Jacob Hollifield is a financial advisor at Fifth Third Securities, Inc. based in Raleigh, NC, holding Series 65 and Series 63 licenses with two years of industry experience. Prior to joining Fifth Third Securities in 2023, he held roles at Fifth Third Bank, Best Buy, and Yogurt Mountain. Outside of his advisory work, he engages in freelance photography. Fifth Third Securities, Inc. serves a diverse client base including individuals, high-net-worth clients, and institutions through investment advisory and brokerage services. The firm offers multiple program types via the Passageway platform, utilizing third-party portfolio managers and a range of strategies from mutual funds and ETFs to separately managed accounts and tax-overlay services.

Philip Shelton is a financial advisor at Empower Advisory Group with one year of industry experience. He holds the Series 66 designation and previously worked at Edward Jones. Empower Advisory Group provides financial planning and investment management primarily to employer-sponsored retirement plan sponsors and their participants, as well as to certain IRA and retail brokerage account holders. The firm integrates its services with Empower’s recordkeeping and administrative platforms, offering point-in-time financial plans and optional managed account solutions.

Tabitha Concepcion is a CFP® credentialed financial advisor with 12 years of industry experience, currently serving at Truist Advisory Services. Her career includes roles at Truist Investment Services, BB&T, and SunTrust Advisory Services. Outside of her advisory work, she co-owns Red Barn Naturals, a farm producing natural and organic personal care products from goat milk, and owns The Homestead, an agricultural production business. Truist Advisory Services provides investment consulting and advisory services to individuals, corporations, retirement plan sponsors, and charitable organizations. The firm combines discretionary manager relationships with non-discretionary consulting and utilizes third-party platforms and AI-enabled research tools to support its investment strategies.

George Fotiou is a financial advisor at AE Wealth Management, LLC with a Series 65 designation and one year of industry experience. He has prior experience as owner and CEO of Limani Insurance, LLC and People First Retirements, LLC, where he was involved in insurance sales and services. AE Wealth Management provides fee-based portfolio management, financial planning, and retirement-plan consulting to a diverse client base including individuals, corporations, trusts, and ERISA plan sponsors. The firm relies on discretionary model portfolios and supports third-party RIAs with sub-advisory and model-licensing arrangements.

Zachary Carver is a CFP® professional with four years of experience in financial advisory, currently with Cerity Partners LLC since 2025. His prior roles include five years at Cook Wealth Management Group, LLC, and earlier positions at TRP Sumner PLLC, Petway Mills & Pearson PA, and Bunch & Company, LLP. Cerity Partners serves a wide range of clients including individuals, families, trusts, institutions, and business entities, managing approximately $166.2 billion in assets as of the end of 2025. The firm offers customized wealth management services and combines quantitative analysis, manager selection, and direct security selection within client-specific investment frameworks, while also providing access to alternative and private market solutions for qualified clients.

Iantha Wortman is a Series 66-registered financial advisor with Truist Advisory Services, based in Durham, NC. She has two years of industry experience and has previously worked at Equitable Advisors LLC and Lighthouse Lending. Truist Advisory Services provides investment consulting and advisory services to individuals, corporate clients, retirement plan sponsors, and charitable organizations. The firm offers asset allocation and investment policy analysis, fiduciary support, and a manager-selection program that combines discretionary and non-discretionary approaches, supported by AI-enabled research and inter-affiliate integration.

Thomas Beck is a financial advisor with Janney Montgomery Scott in Raleigh, NC, holding a Series 66 designation and 18 years of industry experience. Prior to his current role, he worked at Janney Montgomery Scott, LLC for 10 years and has also been involved with the Department of Natural and Cultural Resources and Raleigh Parks & Recreation/Raleigh Aquatics. Outside of finance, he operates a freelance photography business and serves as a board member for the Raleigh Area Masters swim team, in addition to contributing as a photographer and blogger for a local live music website. Janney Montgomery Scott LLC is a large, dually registered broker-dealer and SEC-registered investment adviser managing approximately $110 billion in client assets. The firm serves a diverse clientele including individuals, families, trusts, estates, corporate and retirement plan sponsors, and municipal clients, offering a range of brokerage, financial planning, and advisory services with a combination of in-house and third-party portfolio management.

Julie Carroll is a financial advisor at Janney Montgomery Scott with 23 years of industry experience. She holds the Series 63 and Series 66 designations. In addition to her advisory role, she serves as a co-trustee of a family trust in Warsaw, North Carolina. Janney Montgomery Scott is a large, dually registered broker-dealer and SEC-registered investment adviser managing approximately $110 billion in client assets. The firm serves individuals, families, trusts, corporate and retirement plan sponsors, and other entities, offering brokerage services, financial planning, and multiple advisory programs.

Nicholas Creekmore is a financial advisor at Janney Montgomery Scott with two years of industry experience. He holds the Series 66 designation and has worked at Janney since 2020. Prior to this, he was employed at MORSCO and East Carolina University. Janney Montgomery Scott LLC is a large, dually registered broker-dealer and investment adviser managing approximately $110 billion in client assets. The firm serves individuals, families, trusts, corporate and retirement plan sponsors, charitable organizations, and municipal clients, offering a range of brokerage, financial planning, and advisory services.

Alan King is a CFP® professional with nine years of industry experience, currently serving as an advisor at Commonwealth Financial Network since 2015. He is also co-owner of LifeTime Asset Management, a private entity involved in securities, advisory, and insurance business, and LifeTime Tax Management, which focuses on tax services. Commonwealth Financial Network is a registered investment adviser supporting a national network of approximately 2,950 advisors with a range of advisory programs and services, including wealth management and retirement plan consulting. The firm provides operational, trading, technology, compliance, and practice-management support while offering advisors discretion in portfolio construction and access to proprietary model portfolios.

