Michael Smith is a CFP® with 19 years of industry experience, currently with Janney Montgomery Scott. His prior experience includes nine years at Wells Fargo Clearing and seven years at Wells Fargo Advisors LLC. Janney Montgomery Scott LLC is a large broker-dealer and SEC-registered investment adviser managing approximately $110 billion in client assets. The firm serves a diverse client base including individuals, families, trusts, corporate and retirement plans, and charitable organizations, providing brokerage services, financial planning, consulting, and various advisory programs.

Marianne Gebhardt is a financial advisor at Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services, LLC with 14 years of industry experience. She holds the Series 66 designation and has worked at firms including LPL Financial and Cetera Advisor Networks. Outside of her advisory role, she manages marketing and operations for Gebhardt Farms LLC, a maple syrup retail and wholesale business. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services, LLC is an SEC-registered enterprise advisory firm serving a diverse client base that includes individuals, trusts, charitable organizations, corporations, and retirement plans. The firm offers financial planning, asset management, and specialized retirement consulting using a combination of passive and active investment strategies guided by an internal Investment Committee.

Scott Salisbury is a financial advisor with Eagle Strategies (NY Life) based in Mint Hill, NC. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and has 35 years of industry experience. Since 2016, he has operated under the DBA SWS Financial Group, Inc., focusing on selling New York Life products and brokering non-registered insurance products. Eagle Strategies serves a diverse client base, including individual investors and institutional sponsors, providing financial planning, investment management, and retirement-plan advisory services. The firm emphasizes tailored recommendations and manages the majority of its assets on a non-discretionary basis within an integrated New York Life affiliate structure.

James Waters is a CFA® charterholder with 11 years of industry experience. He is currently an advisor at Rockefeller Financial LLC and has previously worked at Morgan Stanley Private Bank, N.A., Woodbury Financial Services, Inc., Questar Capital Corporation, Wells Fargo Investment Institute Inc., Global Alternative Investment Services Inc., and Nyes Ledge Capital Management LLC. Waters is also the sole proprietor of HighStreet Partners and a partner in two entities based in North Carolina. Rockefeller Financial LLC serves high-net-worth and ultra-high-net-worth individuals, families and family offices, as well as institutional clients, retirement plans, foundations, and corporations. The firm provides discretionary and non-discretionary portfolio management, financial planning, and consulting services, and operates as a registered broker-dealer offering securities transactions, variable insurance products, and investment banking services through a Private Advisor model and a consolidated investment platform.

Hayden Askea is a CFP® and Series 65 credentialed advisor with Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services, LLC, based in Charlotte, NC. He has been with Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services since 2026 and has prior experience at The Home Depot and the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services provides financial planning, asset management, and retirement-plan consulting for individuals, high-net-worth clients, corporations, and retirement plans. The firm manages over $122 billion in assets and utilizes a diversified investment approach combining passive and active managers with quantitative, momentum, and fundamental analysis.

Rolando Fernandez is a financial advisor at Fifth Third Securities, Inc. with 19 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 66 licenses and has worked at firms including Wells Fargo Clearing, RBC Capital Markets, and PNC Investments. Outside of finance, he is the managing member of Florence Mercantile LLC, an online and pop-up women's clothing business. Fifth Third Securities serves individual and institutional clients through investment advisory and brokerage services, offering multiple programs and third-party portfolio managers on the Passageway platform. The firm operates as a wholly owned subsidiary of Fifth Third Bank and manages a broad range of account types, utilizing strategies such as tax-loss harvesting and direct indexing.

Harper Hicks is a CFP® professional with 10 years of experience in the financial services industry. He is currently with Rockefeller Financial LLC and has previously worked at Morgan Stanley Private Bank, N.A., among other firms. Rockefeller Financial LLC serves high-net-worth and ultra-high-net-worth individuals, families, family offices, institutional clients, and corporations. The firm combines a Private Advisor model with a consolidated investment platform, offering discretionary and non-discretionary portfolio management, financial planning, and brokerage services.

Kelli Little is a financial advisor with Eagle Strategies (NY Life) based in Charlotte, NC. She holds the ChFC® designation and Series 63 license, and has 14 years of industry experience. She has been with Eagle Strategies since 2018 and also has affiliations with Nylife Securities LLC and New York Life Insurance Co dating back to 2015. Eagle Strategies serves a broad range of individual and institutional clients, offering financial planning, investment management, and retirement-plan advisory services. The firm provides multiple program options and emphasizes tailoring recommendations to client objectives, with a significant portion of its assets managed on a non-discretionary basis.

Alvin Riley II is a CFP® with 13 years of experience in the financial industry. He is currently affiliated with Independent Advisor Alliance, LLC and has spent the past decade working at LPL Financial. Independent Advisor Alliance serves a diverse range of clients, including individuals, small businesses, charitable organizations, and retirement plans. The firm offers asset management, financial planning, wealth coaching, and retirement plan consulting, leveraging model portfolios, sub-advisors, and advanced technology platforms to deliver its services.

Denise Johnson is a financial advisor with Eagle Strategies (NY Life) based in Charlotte, NC, holding a Series 66 credential and 21 years of industry experience. She has worked with Eagle Strategies since 2011 and maintains long-standing roles with Nylife Securities Inc and New York Life Insurance Company. Outside of advisory work, she serves as a Notary Public. Eagle Strategies provides financial planning, investment management, and retirement-plan advisory services to a diverse client base, including individual investors, defined contribution and benefit plans, and charitable and corporate clients, with a focus on tailored solutions and non-discretionary asset management.

