, high-net-worth, and pension plan clients. The firm uses proprietary investment models tailored to client goals and risk tolerance, employing a mix of fundamental and technical analysis along with tactical trading strategies.

Katerina Minevich is a CFP® and holds a Series 65 license, currently associated with Quantitative Financial Strategies in Los Angeles, CA. She has professional experience spanning roles at NuORDER, Inc., and several financial services firms since 2013. Quantitative Financial Strategies provides fee-only investment and wealth management services to individual and high-net-worth clients. The firm employs asset-allocation and modern portfolio theory with a combination of passive and active investments, utilizing model portfolios and technology, including AI tools, to support discretionary client relationships.

Samantha Powell is a financial advisor at New River Investments in Los Angeles, CA, holding a Series 65 designation with eight years of industry experience. She has been with New River Investments since 2014. New River Investments provides discretionary portfolio management to individuals, high-net-worth clients, and certain business entities through separately managed accounts and by advising a related private fund. The firm utilizes a combination of charting, fundamental, technical, cyclical, and statistical analysis and employs a range of trading strategies, including the use of derivatives.

John O'Brien is a financial advisor at O'Brien Investment Management, LLC with 8 years of industry experience. He holds the Series 65 designation and has been with O'Brien Investment Management since 2016. O'Brien Investment Management provides discretionary investment management services to individuals, trusts, estates, charities, businesses, and individual retirement plan participants. The firm manages approximately $225–$275 million in regulatory assets across around 165 client relationships and specializes in managing held-away accounts such as 401(k), 403(b), and 529 plans through a third-party platform.

Todd Dagostino is a financial advisor with Your Private Client Group, Inc. in Huntington Beach, CA, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and bringing 18 years of industry experience. He has worked at Your Private Client Group since 2018 and has been associated with AssetMark Financial, Inc. and AssetMark Brokerage, LLC since 2014. Your Private Client Group, Inc. provides investment advisory services primarily to individuals and high-net-worth clients, focusing on portfolio management and third-party manager selection. The firm emphasizes a long-term trading approach using modern portfolio theory and various analytical methods, directing client accounts to the AssetMark platform for management and trade execution.

Somboon Wongvitavas is a financial advisor with Integrity Investment Portfolios LLC and holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses. He has 31 years of industry experience, including ten years with Integrity Brokerage Services, Inc. The firm primarily serves individual clients, their families, and related trusts, providing portfolio management focused on public equities. Integrity Investment Portfolios uses a diversified analytic approach combining various methods and manages accounts on a non-discretionary basis with quarterly client reviews.

Zully Ruiz is a financial advisor with BlackLines Financial in Los Angeles, holding Series 63 and Series 66 licenses and two years of industry experience. Prior to joining BlackLines Financial in 2025, she worked at Northwestern Mutual in various capacities from 2022 to 2025. Before entering the financial industry, she spent nine years in the hospitality sector. BlackLines Financial serves individual and high-net-worth clients as well as business entities, providing discretionary portfolio management, retirement and pension plan services, and financial planning through its WealthBuilder and Mastery programs. The firm employs client-specific investment policy statements and long-term trading strategies, and it offers advisory-based insurance products alongside other financial services.

Nicolas Castano is a financial advisor at TRU Independence Asset Management 2, LLC with two years of industry experience. He holds a Series 65 designation and has worked previously at Merit Wealth Management, Morton Wealth, UCLA Extension, and AProvideC. TRU Independence Asset Management 2, LLC serves individual and institutional clients, including high-net-worth individuals, ERISA and pension plans, trusts, and businesses. The firm offers discretionary and non-discretionary investment management, standalone financial planning, pension consulting, and third-party manager selection, utilizing a blend of active and passive strategies across multiple asset classes.

Jose Vitela Jr. is a CFP® and holds a Series 66 license with 23 years of industry experience. He has worked at Silicon Beach Wealth, LLC since 2020, following roles at Vicon Capital Partners LLC dba BlueReef Capital and Core Financial Partners. Silicon Beach Wealth, LLC provides discretionary portfolio management, financial planning, and pension consulting primarily for individual and high-net-worth clients. The firm employs a multi-method investment approach and uses borrowing and active options strategies within separately managed accounts, serving clients with customized portfolios and written financial plans.

Justin Tolton is a financial advisor at Tolton Asset Management, LLC in Los Angeles, CA, with seven years of industry experience. He holds a Series 63 designation and has a background that includes ownership and operation of a public accounting firm since 1982. Tolton Asset Management is a fee-only registered investment adviser serving individuals, trusts, estates, charitable organizations, small businesses, and retirement plans. The firm employs a non-discretionary advisory model, emphasizes diversified portfolios with a tilt toward smaller-company and value exposures, and operates an affiliated CPA practice offering tax and accounting services.

