John Kerns is a portfolio manager at Meridian Investment Counsel, Inc. with 28 years of industry experience. He has been with Meridian since 2005 and has operated a separate CPA and business-consulting practice since 1981, providing accounting services as a sole proprietor. Meridian Investment Counsel offers discretionary investment management and financial planning to individuals, families, trusts, non-profit organizations, and retirement plans. The firm employs a tax-aware, conservative growth strategy based on fundamental security analysis, asset allocation, and typically long holding periods, managing portfolios on a fiduciary basis with in-house discretion.

Mark Pitre is a CFP® with 37 years of experience in the financial industry. He has been with Maloon, Powers, Pitre & Higgins LLC, doing business as California Financial Advisors, for 28 years. He is also licensed as an insurance agent and occasionally engages in insurance sales and servicing. California Financial Advisors is an SEC-registered firm serving individuals, charitable organizations, and businesses with portfolio management, financial planning, and consulting services. The firm manages over $2 billion in assets, employs a team approach, and emphasizes asset allocation, mutual fund and ETF analysis, and third-party manager due diligence.

Cole Matsuura is a financial advisor at Echo45 Advisors LLC with one year of industry experience. He holds a Series 65 credential and has worked in the financial services field since 2020, including prior roles at Four Seasons and various hospitality businesses. Echo45 Advisors serves individuals, trusts, pension and profit-sharing plans, and business entities with wealth management, retirement plan consulting, and financial planning. The firm uses a diverse investment approach incorporating fundamental, quantitative, and technical analysis, and offers strategies such as custom indexing, alternative investments, and digital assets.

Barry Mendelson is a CFP® with 15 years of industry experience and holds a Series 63 designation. He has worked at Zrc Wealth Management since 2014. Mendelson is currently part of Elevation Wealth Partners, LLC, a six-advisor team based in Walnut Creek, CA. Elevation Wealth Partners provides fee-only discretionary portfolio management and comprehensive financial planning to individuals, families, high-net-worth clients, small businesses, pension and profit-sharing plans, trusts, and estates. The firm emphasizes asset allocation and long-term, academically informed investment strategies while integrating tax and accounting services through in-house specialists.

Stacey Liu is a CFP® and ChFC® with 12 years of experience in financial advising. She is currently with Garrison Point Advisors, LLC, operating as Treehouse Wealth Advisors, and has prior experience at San Francisco Sentry Investment Group and SF Sentry Securities, Inc. Stacey holds Series 66 and Series 63 licenses. Treehouse Wealth Advisors manages approximately $597 million for a diverse client base that includes individuals, high-net-worth clients, pension and charitable entities, and corporations. The firm provides discretionary and non-discretionary portfolio management, financial consulting, and wealth planning services, utilizing a mix of analytical strategies and AI-supported research under human supervision.

Eric Rudney is the sole advisor at Rudney Associates with 33 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 designations and has worked at Rudney Associates since 2002 and Gillett Financial since 1995. Rudney Associates provides investment advisory and retirement plan consulting to individuals, high-net-worth clients, pension and profit-sharing plans, trusts and estates, business entities, and charitable organizations. The firm employs both fundamental and technical analysis across mutual funds, ETFs, equities, and fixed-income securities, and manages approximately $868 million in assets for about 458 client relationships.

Cagatay Koc is a financial advisor at North Berkeley Wealth Management, LLC with a Series 65 credential and one year of industry experience. His prior roles include positions at Strategic Wealth Planning, LifePro Financial Services, and Faubourg Private Wealth, among others. North Berkeley Wealth Management serves individuals, high-net-worth clients, retirement plans, trusts, estates, charitable organizations, and business entities, managing approximately $710.6 million in assets. The firm focuses on long-term, total-return oriented portfolios using a combination of passive and active strategies, documented Investment Policy Statements, and systematic rebalancing, with options for ESG and carbon-screened investments.

Angela Wright is a CFP® with 18 years of industry experience. She joined Gemmer Asset Management LLC in 2024 after 16 years at Del Monte Group, LLC. Gemmer Asset Management LLC manages over $2.0 billion in discretionary assets and serves a diverse client base including individuals, trusts, estates, retirement plans, corporations, nonprofits, and independent fiduciaries. The firm employs an asset-allocation approach focused on no-load mutual funds and ETFs, offers branded strategies, and maintains a dedicated Social Strategy incorporating ESG scores and fossil-fuel exposure metrics.

Jeffrey St. Claire is a financial advisor at Blume Capital Management, Inc. in Berkeley, CA, holding a Series 65 designation with 12 years of industry experience. He has been with Blume Capital Management since 2004. Blume Capital Management provides discretionary investment management and financial planning services to individuals, high-net-worth clients, trusts, estates, pension plans, charitable foundations, and private investment funds. The firm emphasizes a long-term, value-oriented equity approach combined with diversified asset allocation and the treatment of cash as an asset class, using mutual funds, ETFs, individual securities, and alternative investments for qualified clients.

Zaineb Sohail is a financial advisor at Kaizen Financial Strategies, LLC with four years of industry experience. She holds a Series 65 designation and has been with Kaizen Financial Strategies since 2020. Outside of her advisory role, she is also involved with Ivy Admissions. Kaizen Financial Strategies serves individuals, high-net-worth clients, entrepreneurs, small business owners, and nonprofit organizations, offering financial planning, retirement plan consulting, and portfolio management primarily through its wrap-fee program. The firm employs a combination of fundamental, technical, sector, and qualitative analysis alongside various investment strategies, including the use of derivatives and borrowing within managed accounts.