Michael Arner is a financial advisor with TLG Advisors, Inc. He holds a Series 66 designation and has 17 years of industry experience. His prior work includes roles at Securities America Advisors, Investacorp, and Highland Brokerage Capital. Additionally, he is involved with Modern Life as a brokerage manager and wholesaler of insurance products. TLG Advisors serves a diverse client base including individuals, high-net-worth clients, trusts, charitable organizations, corporations, and institutional investors. The firm focuses on manager selection and monitoring using fundamental analysis and Modern Portfolio Theory, offering services through independent advisors and a direct-to-consumer digital program called Starlight Portfolios.

Leila Evans is a CFP® with 17 years of industry experience. She has worked at MAI Capital Management since 2021 and previously spent 12 years with Solamere Advisors and Capital Guardian, LLC. MAI Capital Management, LLC provides investment management, wealth management, retirement plan consulting, and family-office services to a diverse client base including high-net-worth individuals, families, sports professionals, trusts, and institutions. The firm offers customized portfolio management across multiple strategies and serves in both product-sponsor and advisory roles, managing significant assets and related private funds.

Benjamin White is a CFP® certificant with one year of experience as a financial advisor at Truist Advisory Services. He has worked within various divisions of Truist, including Truist Investment Service and Truist Bank, since 2013. Truist Advisory Services provides investment consulting and advisory services to individuals, corporate clients, retirement plan sponsors, and charitable organizations. The firm uses a combination of discretionary manager relationships and non-discretionary consulting, supported by third-party platforms and AI-enabled research tools, to deliver its investment solutions.

Madeline Huffman is a financial advisor with Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services, LLC, holding a Series 66 credential and two years of industry experience. Her prior roles include positions at LPL Financial LLC, FinTrust Capital Advisors, and Wells Fargo Bank. She provides administrative support to Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services in addition to her advisory duties. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services offers financial planning, asset management, and retirement-plan consulting for individuals, high-net-worth clients, corporations, and retirement plans. The firm manages over $122 billion in assets across a large advisor network, employing diversified, risk-class based investment strategies that combine passive and active management with quantitative, momentum, and fundamental analysis.

Brenton Simonson is a Certified Financial Planner® with 17 years of industry experience. He currently works at Creative Planning and previously held roles at LPL Financial and Fidelity Brokerage Services LLC. Creative Planning provides investment advisory and financial planning services to a diverse client base, including individuals, corporations, foundations, trusts, and retirement plans. The firm employs a financial planning-led investment approach focused on low-cost indexing and buy-and-hold strategies, supported by a large advisory team and integrated investment infrastructure.

Willis Heslep is a financial advisor with Brookstone Capital Management LLC in Charlotte, NC, holding Series 63 and Series 65 credentials and 14 years of industry experience. He has operated his own tax and retirement planning business since 2021 and has managed Heslep Wealth Advisors, an insurance and investment advisory firm, since 2014. His background includes roles at several advisory and investment firms dating back to 1997. Brookstone Capital Management provides fee-based asset management and financial planning services to individuals, retirement plans, corporations, and trusts. The firm utilizes a range of investment strategies, including strategic asset allocation models and options-enhanced strategies, and offers portfolio management through a turnkey platform and wrap-fee programs.

Chad Pannell is a financial advisor with Independent Advisor Alliance, LLC in Charlotte, NC, holding Series 63 and Series 65 credentials and bringing 26 years of industry experience. He has been affiliated with LPL Financial and Independent Advisor Alliance since 2016. Independent Advisor Alliance serves a diverse client base including individuals, small businesses, charitable organizations, and retirement plans, providing asset management, financial planning, and retirement consulting services. The firm utilizes a network model of independent advisory representatives and combines discretionary and non-discretionary portfolio management with technology platforms for account aggregation and estate planning.

Brett Oconnor is a financial advisor at Fifth Third Securities, Inc. with one year of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and has worked at Fifth Third Securities since 2025, with prior roles at Fifth Third Bank, Woodforest National Bank, and Banfield Animal Hospital. Fifth Third Securities, Inc. serves a diverse client base including individuals, high-net-worth clients, institutions, and business entities. The firm offers investment advisory and brokerage services through various program types on the Passageway Managed Account platform, combining multiple portfolio management strategies and third-party offerings.

Karl Mount III is a Series 66-credentialed advisor with Bankers Life Advisory Services, Inc., bringing four years of industry experience. His background includes roles at Bankers Life Securities and BankersLife and Casualty Company, where he also serves as a unit field trainer recruiting and training insurance agents. Prior to his financial services career, he was involved with Backstreets Bar & Grill and held positions at Lenoir Rhyne University. Bankers Life Advisory Services, Inc. provides discretionary portfolio management and investment consulting primarily to mass-affluent and high-net-worth individuals. The firm’s investment approach focuses on customized asset allocation, periodic rebalancing, and a combination of fundamental, technical, and cyclical analysis to guide portfolio decisions.

David Curry is a financial advisor with Independent Advisor Alliance, LLC, holding a Series 65 designation and two years of industry experience. His prior work includes six years at Second Half Strategies and three years at HoneyBaked Ham. Independent Advisor Alliance serves a diverse client base including individuals, small businesses, charitable organizations, and retirement plans, offering asset management, financial planning, wealth coaching, and retirement plan consulting. The firm utilizes a network model with over 300 advisors and employs various portfolio management strategies supported by technology platforms and third-party managers.