James Dawson is a CFP® with 12 years of experience in financial services. He currently serves as a wealth advisor at Rothschild Wealth LLC and has previously worked at Charles Schwab and Halo Securities. In addition to his advisory role, he is a licensed insurance agent. Rothschild Wealth LLC advises individuals, high-net-worth clients, corporate executive groups, trusts, pension and profit-sharing plans, and other institutional and tax-exempt entities. The firm uses a range of asset-allocation models and quantitative methods to construct and manage portfolios, offering services such as financial planning, retirement plan consulting, and coordination of tax and estate planning.

Colin Schwerin is a financial advisor at North Star Investment Management Corporation with two years of industry experience. He holds a Series 65 designation and has prior work experience at Burns and McDonnell, Sargent and Lundy, and Kentucky Utilities. Schwerin is also associated with CAPS Financial Group, where he provides financial planning services. North Star Investment Management Corporation serves a range of clients including individuals, pension and profit-sharing plans, and charitable organizations, offering discretionary portfolio management, financial planning, and family office services. The firm manages approximately $2.5 billion in client assets and employs strategies such as equity positions, fixed income, option strategies, and direct indexing, often allocating client assets into its own mutual funds.

William West is a CFP® professional with 10 years of experience in financial advising. He is currently with RAI Wealth, where he has worked since 2014, and previously worked at Securities America Advisors and National Planning Corporation. West serves on the Wheaton Academy Alumni Board, a nonprofit private high school, participating in community advocacy and alumni events. RAI Wealth provides investment advice and financial planning to individuals, families, high-net-worth clients, trusts, estates, corporations, small businesses, and retirement plans. The firm uses a combination of third-party model portfolios and in-house management, applying quantitative and fundamental analysis to tailor portfolios to client objectives and risk tolerances.

Nick Demopoulos is a CFP® with over 18 years of industry experience. He has worked at Nomura Securities International since 2008 and has been with Embree Financial Group since 2021. Prior to that, he spent seven years at Bank of Brazil. Embree Financial Group provides holistic financial planning, discretionary investment management, and retirement plan consulting to individuals and institutions. The firm serves high net worth clients, families, pension and profit-sharing plans, trusts, and corporations, managing assets with a fiduciary approach that incorporates fundamental, technical, and cyclical analysis.

Joshua Bretl is a financial advisor with Wellment Financial in Elmhurst, IL, holding Series 63 and Series 66 licenses and bringing 20 years of industry experience. He has worked with FSR Insurance Planning, Ltd. since 2017 and FSR Wealth Management, LTD. since 2013, and has been involved with FSR Certified Public Accountants, Ltd. since 2005. He serves on the Board of Directors for Community Bank of Elmhurst. 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 focusing on tax-aware retirement planning, while also offering client-managed account options and modular or comprehensive financial plans.

Marie Beckman is a CFP® and holds a Series 65 license with 25 years of industry experience. She is a principal at A. Robert Taylor Financial Advisory Services, Ltd., where she has worked since 2000, and currently serves as an advisor at Financial Solutions Advisory Group. Financial Solutions Advisory Group advises high-net-worth individuals, corporations, pension and profit-sharing plans, and trusts, providing discretionary and non-discretionary portfolio management, financial planning, and consulting services. The firm uses a comprehensive investment process incorporating fundamental, technical, quantitative, and qualitative analysis and maintains a quarterly newsletter for clients and professionals.

Michael Lantz is a CFP® professional with 35 years of industry experience. He is a founding advisor at Lantz Financial LLC, where he has worked since 2017, and previously spent 25 years at Wells Fargo Advisors. His prior experience also includes a role at Private Client Services from 2018 to 2022. Lantz Financial LLC provides portfolio management, financial planning, and retirement-plan services to individuals, families, businesses, and retirement plans. The firm manages approximately $846 million in client assets and employs a globally diversified investment approach grounded in modern portfolio theory, utilizing mutual funds and ETFs supported by fundamental and market analysis.

William Pekin is a CFA® charterholder with 30 years of industry experience. He has been with Pekin Singer Strauss Asset Management since 2001. Pekin Hardy Strauss, Inc. is a team-based firm that provides investment management, financial planning, and retirement plan services to individuals, pension plans, registered investment companies, charitable organizations, and corporations. The firm’s investment approach integrates fundamental analysis, asset allocation, and ESG factors, employing a variety of strategies including derivatives and short selling to tailor portfolios to clients’ objectives and risk tolerances.

John Kosik is a CFP® with 14 years of industry experience, currently serving at Capstone Financial Advisors Inc since 2009. He holds the Series 63 designation and is based in Downers Grove, Illinois. Capstone Financial Advisors serves a diverse client base including individuals, pension and profit-sharing plans, trusts, charitable organizations, and corporate clients. The firm emphasizes asset-class allocation, cost control, and tax positioning in its investment process, managing approximately $2.44 billion in client assets through a multi-advisor team.

Robert Perkins is a financial advisor at Hunter Capital Management with 44 years of industry experience. He has held positions at Perkins Investment Management LLC, Janus Distributors LLC, and PWMCO, LLC prior to joining Hunter Capital Management in 2020. Perkins holds Series 63 and Series 66 designations. Hunter Capital Management is an SEC-registered investment adviser that serves high-net-worth individuals, pooled investment vehicles, and institutional clients. The firm manages assets across separate accounts, a mutual fund, and privately offered pooled vehicles, with a value-oriented equity investment approach and a team of five advisors.

