Cade Vela is a financial advisor at WestEnd Advisors, LLC in Charlotte, NC, holding Series 65 and Series 63 credentials with two years of industry experience. His prior work includes roles at Victory Capital Services, Inc. and Ally Financial, as well as academic positions at Davidson College and West Forsyth High School. WestEnd Advisors is an SEC-registered investment adviser offering discretionary portfolio management and third-party ETF model strategies to a diverse client base, including individuals, institutions, and government entities. The firm employs a macro-driven investment process and serves as a model provider within the Victory Capital family.

Shon Mc Carley is a Series 65-licensed advisor at Cornerstone Wealth Planning in Charlotte, NC, with experience in legal and financial services. He is a member and attorney at McCarley Legal, PLLC, where he provides estate planning and related legal advice. His prior work includes roles at Arnot & Haley, PLLC and Consilio, LLC. Cornerstone Wealth Planning serves individuals, high-net-worth clients, and small business owners, offering portfolio management and comprehensive financial planning grounded in Modern Portfolio Theory and fundamental analysis. The firm also provides in-house tax preparation and structured retirement-planning courses, with flexible planning options and no minimum account size.

Wade Menzies is a financial advisor at Insight Folios with 11 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and previously worked at Tactical Investment Advisors for 12 years. In addition to his advisory role, he is involved in insurance sales. Insight Folios provides portfolio management and financial planning primarily for individual and high-net-worth clients, as well as ERISA plan consulting and participant advisory services. The firm also serves other registered investment advisers through sub-advisory relationships and employs a team-of-advisers approach supported by proprietary planning software and artificial intelligence tools.

Ryan Kilmartin is a financial advisor at Stark Financial Advisers, Inc. with 11 years of industry experience. He holds Series 65 and Series 66 licenses and has worked at Stark Financial Advisers since 2023 and at R.M. Stark & Co., Inc. since 2012. Stark Financial Advisers, Inc. manages approximately $94.7 million in discretionary assets for individuals, pension and profit-sharing plans, corporations, and other entities. The firm employs an asset-allocation driven approach that incorporates fundamental and technical analysis, offering portfolios from conservative to aggressive and utilizing a range of strategies including derivatives and options.

Zachary O'Brien is a CFP® with 17 years of experience in financial advisory services. He has worked at Crown Wealth Group LLC since 2020 and previously spent 11 years with Thrivent Financial for Lutherans and Thrivent Investment Management Inc. O'Brien serves as a board member for several nonprofit organizations, including the LLK Foundation, Ducks Unlimited Davie County, and the Winston Chamber of Commerce, where he leads a leads group and participates in community events. Crown Wealth Group LLC provides portfolio management and comprehensive financial planning to individual and high-net-worth clients. The firm employs a goals-based investment process with documented Investment Policy Statements and offers personalized services such as estate-planning facilitation, executive compensation planning, and concierge lifestyle support.

William Sugg IV is a CFP® professional with 25 years of experience, currently serving at Laurel Wealth Advisors, LLC in Charlotte, NC. He has worked at APW Capital, Inc. for 14 years and has been with Laurel Wealth Advisors since 2007. Outside of advisory work, Sugg is involved in several investment ventures focused on real estate and early-stage electric vehicle and battery storage companies. Laurel Wealth Advisors serves individuals, high-net-worth clients, charitable organizations, and business entities, providing discretionary and non-discretionary asset management alongside financial planning. The firm manages nearly $1 billion in client assets with a team of seven advisors, offering customized investment programs based on fundamental analysis and regular portfolio reviews.

Walker Shelton is a CFP® with 15 years of industry experience, currently serving at Verum Partners LLC since 2023. He previously worked at Carolinas Wealth Consulting LLC and Carolinas Investment Consulting LLC. Outside of his advisory role, he assists a CPA firm in Charlotte, NC, during tax season. Verum Partners LLC provides customized wealth management and discretionary portfolio management services for high net worth individuals, families, trusts, and estates. The firm sponsors a wrap fee program that combines advisory and securities transaction services and offers access to independent portfolio managers.

John Carlson is a financial advisor at WestEnd Advisors, LLC with 13 years of industry experience. He holds Series 65 and Series 63 licenses and has previously worked at Victory Capital Services, Inc and State Street Global Advisors entities. WestEnd Advisors provides discretionary portfolio management and third-party ETF model strategies to a diverse client base, including individuals, pension plans, trusts, and government entities. The firm employs a macro-driven investment process and operates as an autonomous Victory Capital franchise, managing significant regulatory and advisory assets across multiple programs.

Charles Doran is a CFP® and holds a Series 65 license with one year of industry experience. He is currently with Verum Partners LLC in Charlotte, NC, where he has worked since 2024. Prior to joining Verum Partners, he was employed at Bank of America from 2021 to 2024 and has experience in hospitality and education sectors. Verum Partners LLC provides customized wealth management and discretionary portfolio management services for high net worth individuals, families, trusts, and estates. The firm sponsors a wrap fee program that combines advisory and securities transaction services, employs independent portfolio managers, and maintains institutional relationships with Schwab and Fidelity for research and technology support.

John Kernodle is a financial advisor at Strathmore Capital Advisors with 16 years of industry experience. He has been with Strathmore Capital Advisors since 2005 and holds the Series 65 designation. Strathmore Capital Advisors serves individuals, trusts, endowments, and participant-directed retirement plans through discretionary portfolio management and goals-based financial planning. The firm emphasizes an asset-allocation-driven investment approach using mutual funds and ETFs, incorporating technology for client service and offering distinctive services such as a securities-backed lending strategy and integrated tax preparation.

