Wendi Svitak is a CFP® professional with seven years of industry experience. She currently works at Bard Associates Inc and has prior experience at The Retirement Network Ltd, LPL Financial, and Morgan Stanley. Outside of her advisory role, she provides administrative support to independent investment advisor firms. Bard Associates, Inc. offers discretionary portfolio management and portfolio-monitoring services to a range of clients including individuals, IRAs, trusts, and charitable organizations. The firm emphasizes a long-term, buy-and-hold investment strategy focused on smaller-company and micro-cap equities, and also manages the Bard Micro-Cap Value Fund L.P., a private pooled vehicle closed to new investors.

Katharine Schwartz is a financial advisor at Arbor Financial Services, LLC with a Series 65 designation and one year of industry experience. She previously worked at Lifestart Wellness Network for nine years before joining Arbor Financial Services. Arbor Financial Services provides discretionary portfolio management and limited financial planning to individuals, including high-net-worth clients, as well as trusts and estates. The firm uses firm-developed model portfolios and a combination of analytical approaches to manage client assets, typically on a discretionary basis.

Timothy Dillow is a CFP® professional with 23 years of industry experience. He is the principal at Dillow Wealth Management LLC in Oak Brook, IL, where he has worked since 2018, previously holding positions at UBS Financial Services and LPL Financial among others. Outside of financial advising, he manages a cheese production and distribution business and is involved in business consulting and literary work through separate ventures. Dillow Wealth Management provides wealth and investment management along with financial planning for individuals, trusts, estates, businesses, and retirement plans. The firm offers customized portfolios that include mutual funds, ETFs, individual securities, and alternative investments, combining fundamental and technical analysis with both discretionary and non-discretionary services.

John Hering is a CFP®-designated financial advisor at Composure Wealth Management, LLC with 16 years of industry experience. He has worked at Composure Wealth Management since 2019 and previously held positions at Bank of America and Merrill from 2016 to 2019. Composure Wealth Management serves individuals, high-net-worth clients, families, trusts, estates, charitable organizations, and employer-sponsored retirement plans by providing portfolio management, financial planning, and retirement plan consulting. The firm uses a multi-disciplinary investment approach combining individual securities and third-party sub-advisors, employing both strategic and tactical asset allocation methods.

Michael Grady is a financial advisor at Asset Strategies, Inc with over 41 years of industry experience. His career includes roles at E.F. Hutton & Co. LLC and Chicago Capital Management Advisors, where he serves as president of the affiliated registered investment advisory. He is also a director of the Upward Foundation, a charitable organization providing support and scholarships to disadvantaged individuals. Asset Strategies, Inc. offers discretionary portfolio management and financial planning to individual and charitable clients, managing approximately $59.7 million in discretionary assets. The firm employs a combination of fundamental, technical, charting, and cyclical analysis to implement long- and short-term investment strategies across various asset classes.

Daniel Carey is a CFP® with 17 years of industry experience and has been with Mentor Capital Management Inc. since 2007. He holds a Series 66 license and is based in Chicago, IL. Mentor Capital Management Inc. serves individual clients through fee-only wealth management and financial planning, offering services such as investment management, income tax planning, and estate-planning review. The firm employs a fundamental analysis approach within a broad asset-allocation framework, favoring passive, low-expense, index-based strategies for long-term holdings.

Austin Mitchell is a financial advisor at Maverick Thomas Capital with two years of industry experience. He holds a Series 66 designation and has previously worked at OneAmerica Securities, Johnson & Johnson, and Workout Anytime. In addition to his advisory role, he is involved in non-variable insurance sales. Maverick Thomas Capital is a registered investment adviser serving individual and high-net-worth clients with portfolio management and financial planning. The firm emphasizes long-term trading strategies using multiple analysis techniques and typically manages a range of mutual funds, fixed income, equities, ETFs, annuities, and select non-U.S. securities.

Katie Blechschmidt is a CFP® professional with five years of industry experience. She has worked at FMI Financial, Ltd. since 2021 and was previously with Capital Strategies Investment Group from 2016 to 2021. FMI Financial, Ltd. provides investment advisory services to institutional investors, high-net-worth individuals, corporate retirement plans, trusts, and estates. The firm focuses on creating individualized Investment Policy Statements and employs a long-term, diversified approach using various investment vehicles, including mutual funds, ETFs, and derivatives for risk management.

John Swift is a CFA® charterholder with 21 years of industry experience. He has worked at Benchmark Investment Advisors LLC since 2017 and previously at Gentry Private Wealth Management LLC. Outside of his advisory role, he teaches a CFA review program. Benchmark Investment Advisors serves individual investors, pension plans, trusts, and corporate clients through discretionary asset management, retirement-plan consulting, and sub-advisory services. The firm employs a proprietary Economic Margin framework and intrinsic valuation methods within a model portfolio approach, complemented by client education materials and tactical investment overlays.

Joshi Koneru is a CFP® with 19 years of industry experience, currently serving as a financial advisor at Watershed Private Wealth since 2022. Prior to this, he worked for 15 years at Creative Planning. Watershed Private Wealth provides investment advisory services to individuals, including high-net-worth clients, trusts, estates, and pension plans, offering discretionary portfolio management and financial planning. The firm builds customized investment programs using a blend of fundamental, quantitative, technical, and modern portfolio theory analyses, and integrates financial planning into ongoing portfolio management.

