Brian Niksa is a CFP® professional with 11 years of industry experience, currently serving at Capstone Financial Advisors Inc since 2009. Based in Downers Grove, IL, he is part of a multi-advisor team at the firm. Capstone Financial Advisors serves individuals, pension and profit-sharing plans, trusts, charitable organizations, and corporate clients, offering portfolio management, financial planning, pension consulting, tax preparation, and access to private fund investments. The firm’s investment approach emphasizes asset-class allocation, cost control, tax positioning, and employs both fundamental and cyclical analysis within a multi-year horizon framework.

Tammy Billadeau is a CFP® professional with 15 years of industry experience, currently serving at Vertex Partners. Her prior experience includes roles at LPL Financial, LLC and Churchill Management Group. She also provides administrative support to Vertex Partners. Vertex Partners offers advisory services to individuals, trusts, estates, charitable organizations, corporations, and retirement plans. The firm emphasizes tailored portfolios based on risk tolerance, time horizon, and liquidity needs, utilizing a variety of investment strategies and platforms.

Bradley Morris is a CFP® professional with 23 years of industry experience, currently serving at PCG Wealth Management in Oak Brook, IL. His prior experience includes roles at LPL Financial, Good Life Advisors, and Waddell & Reed Inc. In addition to his advisory work, Morris is involved in tax preparation and accounting services through multiple related business activities. PCG Wealth Management serves a diverse client base including individuals, high-net-worth clients, charitable organizations, corporations, and retirement plans. The firm offers discretionary investment management, financial planning, and retirement plan consulting, employing a primarily long-term, customized investment approach that utilizes low-cost diversified funds and other securities tailored to client objectives and risk tolerances.

John Dorn is a financial advisor with Leelyn Smith, LLC in Geneva, IL, holding Series 63 and Series 65 credentials and having 21 years of industry experience. His prior career includes roles at National Planning Corporation and LPL Financial. Leelyn Smith, LLC provides discretionary and non-discretionary investment advisory services to individuals, pension and profit-sharing plans, business entities, and trusts. The firm employs model-based and individualized asset allocations across various investment vehicles and utilizes multiple third-party technology platforms and service providers, distinguishing itself through its affiliation with an accounting practice and the incorporation of structured notes and AI tools in its processes.

Frank Bodi is a financial advisor at Asset Strategies, Inc. with 41 years of industry experience. He previously worked at Landolt Securities Inc. for seven years and at IFS Securities for one year. Asset Strategies, Inc. provides discretionary portfolio management and standalone financial planning and consulting services to individual and charitable clients. The firm uses a combination of fundamental, technical, charting, and cyclical analyses, employing both long- and short-term strategies across various asset classes.

Hunter Sims is a financial advisor at Clearwater Capital Partners with five years of industry experience. He holds a Series 65 designation and has held roles at the University of Cambridge Cambridge Centre for Alternative Finance since 2019, where he serves as Associate Director of Business & Operations. He is also involved with Financial Innovation Commons Ltd. and Regulatory Genome Development Ltd., which focus on financial technology and regulatory applications. Clearwater Capital Partners serves high-net-worth individuals, family offices, and institutional clients, offering services including private wealth and family office management, institutional advisory, and retirement plan strategies. The firm emphasizes portfolio construction based on written Investment Policy Statements and uses a combination of fundamental, technical, quantitative, and thematic analysis.

Michelle Pezzulo is a CFP® with nine years of industry experience, currently serving as an advisor at Bentley Financial Group. She has been with Bentley Financial Group and affiliated with LPL Financial since 2016. Outside of her advisory role, she is a notary public for the state of Illinois. Bentley Financial Group provides investment advisory and financial planning services to individuals, pension and profit-sharing plans, trusts, estates, charitable organizations, and business entities. The firm manages approximately $393 million in discretionary client assets and typically implements client-directed investment policies using fundamental analysis, options hedging, and third-party independent managers.

Nickolas Brait is a CFP® professional with 44 years of industry experience, currently serving at SAGE Private Wealth Group, LLC. He has held roles at the firm since 2013 and has been involved with Raymond James Financial since 1999. Outside of his advisory work, he coaches financial advisors on business development through the Oechsli Institute. SAGE Private Wealth Group is an SEC-registered advisory firm that serves individuals, including high-net-worth clients, retirement plans, trusts, estates, and business entities. The firm offers wealth management and discretionary portfolio management with a client-specific process that includes goal setting, risk assessment, and tailored asset allocation using a variety of investment vehicles and analytical approaches.

Andrew Kristofic is a financial advisor at Vantage Point Financial, LLC with one year of industry experience. He holds Series 65 and Series 63 licenses and previously worked at Northwestern Mutual Investment Services LLC and American Income Life. He is also a licensed insurance agent offering life and health insurance products. Vantage Point Financial serves individuals, families, high-net-worth clients, and business owners with investment management, financial planning, and wealth consulting. The firm employs a fiduciary, customized approach emphasizing long-term portfolio construction with low-cost mutual funds and ETFs, while also utilizing alternative investments and coordinated tax and estate planning services.

Travis Buoy is a financial advisor with River Street Advisors, LLC, holding a Series 65 credential and three years of industry experience. He also works as an investment research analyst for Old Second National Bank’s wealth management department. Prior to his advisory role, Buoy was employed at St. Charles Country Club for eight years. River Street Advisors, LLC is an independent asset management and financial planning firm serving individual clients, high-net-worth individuals, institutional, and charitable entities. The firm uses written investment policy statements, model portfolios, and a combination of quantitative and fundamental analysis to manage diversified portfolios, including the use of derivatives and option strategies.