Christopher Hobart is a financial advisor with Hobart Wealth in Charlotte, NC, holding Series 63 and Series 65 credentials and 24 years of industry experience. He has previously worked with firms including G.F. Investment Services, LLC and Global Financial Private Capital. Outside of his advisory role, he owns a marketing consulting business and serves as secretary for a local business park homeowners association. Hobart Wealth provides discretionary and non-discretionary investment advisory services to individuals, high-net-worth clients, retirement plans, and trusts, offering tailored asset management, financial planning, and ERISA retirement plan consulting. The firm constructs portfolios based on client objectives and employs a range of investment strategies, including third-party managers and model providers.

Melissa Wall is a CFP® with nine years of industry experience, currently serving as an advisor at Providence Capital Advisors, LLC. She previously worked at Bank of America for thirteen years. Outside of her advisory role, she operates a seasonal tax preparation and schedule fee business. Providence Capital Advisors provides discretionary and non-discretionary investment management and integrated financial planning to individuals, high-net-worth clients, corporations, and small businesses. The firm employs fundamental security selection combined with technical and cyclical analysis across various strategy sleeves, including Core Equity, Diversified Income, and Covered Call programs, and incorporates derivatives and margin transactions in some strategies.

Chandler Smith is a financial advisor with Four Financial Management in Charlotte, NC, holding a Series 66 designation and seven years of industry experience. He also provides administrative support to independent investment advisor firms and assists with tax preparation through Four Financial Tax Services. Additionally, he is an author with a home-based writing activity. Four Financial Management serves individual investors, non-profits, trusts, retirement plans, and business entities, offering portfolio management, financial planning, and consulting. The firm emphasizes asset allocation and customized investment strategies, managing accounts on a discretionary basis and utilizing both proprietary tools and third-party model portfolios.

Heather Lawrence is a CFP® professional with 13 years of industry experience, currently serving at Alpha Financial Advisors, LLC. Her prior roles include positions at Relience Wealth Advisors, LLC and Truist Bank (premerger BB&T), with a period as a stay-at-home mother. Alpha Financial Advisors, LLC is an SEC-registered investment adviser that provides personalized financial planning and discretionary investment management to individuals, families, trusts, estates, and small businesses, including high-net-worth clients. The firm emphasizes strategic asset allocation primarily through no-load mutual funds and exchange-traded funds, with an approach that includes global diversification, fundamental analysis, and oversight of independent managers.

Paul Durso is a financial advisor with Insight Folios in Charlotte, NC, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and has 13 years of industry experience. He has been with Insight Folios since 2015 and concurrently operates Durso Capital Management Co. Outside of his advisory roles, Durso is involved with Uplift Marketing, where he contributes to sales, marketing, design, and coaching for the Simplicitree planning software. Insight Folios serves a broad range of individual clients, including high-net-worth households, as well as ERISA retirement plans and other registered investment advisers. The firm offers discretionary portfolio management and financial planning, utilizing its proprietary Simplicitree software alongside long-term trading strategies and artificial intelligence tools.

Stewart Neely is a financial advisor at Cornerstone Wealth Planning in Charlotte, NC, holding a Series 65 designation with five years of industry experience. Prior to joining Cornerstone in 2021, he spent six years working at Christ Covenant Church. Cornerstone Wealth Planning serves individuals, high-net-worth clients, and small business owners with investment advisory, portfolio management, and comprehensive financial planning. The firm combines Modern Portfolio Theory with fundamental analysis and integrates in-house tax preparation alongside its advisory services.

Jared Mccutcheon is a financial advisor at Cannon Advisors in Charlotte, NC, with 11 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 designations and has worked at firms including Wells Fargo Funds Distributor, LLC, and Quasar Distributors, LLC. Cannon Advisors provides discretionary portfolio management, financial planning, and limited consulting services to individual and high-net-worth clients. The firm employs a variety of analytical approaches and investment strategies, including alternatives and options trading, and manages approximately $181.6 million across about 228 client accounts.

Edward Deaton is a CFP® professional with seven years of industry experience, currently serving as an advisor at MBL Advisors. His prior experience includes six years at Edge Capital Group, LLC, as well as roles at Carolina Capital Consulting, Inc. and periods of unemployment. MBL Wealth provides discretionary and non-discretionary wealth management, comprehensive financial planning, and retirement plan consulting to a diverse client base including individuals, high-net-worth clients, trusts, estates, businesses, and charitable organizations. The firm employs a goals-based, broadly diversified investment approach that integrates macroeconomic, fundamental, and technical analysis, utilizing stocks, bonds, ETFs, options, and other alternatives in portfolio construction.

Thomas Casey II is a financial advisor with Intellectus Partners, LLC in Charlotte, NC, holding a Series 66 license and bringing 26 years of industry experience. He has been with Intellectus Partners since 2015. Outside of his advisory role, he serves on the board of advisors for Marcus & Associates, LLC, an executive recruiting firm specializing in life sciences. Intellectus Partners provides wealth management, investment consulting, financial planning, and portfolio management services to high-net-worth individuals, trusts, estates, and private funds. The firm combines fundamental analysis with proprietary quantitative algorithms and alternative data, pursuing a generally long-term investment approach while accommodating shorter-term trades to meet client needs.

David Perkins is a CFP® and PFS™ with 30 years of experience in financial advising. He is currently with Verum Partners LLC, where he has worked since 2023, and previously spent over 19 years at Carolinas Investment Consulting LLC. In addition to his advisory role, he operates a sole proprietorship providing CPA services and tax return preparation. He also serves as trustee for a family trust. Verum Partners LLC offers customized wealth management and discretionary portfolio management services primarily for high net worth individuals, families, trusts, and estates. The firm sponsors a wrap fee program that combines advisory and transaction services and provides access to independent portfolio managers, focusing on client strategies aligned with goals, time horizon, and risk tolerance.