Jeffrey Thompson is a financial advisor with TIAA-CREF in Durham, NC, holding Series 63 and Series 65 designations and bringing 20 years of industry experience. Prior to joining TIAA-CREF in 2014, he worked at CapFinancial Securities, LLC and Wells Fargo Clearing. TIAA-CREF Individual & Institutional Services, LLC provides financial planning and discretionary managed account programs to individuals, trusts, estates, partnerships, corporate entities, and small retirement plans, often serving clients with existing employer retirement relationships. The firm offers both point-in-time planning and ongoing discretionary management, and acts as adviser to a donor-advised fund while operating within a vertically integrated group.

Salvatore Bottone is a CFP® and Series 66-licensed financial advisor with three years of industry experience, currently with Janney Montgomery Scott in Raleigh, NC. His prior experience includes roles at George Pickett & Associates and various other positions before joining Janney. Outside of advising, he serves as the head JV men's soccer coach and assistant varsity coach at Cardinal Gibbons High School. Janney Montgomery Scott LLC is a large, dually registered broker-dealer and SEC-registered investment adviser managing approximately $110 billion in client assets. The firm serves a broad range of clients, including individuals, families, trusts, corporate sponsors, and municipal clients, providing investment advice through in-house and third-party managers across multiple advisory programs.

Ryan Pope is a CFP® with 10 years of industry experience, currently affiliated with Principal Financial Services in Raleigh, NC. He has held roles at Hunter & See Wealth Management and Mid Atlantic Executive Benefits, among others. Outside of his advisory work, he serves on the finance committee of Bethlehem Baptist Church and is treasurer of the Coats Area Chamber of Commerce, and he is also involved in athletic officiating locally. Principal Securities provides brokerage and registered investment advisory services to a diverse client base, including individual investors, retirement plans, trusts, and business entities. The firm offers direct advisory programs, financial planning, and access to third-party money manager asset allocation and separately managed account solutions.

Brian Cook is a CFP® with 24 years of industry experience. He is currently with Cerity Partners LLC and has previously worked at Cook Wealth Management Group LLC and LPL Financial, LLC. Cerity Partners advises a diverse client base, including high-net-worth individuals, families, trusts, foundations, and institutional investors, providing customized wealth management services such as investment management, financial planning, retirement consulting, and tax services. The firm’s investment approach combines client-specific profiles with proprietary quantitative screening and access to alternative and private market solutions.

Benjamin Guyton is a financial advisor with Brookstone Capital Management LLC holding a Series 65 designation. He has eight years of experience at Amerilife and previously worked for four years at Bonefish Grill. Brookstone Capital Management provides fee-based asset management and financial planning services to individuals, retirement plans, corporations, trusts, and other business entities. The firm utilizes strategic and dynamic asset allocation models, a turnkey asset management platform, and a variety of investment vehicles including ETFs, mutual funds, individual securities, and options-enhanced strategies.

Bradley Williams is a CFP® with 29 years of industry experience, currently serving as an advisor at Independent Advisor Alliance, LLC since 2017. He previously worked at Ameriprise Financial Services, Inc. from 2005 to 2017. Independent Advisor Alliance works with a diverse client base including individuals, small businesses, charitable organizations, and retirement plans, providing asset management, financial planning, and retirement consulting services. The firm employs a network model of advisory representatives and utilizes discretionary and non-discretionary portfolio management strategies supported by technology platforms and third-party resources.

William Martin is a financial advisor at Commonwealth Financial Network with 10 years of industry experience. He holds the Series 66 designation and previously worked at Fidelity Personal and Workplace Advisors and Fidelity Brokerage Services LLC. Martin is also affiliated with LifeTime Asset Management LLC. Commonwealth Financial Network serves a national network of approximately 2,950 advisors and their retail and institutional clients, providing a range of advisory programs and services including wealth management, retirement plan consulting, and access to third-party asset managers. The firm supports advisors with operations, technology, compliance, and investment management resources.

Nicholas Powell is a CFP® and Series 66-licensed financial advisor with 19 years of industry experience. He has been with VALIC Financial Advisors since 2007 and also holds an agent position with Agia, where he is involved in non-securities insurance products. VALIC Financial Advisors primarily serves U.S.-domiciled individual investors, including high-net-worth and ultra-high-net-worth clients, as well as corporate and retirement-plan participants. The firm offers discretionary managed-account programs, financial planning, and brokerage services, utilizing Envestnet-developed UMA models for portfolio construction and management.

Nikolas Pry is a financial advisor at Davenport & Company LLC with two years of industry experience and holds a Series 66 designation. Prior to joining Davenport, he worked at Raymond James Financial and Edward Jones among other firms. Outside of his advisory role, Pry is the CEO of Pry Athletics LLC, which provides individual pitching lessons and operates youth travel baseball teams. Davenport & Company LLC serves individual and institutional clients with a range of services including asset management, retail brokerage, fixed income, public finance, and investment banking and advisory. The firm’s investment approach involves dedicated portfolio manager teams and comprehensive strategy monitoring, offering separately managed accounts, mutual funds, ETFs, and unified managed accounts.

Kerolous Botros is a financial advisor with Principal Financial Services in Raleigh, NC, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and having 16 years of industry experience. His work history includes roles at NCDI Doctors and Principal Life Insurance Company, where he remains active. Outside of his advisory duties, he owns Botro Enterprise, LLC, a business established to track income and expenses. Principal Securities provides brokerage and registered investment advisory services to a diverse client base, including individual investors, retirement plans, trusts, estates, charitable organizations, corporations, and active-duty U.S. military personnel abroad. The firm offers financial planning, retirement plan consulting, and access to third-party money manager programs under various advisory and promoter arrangements.