Luka Lezhava is a financial advisor with Bankers Life Advisory Services, Inc., holding a Series 66 designation and one year of industry experience. Prior to his current role, he worked at Bankers Life Securities and Bankers Life & Casualty. Outside of advising, he is active as an insurance agent assisting retirees with Medicare. Bankers Life Advisory Services, Inc. provides discretionary and non-discretionary investment consulting primarily to mass-affluent and high-net-worth individuals, focusing on customized asset allocation, tax efficiency, and a combination of fundamental and technical analysis. The firm emphasizes individual client service and integrates investment advisory with affiliated broker-dealer and insurance operations.

David Reilly is a Series 66-credentialed advisor with 22 years of experience, currently with Benjamin F. Edwards & Company, Inc. since 2013. His prior experience includes roles at Wells Fargo Clearing and A. G. Edwards & Sons, Inc. Benjamin F. Edwards & Company is an integrated broker-dealer and SEC-registered investment adviser serving a diverse client base that includes individuals, high-net-worth clients, and institutional entities. The firm offers a range of services such as wrap-fee advisory programs, financial planning, and investment management consulting, utilizing both proprietary and third-party strategies.

Jennifer Merida is a financial advisor at Empower Advisory Group with 17 years of industry experience. She holds Series 63 and Series 66 licenses and has previously worked at firms including 818 Capital Group, Money Concepts Capital Corp., ADP, and BMO Harris Financial Advisors. Outside of her advisory role, she is a 2% owner and performs back-office work for Kaidence Chiropractic & Wellness, a business owned by her husband. Empower Advisory Group provides financial planning and investment management services primarily to employer-sponsored retirement plan sponsors and their participants, as well as to Empower Premier IRA and certain retail brokerage clients. The firm integrates its services with Empower’s recordkeeping and administrative platforms, focusing on long-term portfolio returns and participant savings rates.

James Brandt is a financial advisor with Independent Financial Group, LLC, holding Series 63 and Series 66 licenses and bringing 40 years of industry experience. His career includes long-term roles at Fortis Investors, Inc. and his own firm, Brandt Financial Concepts. Outside of his advisory work, Brandt volunteers as a FEMA-certified trainer for disaster preparedness and serves as president of a homeowners association and a trustee on the Palatine Fire Pension Board. Independent Financial Group, LLC provides investment advisory and brokerage services to a diverse client base, including individuals, high-net-worth clients, and institutional plans. The firm offers financial planning and portfolio management through multiple platforms, utilizing both firm- and third-party models that combine strategic asset allocation with ongoing manager due diligence.

Chad Cook is a CFP® and ChFC® with 19 years of industry experience. He is currently with Allworth Financial, L.P. and its affiliated broker-dealer, AW Securities. His prior experience includes roles at TIAA, Principal Financial Services, COUNTRY Trust Bank, and Wealth Enhancement Group. Outside of advisory work, he serves as president of a small family rental business. Allworth Financial is a fee-based SEC-registered adviser serving individuals, qualified retirement plans, trusts, estates, charitable organizations, and corporate clients. The firm offers customized portfolio strategies, including model allocations and specialized approaches, and employs technology to manage held-away employer retirement accounts.

James Wormley is a financial advisor with Benjamin F. Edwards & Company, Inc., holding a Series 66 designation and over 22 years of industry experience. He has worked at Benjamin F. Edwards since 2013, following prior roles at Wells Fargo Clearing and A. G. Edwards & Sons, Inc. Benjamin F. Edwards & Company is an integrated broker-dealer and SEC-registered investment adviser serving individuals, high-net-worth clients, pension and profit-sharing plans, charitable organizations, and corporate clients through more than 500 advisors. The firm offers a range of advisory and brokerage services, including discretionary and non-discretionary managed solutions that utilize proprietary strategies and third-party models.

Janice Carlisle is a financial advisor at Money Concepts Capital Corp with 21 years of industry experience. She holds Series 63 and Series 66 licenses and has been with Money Concepts since 2005. In addition to her advisory role, she sells Medicare supplement insurance through various carriers. Money Concepts Advisory Service provides portfolio management, financial planning, and consulting to individuals, pension and profit-sharing plans, trusts, charitable organizations, and corporations. The firm uses a combination of model portfolios, advisor-designed strategies, and third-party sub-advisers, applying fundamental and technical analysis along with modern portfolio theory.

Robert Weis is a CFP® with 32 years of industry experience. He is currently with &Partners, joining the firm in 2024 after previous roles at Wells Fargo Advisors and Wells Fargo Clearing. Weis is also president of Robert Weis Wealth Management Services, Ltd., an entity he uses to manage office expenses for his practice. &Partners serves a diverse client base including high-net-worth individuals, retirement plans, charitable organizations, and corporations. The firm offers investment management, financial and tax planning, and ERISA consulting, employing a range of analysis techniques and combining proprietary and third-party strategies.

Frank Schoen is a financial advisor with Transamerica Financial Advisors in Hoffman Estates, IL, holding Series 63 and Series 65 credentials and 27 years of industry experience. He is the owner of The Force Agency, Inc. and S2C Tax & Accounting Services LLC, where he provides tax preparation and accounting services. Schoen has been with Transamerica Financial Advisors since 2012. Transamerica Financial Advisors serves a diverse client base including individual investors, pension and profit-sharing plans, trusts, estates, charitable organizations, and corporations. The firm offers both advisory and broker-dealer services with a range of proprietary and third-party investment models in discretionary and non-discretionary programs.

