Theodore Buckley is a financial advisor with VestGen Advisors, LLC in Chicago, IL, holding a Series 66 credential and 11 years of industry experience. His prior roles include positions at Triad Hybrid Solutions, Triad Advisors, Sequoia Wealth Management, and LPL Financial. Outside of his advisory work, he is an author and motivational speaker, conducting seminars and coaching sessions unrelated to investments. VestGen Advisors, LLC is a multi-team registered investment adviser managing approximately $3.47 billion for over 9,400 individual and high-net-worth clients. The firm offers discretionary and non-discretionary investment management, financial planning, and retirement plan services, utilizing a combination of analytical methods and third-party managers to tailor portfolios to client goals.

Eric Talbott is a financial advisor at Apollon Wealth Management, LLC with 10 years of industry experience. He holds Series 65 and Series 66 registrations and has previously worked at Piershale Financial Group, Envestnet Asset Management, BMO Harris Financial Advisors, and Portfolio Brokerage Services. Apollon Wealth Management serves individuals, high-net-worth clients, families, businesses, and various institutional investors, providing financial planning, portfolio management, retirement plan advisory, and sub-advisory services. The firm uses a combination of centrally managed model strategies and locally managed portfolios, investing across multiple asset classes and offering specialized services including ESG models and tax-managed Direct Indexing.

Ralph Backe Jr. is a financial advisor at Prospera Financial Services, Inc. with 33 years of industry experience. He holds the Series 63 and Series 65 designations. His prior roles include positions at Wells Fargo Advisors Financial Network LLC, Wells Fargo Clearing, and Prudential Equity Group, LLC. Outside of advisory work, he co-owns a vacation home in St. Petersburg, Florida. Prospera Financial Services, Inc. is a multi-team advisory firm with 271 advisors managing approximately $14.4 billion in client assets. The firm serves individuals, retirement plans, trusts, estates, charitable organizations, and other business entities, offering financial planning, portfolio management, and access to multiple advisory programs and third-party platforms.

Keith Mooney is a CFP® and ChFC® with 31 years of industry experience. He is currently an advisor at VestGen Advisors, LLC and has previously worked at firms including LPL Financial and Sequoia Wealth Management. Outside of his advisory role, he serves as president and educator for a nonprofit that conducts financial education seminars. VestGen Advisors, LLC is a multi-team registered investment adviser managing approximately $3.47 billion for over 9,400 clients. The firm serves individual and high-net-worth clients with discretionary and non-discretionary investment management, financial planning, and retirement plan services, employing a mix of analytical methods and third-party managers to implement client portfolios.

Paul Moy is a CFP® with 47 years of industry experience, currently serving as an advisor at SPC since 2011. He is also associated with Sigma Financial Corporation during the same period. Outside of his advisory role, Moy is a licensed insurance agent appointed with various insurance companies, acts as a trustee for his own trust, and offers notary public services in Cook County, Illinois. SPC serves a diverse client base including high-net-worth individuals, charitable organizations, corporations, and employer-sponsored retirement plans, managing approximately $5.66 billion in assets. The firm provides portfolio management, financial planning, and ERISA-related retirement plan services through a network of over 460 advisors.

John Pestikas is a financial advisor with PNC Wealth Management, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and bringing 22 years of industry experience. He has been with PNC investments since 2009. PNC Wealth Management offers retail brokerage and advisory services through model-based programs, including an invitation-only digital discretionary model account accessible to employees with existing PNC Bank online credentials. Their approach uses approved strategies executed via mutual funds and ETFs, relying on algorithmic risk assessments and delegating portfolio management and proxy voting to third parties.

Jerome O'Reilly is a financial advisor at PlanMember Securities Corporation with 39 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 credentials and previously worked at Vista Financial Group Ltd. and OSAIC. O'Reilly is also involved in insurance sales and services through his sole proprietorship, Vista Financial Group Ltd. PlanMember Securities Corporation provides retirement-plan advisory services to employers and plan participants, acting as an ERISA Section 3(38) fiduciary for many plans. The firm employs a top-down strategic asset allocation approach and manages risk-based mutual fund portfolios, offering education, support, and personalized retirement planning to its clients.

Heather Cortez is a financial advisor at &PARTNERS with eight years of industry experience. She holds the Series 66 designation and has worked previously at Old National Bank, LPL Financial, First Midwest Bank, and Chase Bank. &PARTNERS serves a wide range of clients, including individuals, institutions, retirement plans, and charitable organizations. The firm offers investment management, financial and tax planning, and consulting services, employing a combination of fundamental, technical, and quantitative analysis across discretionary and non-discretionary portfolios.

Marjory Blackmer is a financial advisor at Principal Financial Services with 23 years of industry experience. She holds Series 63 and Series 66 credentials and has previously worked at Global Retirement Partners, LPL Financial, Kestra Financial Services, and Strategic Retirement Partners. Principal Securities provides brokerage and registered investment advisory services to a wide range of clients, including individual investors, retirement plans, trusts, estates, charitable organizations, corporations, and active-duty U.S. military personnel stationed outside the United States. The firm’s advisory services include direct advisory programs, financial planning, retirement plan consulting, and access to third-party money manager asset allocation and separately managed account solutions.

Michael McKevitt is a CFP®-designated financial advisor with 18 years of industry experience. He has worked at Private Advisor Group, LLC since 2015 and previously spent eight years with LPL Financial. Private Advisor Group serves individuals, trusts, estates, charitable organizations, businesses, and retirement plans with discretionary and non-discretionary portfolio management, financial planning, and retirement plan consulting. The firm employs a fiduciary advisory model and offers a range of managed account solutions, including its proprietary WealthSuite platform and third-party strategies.