Samuel Feldman is a financial advisor at 755 Financial with eight years of industry experience. He holds a Series 66 designation and has worked primarily at Edward Jones before joining 755 Wealth Management LLC in 2026. Outside of finance, he owns Sweetwater Meat and Seed Company, a food review and consulting business based in Chicago. 755 Financial is an SEC-registered investment adviser providing portfolio management and financial planning services to individual and high-net-worth clients. The firm offers client-driven strategies tailored to objectives and risk tolerance and is affiliated with related tax, accounting, and insurance businesses.

Sarah Bodach is a Series 65-licensed financial advisor at Mentor Capital Management Inc. in Chicago, IL, with nine years at the firm and three years of industry experience. Prior to joining Mentor Capital Management, she was a homemaker for six years. Mentor Capital Management Inc. is a fee-only advisory firm serving individual clients, trusts, estates, and business entities. The firm focuses on long-term, low-cost index-based investing combined with fundamental analysis and a broad asset-allocation approach, offering services that include wealth management, financial planning, and tax-related advice.

Joseph Madden is a financial advisor at Madden Funds Management with 28 years of industry experience. He holds the Series 65 designation and operates out of Oak Park, Illinois. Madden Funds Management provides financial planning and discretionary investment management to individuals, pension and profit-sharing plans, trusts, estates, charitable organizations, and businesses. The firm focuses on tailored investment programs using asset-class funds primarily managed by Dimensional Fund Advisors, supplemented with Fidelity funds, emphasizing diversification and long-term holdings.

Lawrence Gatz is a CFP® and holds a Series 65 license with 12 years of industry experience. He has worked at Copperwood Financial since 2020 and previously held roles at Significant Wealth Partners Inc., Capital Management Consultants, Kingsview Asset Management, Atkins and Associates, and Wealth Planning Network. Outside of his advisory work, he co-owns KLG Management Inc., which provides personal insurance and general business management consulting. Copperwood Financial offers fee-based investment advisory and financial planning services to individuals, trusts, estates, charitable organizations, and small businesses, including a specialty practice for professional athletes. The firm manages portfolios using a tactical allocation approach and provides retirement plan consulting, serving as an ERISA Section 3(38) fiduciary for employer-sponsored plans.

Timothy Obendorf is a CFP® and holds a Series 65 license with 16 years of industry experience. He has been with Steward Advisors, LLC since 2011. Outside of his advisory role, he is a 25% minority owner and board member of McLennan Property Management Company, which manages commercial and industrial properties in the Chicago area. Steward Advisors serves individuals, businesses, trusts, estates, retirement plans, charitable organizations, corporations, and family offices with fee-based financial planning and private portfolio management. The firm manages approximately $137 million in assets, integrating financial planning with investment strategies that include ETFs, mutual funds, individual securities, and privately placed investments, while employing options and derivatives for hedging and tactical purposes.

Brian Bullington is a financial advisor at First Choice Financial Services LLC with one year of industry experience. Prior to his advisory role, he was a professional athlete for nine years. First Choice Financial Services LLC serves individual and high-net-worth clients by providing financial advice primarily through referrals to third-party money managers and estate-planning support, acting as a liaison to facilitate documentation, disclosures, and reviews. The firm does not manage assets directly but selects external managers using fundamental, technical, and cyclical analysis while maintaining ongoing oversight and client communications.

Charles Marien III is a CFP® professional with 28 years of industry experience. He has worked at CTS Financial Planning, Inc. since 1984 and has been associated with Certified Insurance Consultants, Inc. since 1989. CTS Financial Planning serves individual and high-net-worth clients with comprehensive financial planning, retirement planning, investment planning, and discretionary asset management, while also providing accounting and income tax preparation services. The firm employs an active, technically driven investment approach and integrates in-house tax and accounting capabilities alongside advisory services.

Brian Beasley is a financial advisor with Athena Advisor Services, LLC, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and bringing 31 years of industry experience. He has been with Athena Advisor Services since 2013 and is a co-host of the Fierce Fiduciary Podcast. He also serves as an unpaid administrator for several online investment and financial planning discussion groups, providing educational content without offering individual advice. Athena Advisor Services, LLC provides asset management and financial planning to individuals, trusts, estates, and business entities, including high-net-worth clients. The firm offers discretionary portfolio management, written financial plans, and an ongoing planning subscription with account aggregation and planning software, employing a tailored approach with continuous supervision and quarterly reviews.

Robert Kristof is a financial advisor at Casey Wealth Management, Inc. in Orland Park, Illinois, with 20 years of industry experience. He holds a Series 66 designation and has worked at Sammons Securities Company, LLC since 2009 while also maintaining his role at Casey Wealth Management since 2005. Casey Wealth Management, founded in 2002, provides customized financial planning, consulting, and investment management primarily to individual clients and occasionally to pension and profit-sharing plans. The firm employs fundamental security analysis and a buy-and-hold strategy with quarterly portfolio reviews, managing non-discretionary assets without focusing on high-net-worth households.

Andrew Farinelli is a financial advisor at Wavvest Wealth with 11 years of industry experience. He holds a Series 66 designation and has previously worked at Embree Financial Group, McAdam LLC, and Purshe Kaplan Sterling Investments. Outside of his advisory role, he is owner and president of Farinelli Financial LLC, providing comprehensive financial planning and investment management services. Wavvest Wealth offers portfolio management and financial planning to individuals through a technology-enabled platform and a direct advisory service. The firm focuses on diversified, long-term asset allocation and utilizes proprietary technology to support client risk profiling and portfolio management.