Kurt Newsom is a CFP® and holds a Series 66 license with 15 years of industry experience. He currently serves as an advisor at XXI Wealth, LLC, a role he has held since 2024. Prior to that, he worked at CIBC Private Wealth Advisors, Inc. and CIBC World Markets Corp. for seven years, Atlantic Trust Investment Advisors for one year, and Geneva Investment Management of Chicago for six years. XXI Wealth, LLC provides comprehensive financial planning and wealth management services to individual and high-net-worth clients. The firm offers customized portfolio construction using a mix of equities, fixed income, index funds, ETFs, direct indexing, alternative investments, and private placements, and employs active oversight of third-party money managers.

Ryan Kaysen is a CFP® with nine years of industry experience, currently serving at Serenity Investment Advisors in Chicago. He joined Serenity in 2026 after five years at Integritas Financial, LLC. Outside of financial advising, Kaysen works as a consultant in operations and sales development for Sound Control Solutions, Inc., a wholesale distribution company. Serenity Wealth Management offers fee-based investment advisory and financial planning services to a range of clients including individuals, pension plans, trusts, and corporations. The firm employs a tactical allocation approach using proprietary model portfolios and fundamental analysis, with both discretionary and non-discretionary management strategies.

Joseph Stock is a CFP® with 12 years of experience in the financial services industry. He is a managing partner and co-founder of Lake Street Private Wealth, where he has worked since 2018. Prior to this, he held roles at Purshe Kaplan Sterling Investments, Cantella & Co., Inc., Bank of America, and Merrill Lynch. Lake Street Private Wealth provides discretionary investment management, financial planning, and fiduciary services to individuals, high-net-worth clients, business entities, and various types of plans and trusts. The firm emphasizes institutional cost structures, global diversification, and a focus on asset-class allocation, offering both discretionary trading authority and non-discretionary advisement.

Edward Keating is a CFA® charterholder with four years of industry experience, currently serving as an advisor at SAGE Private Wealth Group, LLC. Prior to joining SAGE, he worked at Calamos Wealth Management LLC and BMO Harris Bank. He is actively involved in the Waubonsee Community College Foundation, serving as board president and participating in finance, investment, and scholarship committees. SAGE Private Wealth Group provides wealth management and discretionary portfolio management to individuals, retirement plans, trusts, estates, and businesses. The firm offers customized investment strategies and family office services, utilizing a variety of asset classes and ongoing portfolio monitoring.

Igor Yukhvidin is a financial advisor at Vertex Partners with one year of industry experience. He holds a Series 65 designation and previously worked at JP Morgan Chase Bank for seven years and Ernst & Young for four years. Vertex Partners provides advisory services to individuals, trusts, estates, retirement plans, and charitable and corporate entities through financial planning, investment and wealth management, and consulting. The firm’s investment approach emphasizes asset allocation, diversification, and behavioral finance, utilizing a mix of active and passive model portfolios across various platforms and strategies.

William Henry is a CFA® charterholder affiliated with Willis Towers Watson Securities, LLC. He has been with Willis Towers Watson entities since 2010 and has one year of experience at his current firm in Chicago, IL. He is also associated with Towers Watson Retiree Insurance Services, Inc. Willis Towers Watson Securities, LLC provides retirement-focused investment advisory services primarily through its Via Retirement platform, which offers web-based financial planning, discretionary model portfolios, and access to investment adviser representatives. The firm’s approach emphasizes diversified model portfolios and asset-allocation modeling supported by affiliated sub-advisers and insurance brokerage activities within the broader Willis Towers Watson organization.

Bradley Schaffnit is a financial advisor at Apollon Financial, LLC with 24 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 66 licenses and has previously worked at Highpoint Advisor Group, LLC and LPL Financial, LLC. His outside business activities include involvement with Leaders Partners, Inc., a non-variable insurance firm. Apollon Financial, LLC is an SEC-registered advisory firm serving individuals, high-net-worth clients, families, trusts, estates, businesses, and retirement plans. The firm manages approximately $1.45 billion through a team of 16 advisors, offering financial planning, portfolio management, retirement-plan advisory, and access to private and alternative investments.

Daniel Hord is a CFA® charterholder with 51 years of industry experience. He has been with Rothschild Investment Corporation since 1991 and is currently affiliated with Rothschild Investment LLC in Chicago, IL. Rothschild Investment serves individuals, families, trustees, corporations, pension and profit-sharing plans, retirement plan sponsors, foundations, and other institutional clients. The firm provides discretionary and non-discretionary portfolio management, financial planning, retirement plan consulting, and selection of third-party sub-advisers, using asset-allocation models tailored to client objectives and employing a range of investment vehicles and analytical methods.

Charles Millington is a CFP® professional with 19 years of experience in the financial industry. He has been with Millington Financial Advisors, LLC since 2014 and holds a Series 66 license. Outside of his advisory role, Millington serves as an accountant and CFO for Millington Insurance and also works as an insurance agent. Millington Financial Advisors serves individuals, high-net-worth clients, families, estates, corporations, retirement plans, trusts, and foundations with discretionary investment management, financial planning, and retirement-plan consulting. The firm incorporates tax planning and estate-planning facilitation into its services and utilizes a variety of investment strategies, including cyclical, fundamental, and technical analysis, with ongoing account monitoring and periodic client reviews.

Dory Rodriguez is a financial advisor with Apollon Financial, LLC, holding CFP® and Series 66 credentials and bringing 25 years of industry experience. Prior to joining Apollon Financial in 2024, he worked at LPL Financial and HighPoint Advisor Group LLC. He has additional business activities that include sales of non-variable insurance products. Apollon Financial, LLC is an SEC-registered advisory firm serving individuals, families, family offices, trusts, estates, businesses, and retirement plans. The firm manages approximately $1.45 billion through a team of 16 advisors and offers financial planning, portfolio management, retirement-plan advisory, and access to private and alternative investments using a combination of centrally managed models, advisor-led portfolios, and sub-advisers.