Tyrone Ball is a financial advisor with Commonwealth Financial Network based in Barrington, IL, holding a Series 66 designation and 12 years of industry experience. His prior work includes eight years at Edward D. Jones & Co. L.P. and four years at Best Energy LLC. Commonwealth Financial Network is a registered investment adviser serving a national network of approximately 2,950 advisors and their clients. The firm provides advisory programs, technology, and operational support while offering a variety of investment solutions, including discretionary model portfolios and customized program structures.

Megan Anderson is a Series 66 licensed financial advisor at Benjamin F. Edwards & Company, Inc. with three years of industry experience. She previously worked at Golden Technology and Randstad Technologies. Benjamin F. Edwards & Company is an integrated broker-dealer and SEC-registered investment adviser serving individuals, high-net-worth clients, and various institutional clients through over 500 advisors. The firm offers a range of services including financial planning, retirement plan consulting, investment management, brokerage services, and M&A advisory, utilizing both proprietary and third-party strategies.

Mariusz Niedbalec is a financial advisor at William Blair with 26 years of industry experience. He holds the Series 66 designation and has been with William Blair & Company since 2005. William Blair’s Private Wealth Management division offers 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, providing proprietary models and access to private funds and co-investment opportunities.

Brent Griffin is a financial advisor at Concurrent Investment Advisors, LLC with 23 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 66 credentials and has previously worked at firms including Edward Jones, Merrill Lynch, and JP Morgan Securities. Outside of advising, he is the owner of The Soap Boxx Company, which holds his household product invention, and serves as a board member for the Legacy Reentry Foundation. Concurrent Investment Advisors, LLC is a multi-team SEC-registered firm serving individuals, families, trusts, businesses, and retirement plans. The firm emphasizes customized, primarily long-term investment portfolios and offers a range of wealth management and financial planning services supported by affiliations with sub-advisors and integrated platform solutions.

Susan Winklebleck is a financial advisor with TIAA-CREF in Palatine, IL, holding a Series 66 designation and 14 years of industry experience. She has been with TIAA-CREF and TIAA since 2014. TIAA-CREF Individual & Institutional Services, LLC’s Advice & Planning Services division offers financial planning and discretionary managed account programs to individuals, trusts, estates, partnerships, corporate entities, and small retirement plans, often serving clients with existing TIAA-administered employer retirement plan relationships. The firm provides separate broker-dealer services, acts as adviser to a donor-advised fund, and employs a fiduciary standard within its RIA services.

James Juengling is a financial advisor with Independent Financial Group, LLC in Dundee, IL, holding the ChFC® designation along with Series 63 and Series 65 licenses. He has 50 years of industry experience and has been with Independent Financial Group since 2010. Since 1972, he has also owned and operated Juengling & Associates, providing various types of insurance. Juengling has been a member of the National Association of Insurance and Financial Advisors since 1973 and is involved with the Illinois Legislative Council. Independent Financial Group, LLC offers investment advisory and brokerage services to individuals, high-net-worth clients, trusts, corporations, pension and profit-sharing plans, and charitable organizations. The firm utilizes firm- and third-party models for portfolio management, combining strategic asset allocation with ongoing due diligence across a mix of passive and active exposures.

Robert Richardson is a ChFC® credentialed financial advisor with 33 years of industry experience. He is currently with Integrity Alliance, LLC and has held roles at firms including IZALE Financial Group and Lion Street Financial. Outside of advisory work, he owns and operates an online retail store through Cultivated Community LLC. Integrity Alliance, LLC is a large advisor network serving a diverse client base that includes individual investors, corporations, and qualified retirement plans. The firm provides portfolio management, financial planning, and a range of advisory programs, employing various allocation strategies through discretionary accounts, model portfolios, and third-party sub-advisers.

Preeti Gupta is an advisor with Fifth Third Securities, Inc., holding Series 63 and Series 65 credentials and currently located in Wheeling, IL. She has been with Fifth Third Bank since 2022 and joined Fifth Third Securities in 2026. Fifth Third Securities, Inc. serves a diverse client base including individuals, high-net-worth clients, and institutional entities through both advisory and brokerage services. The firm offers multiple investment programs via the Passageway Managed Account platform, allowing clients to select strategies tailored to their risk profiles.

Nicole Mayer is a financial advisor at Allworth Financial, L.P. with 19 years of industry experience. She holds a Series 66 designation and has worked at firms including Arbor Point Advisors and Securities America. Outside of her advisory role, Mayer is an author and consultant for Senior Services of Illinois, focusing on life and health insurance. Allworth Financial is a fee-based SEC-registered adviser serving individuals, retirement plans, trusts, estates, charitable organizations, and corporate clients. The firm offers customized portfolio management using various model strategies and employs third-party sub-advisers when appropriate.

Sarah Tobolski is a CFA® charterholder with eight years of industry experience. She has worked at William Blair since 2017 and previously spent three years at DiMeo Schneider. William Blair’s Private Wealth Management division offers discretionary and non-discretionary investment management, financial planning, and wealth services to individuals, foundations, pension plans, and corporate clients. The firm applies active, research-driven management across multiple asset classes and provides proprietary models and access to private funds and co-investment opportunities.

Timothy Reid is a financial advisor with Eagle Strategies (NY Life) based in Arlington Heights, IL. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and has over 15 years of experience in the financial services industry, including roles at New York Life Insurance Company and NYLIFE Securities LLC. Eagle Strategies serves a diverse range of individual and institutional clients, providing financial planning, investment management, and retirement-plan advisory services. The firm offers tailored advice through multiple program types and focuses primarily on non-discretionary assets, working within an integrated New York Life affiliate structure.