Charles Carey is a financial advisor at Wellment Financial with a Series 65 designation and four years of industry experience. He has worked at FSR Insurance Planning, Ltd. and FSR Wealth Management Ltd. since 2020. Carey is also a licensed insurance agent assisting with life insurance and fixed annuity products. Wellment Financial provides investment management, financial planning, and retirement-plan advisory services to individuals, high-net-worth clients, and institutional sponsors. The firm uses vetted model portfolios and a sub-advisor platform focused on tax-aware retirement planning, managing approximately $237 million in discretionary assets.

Steven Franzen is a financial advisor at Vertex Partners with 25 years of industry experience. He holds the PFS™ designation and Series 66 license. Franzen has held roles at LPL Financial since 2009 and operates his own CPA firm, Steven P. Franzen, CPA, PC, providing tax preparation and accounting services. He also acts as a trustee for family trusts. Vertex Partners serves individuals, trusts, estates, charitable organizations, corporations, and retirement plans, offering financial planning, investment management, and retirement consulting. The firm customizes portfolios based on clients’ risk tolerance and goals, utilizing a range of investment vehicles and third-party platforms, and maintains an affiliation with an accounting firm that provides additional tax and consulting services.

Luke Baumgarten is a financial advisor with Harvest Investment Services, LLC, holding a Series 65 designation and 11 years of industry experience. He has been with Harvest Investment Services since 2014. Harvest Investment Services provides advisory services to individuals, retirement plans, trusts, and institutions through discretionary portfolio management, financial planning, and consulting. The firm uses a combination of active tactical strategies and fundamental, technical, and quantitative analyses to deliver customized or model-based investment solutions.

Ryan Kahlenberg is a financial advisor with Leelyn Smith, LLC, holding Series 63 and Series 66 licenses and 14 years of industry experience. He has worked at LPL Financial since 2022 and was previously with Kahlenberg Wealth Partners/Berthel Fisher & Co. and Dunham & Associates Investment Counsel, Inc. Since 2022, he provides investment advisory services through Leelyn Smith, LLC. Leelyn Smith, LLC serves a diverse client base including individuals, pension and profit-sharing plans, corporations, and trusts. The firm offers portfolio management, financial planning, and retirement plan consulting, utilizing multiple technology platforms and investment strategies that include equities, fixed income, mutual funds, ETFs, and private investment funds for qualified clients.

Linda Foltos Mahler is a financial advisor with Signature Financial Services, Ltd, holding a Series 66 designation and 26 years of industry experience. She has been associated with Signature Financial Services since 1999 and First Heartland Capital, Inc. since 2001. In addition to her advisory roles, Mahler operates Mahler Financial Services and provides tax and accounting services through Linda F. Mahler, CPA. Signature Financial Services offers investment advisory services to individuals, high-net-worth clients, pension and profit-sharing plans, trusts, and business entities. The firm employs an asset-allocation driven investment approach based on modern portfolio theory, utilizing model portfolios and institutional strategists across various asset classes while emphasizing periodic rebalancing and risk-based guidelines.

Ma Navarro is a CFP® professional with Capstone Financial Advisors Inc in Downers Grove, IL. Navarro joined the firm in 2023 and has prior experience in education and instructional computing services. Capstone Financial Advisors serves individuals, pension plans, trusts, charitable organizations, and corporate clients, offering portfolio management and financial planning with an emphasis on asset allocation, cost control, and tax positioning. The firm manages approximately $2.44 billion in client assets and provides access to private fund investments and in-house tax services.

Randolph Yu is a financial advisor at Clearwater Capital Partners with Series 65 registration and one year of industry experience. Prior to joining Clearwater, he worked at MISUMI USA for nine years and held positions at NVR, Inc. and periods of unemployment. Clearwater Capital Partners offers family office services, private wealth management, institutional advisory, and retirement plan advising. The firm serves a diverse client base including high-net-worth individuals and institutional clients such as sovereign wealth funds and government entities, employing a variety of investment approaches and coordinating services through affiliated entities.

Sean Papreck is a financial advisor at Wellment Financial with 10 years of industry experience and holds a Series 65 designation. He has worked at FSR Wealth Management, Ltd. and FSR Insurance Planning, Ltd., where he is also a licensed insurance agent assisting clients with life insurance and fixed annuity products. Additionally, he provides occasional accounting and tax advice through his role at FSR Certified Public Accountants, Ltd. Wellment Financial offers investment management, manager selection, and financial planning services to individuals, high-net-worth clients, and institutions. The firm focuses on retirement planning with an emphasis on tax strategies and employs diversified model portfolios utilizing various approaches including value investing, tactical and strategic asset allocation, and direct indexing.

Marvin Reinglass is a financial advisor with Signature Financial Services, Ltd in Arlington Heights, IL, holding the CFP®, PFS™, and Series 66 designations, with 26 years of industry experience. He has worked at First Heartland Capital, Inc. since 2001 and Wipfli, LLP from 2016 to 2020. Outside of investment advisory, he is involved in business consulting and management through R and P Financial Services. Signature Financial Services, Ltd provides portfolio management and financial planning to individuals, pension plans, trusts, estates, and business entities, using a modern portfolio theory approach with model portfolios of mutual funds, ETFs, and third-party asset allocation strategies. The firm serves clients on both discretionary and non-discretionary bases and acts as an ERISA 3(21) co-fiduciary for employee benefit plans.

Jack Dykema is a CFP® professional at RAI Wealth with two years of industry experience. He previously worked at Indiana Wesleyan University and the Chicago Golf Club. RAI Wealth provides investment advice and planning services to individuals, high-net-worth clients, families, trusts, estates, corporations, and small businesses. The firm uses risk-based proprietary model portfolios and modern portfolio theory, incorporating various investment strategies and third-party managers to tailor portfolios and deliver ongoing financial and tax planning services.