Stevany Williamson is a financial advisor with Empower Advisory Group in Arlington Heights, IL. She holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and has three years of industry experience. Her prior work includes roles at JPMorgan Chase Bank, J.P. Morgan Securities, and various mortgage-related firms. Before entering financial services, she operated Stevany Thomas Salon and Spa for three years. Empower Advisory Group provides financial planning and investment management primarily to employer-sponsored retirement plan sponsors and their participants, as well as certain IRA and brokerage account holders. The firm’s integrated model supports services through Empower’s recordkeeping and administrative platforms, offering point-in-time financial plans and optional managed account solutions.

Alexander Mueller is a financial advisor with PNC Wealth Management, holding a Series 66 designation and eight years of industry experience. His prior roles include positions at Wells Fargo Clearing and ownership of fitness-related businesses. PNC Wealth Management offers retail brokerage and advisory services primarily through model-based programs, including an invitation-only digital portfolio strategist for select employees, utilizing algorithm-driven investment selection and third-party portfolio management.

Terrence Crowley is a financial advisor with NewEdge Advisors who holds Series 63 and Series 65 credentials and has 42 years of industry experience. His prior roles include positions at Wells Fargo Advisors and LPL Financial. Outside of his advisory work, he serves as a caregiver for his disabled son. NewEdge Advisors is a large registered investment adviser serving individuals, pension plans, corporations, and charitable organizations through a network of independent advisers. The firm offers a diverse range of portfolio management, financial planning, and consulting services, utilizing centralized due diligence and technology tools to support advisor and client needs.

Gerald Gilbertson is a CFP® with 38 years of industry experience, currently serving at Fifth Third Securities, Inc. since 2010. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and is based in Mount Prospect, IL. Fifth Third Securities, Inc. provides brokerage and investment advisory services through its Passageway Managed Account Program to a range of clients including individuals, charitable organizations, corporate and business clients, and institutional investors. The firm offers multiple discretionary managed-account programs and features such as direct indexing and tax-overlay services, operating as a wholly owned subsidiary of Fifth Third Bank.

Donald Cafero Sr. is a ChFC® credentialed financial advisor with 42 years of industry experience, currently affiliated with TLG Advisors, Inc. He has worked at several firms including The Leaders Group Inc and Highland Capital Brokerage. Outside of his advisory role, he is involved in insurance brokerage through The Cafero Group and works as a point of sale and wholesale specialist with FSG. TLG Advisors, Inc. is an SEC-registered investment adviser managing approximately $2.0 billion in discretionary client assets. The firm serves individuals, retirement plans, trusts, estates, charitable organizations, businesses, and institutional investors, offering services such as portfolio management, comprehensive financial and estate planning, and ERISA fiduciary services. Their investment approach combines fundamental analysis and Modern Portfolio Theory, with a direct-to-consumer program called Starlight Portfolios that tailors portfolios based on client risk profiles.

Brian Marshall is a financial advisor at William Blair with 32 years of industry experience. He has been with William Blair & Company L.L.C. since 1994 and holds Series 63 and Series 65 designations. William Blair’s Private Wealth Management division provides investment management, financial planning, and wealth services to individuals, foundations, pension, and corporate clients. The firm employs an active, research-driven approach across multiple asset classes and offers proprietary models and access to private funds through its MB Investments Program.

Eric Freckman is a CFP® professional with 26 years of industry experience. He has worked at Private Advisor Group, LLC since 2015 and previously spent over two decades at LPL Financial, LLC. In addition to his advisory role, Mr. Freckman serves as a notary public. Private Advisor Group serves individuals, trusts, estates, charitable organizations, businesses, and retirement plans by offering discretionary and non-discretionary portfolio management, financial planning, retirement plan consulting, and managed account solutions. The firm employs a fiduciary-based model, utilizing a variety of strategies and technology platforms while often implementing advice through third-party managers and tactical asset management programs.

Christopher Owens is a financial advisor with Foundations Investment Advisors LLC and holds a Series 65 designation. He has three years of industry experience and previously worked at AE Wealth Management, Impact Partnership Wealth, and Station-M. Owens is also president of Owens Financial Group, LLC, where he is involved in insurance sales and client insurance and annuity plan reviews. Foundations Investment Advisors provides financial planning and portfolio management to individual, high-net-worth clients, employer-sponsored retirement plans, and registered investment companies. The firm uses a combination of fundamental, technical, and cyclical analysis with an asymmetric rebalancing approach and employs third-party sub-advisers and custodians to support its services.

Ryan Begley is a financial advisor at &PARTNERS with 10 years of industry experience. He holds a Series 66 designation and previously worked at Merrill and Wells Fargo Advisors. &PARTNERS serves a diverse range of individual and institutional clients, offering investment management, financial and tax planning, and retirement-plan services through a combination of fundamental, technical, and quantitative analysis. The firm operates as both a registered investment adviser and broker-dealer, providing discretionary and non-discretionary portfolio management and municipal advisory services.

Joshua Walters is a CFP® with 14 years of industry experience, currently advising at Voya Financial Advisors, Inc. He has held roles at several firms including LPL Financial LLC, Calamos Wealth Management, and J.P. Morgan Chase Bank. Walters holds Series 63 registration and operates out of Arlington Heights, IL. Voya Financial Advisors, Inc. is an enterprise-scale advisory and broker-dealer affiliate of Voya Financial serving individuals, pension and profit-sharing plans, charitable organizations, and corporate clients. The firm offers financial planning, portfolio management, and retirement advisory services using a combination of in-house and outside strategists, model portfolios, and technology-enabled tools, with a significant focus on non-discretionary client relationships.