Mark Minichiello is a financial advisor with QCA Capital Management Inc in Los Angeles, CA, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and bringing 27 years of industry experience. He has been with QCA since 2009. Outside of his advisory role, he serves as Director and Chief Financial Officer of Top Dog Films, Inc., an entertainment company involved in film, television, and publishing, and is also a board member and training coach for the South Bay Runners Club. QCA Capital Management provides investment advisory and portfolio management services to individuals, high-net-worth clients, trusts, estates, pension and profit-sharing plans, charitable organizations, and corporations. The firm employs an actively managed, generally long-term investment approach across multiple strategy models, tailoring portfolios to client objectives and risk tolerance.

Kavi Virk is a financial advisor with Veda Financial Investment Advisory in Los Angeles, holding Series 66, Series 63, and Series 65 licenses and bringing 10 years of industry experience. His work history includes roles with Eagle Strategies (NY Life), NYLife Securities LLC, and New York Life Insurance Co. He volunteers as Vice-President and Board Member of the Georgetown University Alumni Association’s Los Angeles Chapter. Veda Financial provides discretionary, value-oriented portfolio management and financial planning to individuals, trusts, corporations, retirement plans, and charitable organizations. The firm employs a bottom-up, fundamental value-investing approach with customized portfolios focused on equity and balanced strategies tailored to clients’ time horizons and liquidity needs.

Emanuel Avina is a financial advisor with Avina Financial Group, Inc. in Bellflower, CA, holding Series 63 and Series 66 credentials and 18 years of industry experience. His prior work includes roles at Ameriprise Financial Services and Purshe Kaplan Sterling Investments. He is also involved with Avina Insurance Services, Inc., where he serves as a general agent focusing on life insurance and fixed annuities. Avina Financial Group serves individual clients, pension and profit-sharing plans, charitable organizations, and businesses with financial planning, portfolio management, and retirement plan consulting. The firm offers a wrap fee program and focuses on mutual funds and ETFs, providing ongoing account monitoring and participant education.

Kenneth Cagnolatti is a CFP® with four years of industry experience, currently serving as an advisor at Anchor & Oak Wealth Advisors, LLC. Prior to joining Anchor & Oak, he worked at Wells Fargo Clearing Services and Wells Fargo Bank. Anchor & Oak Wealth Advisors, LLC provides discretionary portfolio management to individual clients along with advisory and pension consulting services for employee benefit plans. The firm uses a combination of model portfolios and third-party money managers to implement client strategies, applying methods such as modern portfolio theory and fundamental and technical analysis.

John Sheehan is a financial advisor with Astravia Family Wealth Office LLC who holds a Series 66 designation and has 24 years of industry experience. His prior roles include positions at Wells Fargo Clearing, Wells Fargo Advisors LLC, and Morgan Stanley. Outside of his advisory work, he owns a personal training business. Astravia Family Wealth Office LLC serves individuals, high-net-worth clients, trusts, estates, pension and profit-sharing plans, and various business entities. The firm offers comprehensive portfolio management and retirement plan consulting, combining fundamental and technical analysis with quantitative techniques and Modern Portfolio Theory.

Victor Espino is a financial advisor with Meridian Venture Partners, Inc. He holds Series 65 and Series 63 licenses and has five years of industry experience. Prior to joining Meridian, he worked at Universal Wealth, Encompass More Asset Management LLC, and Transamerica Financial Advisors, Inc. Outside of advising, he owns and operates The Tax Council, an accounting firm. Meridian Venture Partners, Inc provides portfolio management and financial planning services to individuals, high-net-worth individuals, and corporate clients. The firm uses multiple methods of analysis and offers a range of strategies, including cryptocurrency exposure and specialty investments such as real estate and venture capital funds.

Derek Munchow is a CFP® and ChFC® with 23 years of experience in financial advisory. He has worked at Augustus Wealth, LLC since 2022 and previously spent 20 years at Ameriprise Financial Services, Inc. in Long Beach, CA. Augustus Wealth provides investment advisory and financial planning services to individual and high-net-worth clients, as well as trusts, estates, retirement plans, and business entities. The firm employs a mix of fundamental, technical, quantitative, and sector analysis with multiple asset-allocation approaches, and offers specialty planning services including RSU and stock option analysis and cost segregation studies.