Thomas Worth III is a CFP® with 16 years of industry experience. He is currently with Ascentis Independent Advisors, LLC and previously worked at Defender Capital and ORG Partner's LLC. Worth also operates as a Personal CFO. Ascentis Independent Advisors is a multi-team SEC-registered investment adviser serving individuals, trusts, retirement plans, and corporate clients through a network of advisors. The firm offers a broad range of services including asset management, comprehensive portfolio management, and financial planning, utilizing portfolios composed of both public and private securities that are actively monitored and rebalanced.

Robin Slaughter is a CFP® with 41 years of industry experience, currently serving as an advisor at Royal Fund Management, LLC. He has held positions at firms including Center Street Advisors, Alphastar Capital Management, and Maximum Advisory. Since 1997, he has been owner and president of Retirement & Estate Planning Services, Inc., where he provides retirement and estate planning strategies and tax consulting. Royal Fund Management, LLC serves individuals, corporations, pension and profit-sharing plans, and charitable organizations with portfolio management, financial planning, and pension consulting. The firm uses fundamental, technical, and cyclical analysis to implement customized investment strategies and offers services including options writing, third-party manager oversight, and defined contribution plan management.

William Smiley is a financial advisor at Coastal Bridge Advisors with eight years of industry experience. He previously worked at TrinityPoint Wealth, LLC, and Penland Legacy Advisors. He serves on the board of directors for the Winthrop University Foundation, providing volunteer leadership in community outreach and university engagement. Coastal Bridge Advisors offers financial planning, consulting, and wealth management services to individuals, family offices, trusts, estates, foundations, and qualified retirement plans. The firm employs a goal-based, fundamental analysis approach to construct diversified portfolios and provides specialized advisory services including retirement plan consulting and HSA investment management.

Nickolas Sherek is a financial advisor at Choreo, LLC with two years of industry experience. He holds a Series 66 designation and previously worked at UBS and U.S. Bank. Choreo provides investment and advisory services to a diverse client base, including individual investors, family offices, endowments, retirement plans, and corporate clients. The firm’s investment approach emphasizes strategic asset allocation and diversified model portfolios managed by a centralized team and overseen by an Investment Committee.

Harrison Gewirtz is a financial advisor with Principal Advised Services in Charlotte, NC. He holds a Series 66 designation and has recently entered the industry. His prior experience includes roles at Principal Bank, Principal Life Insurance Company, Principal Securities, Inc., and a variety of organizations outside finance, including healthcare and analytics firms. Principal Advised Services offers investment advice primarily to retirement plan participants and retail IRA clients, combining third-party methodologies with proprietary models through both non-discretionary recommendations and a discretionary wrap-fee management program called SimpleInvest. The firm is part of Principal Financial Group, leveraging its affiliated entities to provide integrated investment and banking solutions.

Jeremy Grant is a CFP® professional with 22 years of experience in the financial services industry. He has worked with several firms, including Mutual Securities, Inc., Cornerstone Financial Partners, Inc., and Securities America Advisors, Inc., before joining Cornerstone Wealth Group in 2018. Cornerstone Wealth Group is an SEC-registered investment adviser serving individuals, trusts, employer plan sponsors, other advisers, and corporations. The firm offers portfolio management, financial planning, retirement plan consulting, and related services, implementing model-based portfolios with a range of investment options and providing both discretionary and non-discretionary solutions.

James Hartman is a Series 65-licensed financial advisor with McAdam LLC in Charlotte, NC, where he has worked since 2021. He has four years of industry experience, including prior roles at FMI Capital Advisors, Leedon Park Capital, and Covenant Capital LLC. Outside of his advisory work, he is involved in fixed insurance sales through McAdam Institutional Brokerage. McAdam LLC is an enterprise-scale registered investment adviser serving individuals, trusts, estates, charitable organizations, corporations, and retirement plans. The firm employs fundamental analysis to build diversified portfolios using mutual funds, ETFs, independent managers, and individual securities, and offers a range of specialized strategies alongside a subscription-based financial planning service.

Lekshmi Rajaram is a financial advisor with CG Advisory Services in Charlotte, NC, holding Series 65 and Series 66 licenses and bringing eight years of industry experience. Her prior roles include positions at LPL Financial LLC, Wells Fargo Securities, and UBS Financial Services. CG Advisory Services is an SEC-registered advisory firm serving individuals, including high-net-worth clients, as well as pension plans, charitable organizations, and corporate clients. The firm employs a largely model-driven investment approach, supplemented by fundamental and technical research, options strategies, and alternative investments, supported by AI tools and an Investment Committee.

Mariana Vega Ortega is a financial advisor at Arete Wealth Advisors, LLC in Charlotte, NC, holding a Series 66 designation with one year of industry experience. Prior to joining Arete, she worked at H & Co LLP for four years. Outside of her advisory role, she is the owner of Blackbull Holding Group LLC, a business involved in the import and export of classic cars. Arete Wealth Advisors provides investment advisory and financial planning services to a diverse client base, including high-net-worth individuals, pension plans, and charitable organizations. The firm uses a combination of advisor-driven and proprietary model allocations, third-party sub-advisers, and acts as an ERISA fiduciary when applicable.

William Richmond is a financial advisor with Cary Street Partners, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and bringing 36 years of industry experience. His prior roles include positions at Morgan Stanley Private Bank and Luxe Lifestyle Magazine. Richmond has been with Cary Street Partners since 2020. Cary Street Partners serves a diverse client base, including individuals, corporations, trusts, retirement plans, and institutional clients. The firm offers a range of services such as portfolio management, financial planning, and fiduciary services, utilizing proprietary strategies and AI tools alongside human oversight.