Jamshid Kekobad is a financial advisor with Grant Private Wealth Management in Pleasanton, CA, holding Series 63 and Series 65 designations and 11 years of industry experience. His prior roles include positions at Point Digital Finance and Strategic Advisers, Inc., as well as experience with Fidelity Brokerage Services LLC. Grant Private Wealth Management is a registered investment adviser serving individuals and high-net-worth clients with discretionary and non-discretionary portfolio management, financial planning, and retirement-plan advisory services. The firm’s investment approach is tailored to each client’s goals and risk tolerance, integrating various analytical methods, and it offers public educational seminars and workshops focused on general investment topics.

David Potts is a financial advisor at Dixon Financial Services with eight years of industry experience. He holds a Series 66 designation and previously worked for nine years at Dimensional Fund Advisors. He attended Santa Clara University from 2013 to 2017. Dixon Financial Services serves individuals, trustees, charitable organizations, business owners, and corporations by providing customized investment advisory services focused on strategic asset allocation across stocks, bonds, and cash. The firm emphasizes a low-turnover rebalancing approach and utilizes financial simulations and performance reporting to support client planning, managing over $1 billion in assets with a team of six advisors.

Samara Hanson Velloo is a Series 66 licensed financial advisor at Elevation Wealth Partners, LLC with two years of industry experience. Her prior roles include positions at Morgan Stanley, Global Retirement Partners, and LPL Financial. Elevation Wealth Partners is a six-advisor team serving individuals, families, high-net-worth clients, small businesses, pension and profit-sharing plans, trusts, and estates. The firm provides fee-only discretionary portfolio management and comprehensive financial planning, emphasizing long-term, academically informed strategies and integrated tax and accounting services.

Michael Maloon is a financial advisor with California Financial Advisors in San Ramon, CA, holding the CFP®, ChFC®, and Series 63 designations. He has 39 years of industry experience, including 28 years at Maloon, Powers, Pitre & Higgins LLC dba CFA. He also serves as a non-investment related insurance agent for Lincoln National Life Insurance Co. and Jackson National Life Insurance Company. California Financial Advisors is an SEC-registered firm that provides portfolio management, financial planning, and consulting services to individuals, charitable organizations, and businesses. The firm manages over $2 billion in client assets and employs a team-based approach emphasizing asset allocation, mutual fund and ETF analysis, and due diligence of third-party money managers.

Alexis Olian is a CFP® professional with 10 years of experience in financial advising. She currently works with Treehouse Wealth Advisors and previously spent 12 years at The Humphreys Group. Treehouse Wealth Advisors manages approximately $597 million for individual and high-net-worth clients, pension and charitable entities, and corporations. The firm provides discretionary and non-discretionary portfolio management, financial consulting, and wealth planning services, utilizing a combination of technical and fundamental analysis alongside AI-supported research under human supervision.

Robert Valentine is a Series 66-licensed financial advisor with 14 years of industry experience. He has been with RPG Investment Advisory, LLC since 2014. The firm provides portfolio management and financial planning services primarily to high-net-worth individuals, managing approximately $1.04 billion in client assets. RPG uses firm-developed model portfolios and employs both fundamental and technical analysis to tailor investment strategies based on client objectives and risk tolerance.

Joshua Schefers is a CFP® professional with 18 years of industry experience. He is affiliated with Valley Wealth Strategies, LLC and has previously worked with LPL Financial and National Planning Corporation. He also operates Zuk Financial Group. Valley Wealth Strategies, LLC serves individuals, families, trusts, small businesses, and charitable organizations by providing customized investment management and financial planning services. The firm employs a primarily long-term investment approach and manages a significant portion of assets on a non-discretionary basis.

Adrian Azofeifa is a financial advisor at Liberty Wealth Management, LLC in Oakland, CA, holding a Series 65 credential with one year of industry experience. Prior to joining Liberty Wealth Management, he worked at OBI Capital and has experience in educational roles at San Diego State University and Moreau Catholic High School. He is also an insurance agent with Lifetime Planning Marketing, Inc., where he offers insurance and annuity products. Liberty Wealth Management, LLC is an SEC-registered advisory firm serving individuals, trusts, estates, and institutional clients with investment management, financial planning, and retirement plan services. The firm employs a combination of centrally developed models and adviser-developed strategies, with access to private market investments and an affiliated alternative-asset manager.

Frederic Devinney is a Series 63-licensed financial advisor with American Investors Company in Walnut Creek, CA, where he has worked since 1994. He has 59 years of industry experience, including operating as an independent insurance agent specializing in term life insurance. American Investors Company provides investment advisory and financial planning services to a range of clients, including individuals, pension and profit-sharing plans, trusts, estates, charitable organizations, and corporations. The firm offers both discretionary and non-discretionary management, financial planning, 401(k) consulting, and uses a combined broker-dealer and SEC-registered adviser structure.

Jared Harper is a financial advisor with Malakoff Wealth in Danville, CA, holding a Series 66 designation and five years of industry experience. He has worked at LPL Financial since 2020 and has also been involved with Metis Technology Solutions since 2019. Outside of his advisory role, he provides administrative support to Malakoff Wealth. Malakoff Wealth offers financial planning and consulting services to individuals, trusts, nonprofit organizations, banks, business entities, and pension/profit-sharing plans. The firm focuses on fundamental analysis and manager evaluation, providing advice through hourly, fixed-fee, or retainer arrangements while referring clients to LPL Financial for investment implementation and portfolio supervision.