Riley Wolfram is a financial advisor with Principal Advised Services and holds a Series 66 designation. Based in Charlotte, NC, Wolfram has one year of industry experience, including roles at Principal Life Insurance Company, Principal Bank, and Wells Fargo. Prior to entering the financial sector, Wolfram worked in various positions including at Davidson College and Girls on the Run Greater Charlotte. Principal Advised Services provides investment advice and related services primarily to retirement plan participants and retail IRA clients. The firm offers both non-discretionary recommendations and a discretionary, wrap-fee investment management program called SimpleInvest, leveraging proprietary and third-party models supported by affiliated entities within the Principal Financial Group.

Jonathan Faynik is a financial advisor at Earned Wealth Advisors, LLC with three years of industry experience. He holds a Series 65 designation and has previously worked at Schenley Capital and Northwestern Mutual. His background also includes roles outside finance, such as teaching at Denfeld High School and Robert Morris University. Earned Wealth Advisors serves individuals, high-net-worth clients, trusts, and employer-sponsored retirement plans, focusing particularly on doctors, dentists, and their practices. The firm provides financial planning, discretionary wealth management, and retirement-plan advisory services, employing a diversified, buy-and-hold investment approach supported by an internal Investment Strategy Committee and third-party consultants.

Andrew De Angelis is a CFA® charterholder with 19 years of industry experience. He is currently with Venture Visionary Partners LLC and previously worked at KeyBanc Capital Markets Inc. and Sidoti & Company, LLC. Venture Visionary Partners LLC offers investment advisory and financial planning services to individuals, high-net-worth clients, retirement plans, trusts, charitable organizations, and small businesses. The firm employs a combination of fundamental, technical, and modern portfolio theory approaches to customize portfolios and provides both discretionary and non-discretionary management alongside retirement-plan consulting and implementation.

Neill Nelson is a financial advisor at Principal Advised Services with one year of industry experience. He holds a Series 66 designation and has worked at various entities within the Principal Financial Group, including Principal Bank and Principal Life Insurance Company. Principal Advised Services provides investment advice primarily to retirement plan participants and retail IRA clients, offering both non-discretionary recommendations and a discretionary investment management program. The firm is part of the Principal Financial Group family, leveraging proprietary models and affiliated resources to serve its clients.

Deborah Stamets is a Series 65-licensed financial advisor with Merit Financial Advisors in Davidson, NC. She has seven years of industry experience and has been with Merit Financial Group since 2015. Merit Financial Advisors is a multi-team registered investment adviser with 264 advisors serving approximately 20,040 clients across 66 offices and managing about $23.9 billion in client assets. The firm provides coordinated wealth-management services and uses a long-term, diversified investment approach supported by an internal Investment Management team and Investment Committee.

Austin Palmer is a financial advisor at Kestra Private Wealth Services, LLC with 27 years of industry experience. He previously worked at Bank of America and Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated. He is a founding partner and wealth advisor at Destination Wealth Advisors, where he holds an ownership stake and assists with firm growth through advisor and client acquisition. Kestra Private Wealth Services, LLC provides investment advisory services through a network of independent advisors and multi-advisor teams, serving individual and institutional clients with access to a wide range of investment products and specialized offerings.

Christopher Kemper is a financial advisor with Blueprint Financial Advisors in Charlotte, NC, holding a Series 66 designation and 23 years of industry experience. His prior work includes roles at Kingswood Capital Partners and Cambridge Investment Research Advisors. Outside of advisory roles, he is a fitness instructor at Fitness Connection and serves as president of Fulcrum Wealth Advisors, a firm involved in life insurance and long-term care sales. Blueprint Financial Advisors is a multi-advisor firm that provides portfolio management, financial planning, and retirement consulting to individuals, trusts, pension and ERISA plans, and nonprofit entities. The firm manages approximately $1.4 billion in assets, employing a proprietary strategic-and-tactical framework to build globally diversified portfolios across multiple asset classes.

Graham Jones is a CFP® certificant with nine years of industry experience currently with Blueprint Financial Advisors. He has previously worked at Securities America Advisors and Deep River Capital Advisors, among other firms. Outside of his advisory role, Jones is a foster care parent through a private agency affiliated with the Department of Social Services. Blueprint Financial Advisors is a multi-advisor firm that provides portfolio management, financial planning, and retirement consulting to individuals, trusts, pension and ERISA plans, and nonprofit entities. The firm employs a strategic and tactical investment approach across diversified asset classes and offers access to private placements and illiquid investments.

Kyle Sellers is a financial advisor at Principal Advised Services in Charlotte, NC, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses with one year of industry experience. His prior work includes roles at Principal Life Insurance Company, Principal Financial Services, and Florida Financial Advisors, as well as experience in the hospitality sector as a cook. Outside of advisory work, he is employed as a cook at QC Pour House. Principal Advised Services provides investment advice primarily to retirement plan participants and retail IRA clients, offering both non-discretionary recommendations and a discretionary investment management program called SimpleInvest. The firm integrates third-party and proprietary methodologies and benefits from operational ties to the Principal Financial Group family of companies.

Paige Hardaway is a financial advisor at Principal Advised Services in Charlotte, NC, holding Series 63 and Series 66 licenses with four years of industry experience. She has held roles at Principal Financial Services and Principal Life Insurance Company, and her background includes positions at Amerit Fleet Services and Reliance First Capital. Hardaway also serves as a Retirement Consultant, providing one-on-one investment advice to retirement plan participants on their distribution options. Principal Advised Services offers investment advice and related services primarily to retirement plan participants and retail IRA clients. The firm utilizes a blend of third-party methodologies and proprietary models to provide both non-discretionary recommendations and discretionary investment management, supported by its affiliation with Principal Financial Group and its related entities.