Yasser Ahmad is a CFP® with 14 years of industry experience, currently serving at Independent Financial Group, LLC since 2019. His prior roles include positions at Growth Capital Services, Direct Lending Investments, TD Ameritrade, Wells Fargo Advisors, and Banc of America Investment Services. He is a 50% owner of Ahmad & Betancourt, Inc., a business entity used for tax and investment purposes, and also co-owns Laurelwood Capital Management. Independent Financial Group, LLC provides investment advisory and brokerage services to a diverse client base, including individuals, high-net-worth clients, trusts, and institutional plans. The firm employs a mix of strategic asset allocation, multi-manager portfolios, and ongoing due diligence to develop tailored investment solutions across standard risk profiles.

Roger Cortes is a financial advisor with Transamerica Financial Advisors and holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses. He has 10 years of industry experience and has worked with firms including LegacyShield Solutions, Inc., Ciena Corporation, and Delta Products Corporation. Outside of advising, he is involved with the Heartland Institute of Financial Education, which offers a college coaching program. Transamerica Financial Advisors serves a broad client base ranging from individual investors to charitable organizations, offering both advisory and broker-dealer services through proprietary model suites and third-party managers. The firm operates as both a registered broker-dealer and a registered investment adviser, with program options that include discretionary and non-discretionary management.

Sheldon Mcfarland is an investment advisor with Focus Advisor Solutions, LLC, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and 23 years of industry experience. He has worked at Focus Advisor Solutions since 2018 and previously spent 12 years with LWI Financial Inc. and Loring Ward Securities Inc. Mcfarland also serves as Vice President of Portfolio Strategy and Research at Focus Partners Advisor Solutions, LLC. Focus Advisor Solutions provides turnkey asset management and back-office services primarily to independent registered investment advisors, offering model portfolios, operational support, and fixed-income sub-advisory and retirement plan management services. The firm combines enterprise scale with a relatively small advisor base, managing approximately $41 billion in assets for over 33,000 clients.

Steven Wong is a financial advisor with Transamerica Financial Advisors in Santa Clara, CA, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and with 13 years of industry experience. His career includes roles at Dream Builder Financial and WFGIA, and he has worked at Transamerica Financial Advisors or its affiliates for over a decade. Outside of finance, he is involved with Qantel Technologies Inc., where he has had a long tenure since 1981. Transamerica Financial Advisors serves a wide range of clients, including individuals, pension plans, trusts, and corporations, offering both advisory and broker-dealer services through proprietary model portfolios and third-party managers. The firm operates uniquely as both a registered broker-dealer and RIA, supporting its clients with affiliated retirement and recordkeeping services.

Timothy Salunga is a financial advisor with TIAA-CREF in Palo Alto, CA, holding Series 63, Series 65, and Series 66 licenses and bringing 15 years of industry experience. He has worked at TIAA-CREF since 2016, following roles at Sigfig Wealth Management and TD Ameritrade. TIAA‑CREF Individual & Institutional Services, LLC provides financial planning and discretionary managed account services primarily to individuals connected to TIAA employer retirement plans, as well as trusts, estates, partnerships, and small retirement plans. The firm offers model and customized portfolio management through various managed account programs and also serves as adviser to the TIAA Donor Advised Fund.

Lisa Ozaki is a CFP® with two years of industry experience, currently serving as a financial advisor at Mariner in Los Altos, CA. She has previously worked at Summitry, LLC and Allworth Financial. Mariner is an enterprise firm that serves a diverse client base, including high-net-worth individuals, pension plans, trusts, and corporations. The firm offers investment management, financial planning, retirement consulting, and integrated tax and family office services, utilizing customized portfolios overseen by an internal investment committee.

Yuju Hsiung is a financial advisor at Transamerica Financial Advisors with 15 years of industry experience. She holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and has prior work experience including roles at Kaiser Permanente Health Insurance and as president of Yuju Consulting Inc. In addition to her advisory work, she is involved in network marketing for nutrient supplements through Beauty Stem Biomedical. Transamerica Financial Advisors serves a diverse client base including individual investors, pension plans, trusts, and corporations, offering both advisory and broker-dealer services. The firm provides access to proprietary and third-party model portfolios, with discretionary and non-discretionary program options.

Zhiyuan Wang is a financial advisor at Transamerica Financial Advisors with 14 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 66 credentials and has worked in various roles including consulting on social security optimization through RSSA and as a principal engineer at Futurewei Inc. Wang is also involved with World System Builders, a co-brand marketing organization. Transamerica Financial Advisors serves a diverse client base including individual investors, pension plans, trusts, and corporations. The firm offers both advisory and broker-dealer services with proprietary model portfolios and access to third-party money managers, providing discretionary and non-discretionary investment programs.

Yuhan He is a financial advisor with HSBC Securities (USA) Inc. in Cupertino, CA, holding a Series 66 license and two years of industry experience. Prior to joining HSBC Securities, He worked at HSBC Bank USA N.A. and has diverse experience including roles in education and the food service industry. He also co-founded HafenDew LLC, a social networking-relationship app, where he is involved in marketing research and search engine optimization. HSBC Securities (USA) Inc. provides managed account programs to individuals, retirement accounts, charitable organizations, and corporations, offering both client-directed and discretionary investment options. The firm employs a structured investment process combining strategic and tactical asset allocation and works with affiliated providers for fund selection and account management.

Baodong Hu is a financial advisor at Citigroup Global Markets with 10 years of industry experience. He holds the Series 66 designation and has previously worked at Cetera Investment Services LLC, East West Bank, and Morgan Stanley Private Bank. Citigroup Global Markets serves individual and institutional clients across various wealth segments, offering a range of investment advisory programs and broker-dealer execution and custody services. The firm employs multi-asset, multi-manager strategies and maintains in-house research and security-pricing capabilities, operating at a scale that includes roles as a swap dealer and futures commission merchant.

Hector Gama is a CFP® with 10 years of industry experience, currently serving as a financial advisor at CWM, LLC. His prior experience includes roles at Pesta & Pesta, Morgan Stanley Private Bank, Morgan Stanley, and Charles Schwab. CWM, LLC is an SEC-registered investment adviser that serves individuals, high-net-worth families, foundations, endowments, corporations, and institutional clients through a network of more than 600 advisors. The firm manages portfolios on a discretionary basis using model portfolios and combines fundamental and technical analysis, third-party sub-advisors, and customization tools to support its clients' investment needs.

Grant Carver is a financial advisor at Focus Partners Wealth, LLC with two years of industry experience. He holds a Series 65 designation and has previously worked at The Colony Group, LLC, GW & Wade, LLC, CliftonLarsonAllen LLP, and Sweeney Kovar LLP. Focus Partners serves individuals, high-net-worth families, family offices, corporate and institutional clients with a range of wealth management and advisory services. The firm employs a long-term, tax- and fee-sensitive investment approach combining active and passive strategies, third-party managers, and private funds within an enhanced open architecture framework.

Vinh Do is a financial advisor at Empower Advisory Group with 16 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63, 65, and 66 licenses and has worked at firms including Mutual of America Securities LLC and Cetera Investment Services LLC. Based in San Jose, CA, he has been with Empower Advisory Group since 2024. Empower Advisory Group provides financial planning and investment management primarily to employer-sponsored retirement plan sponsors and their participants, as well as Empower Premier IRA and certain retail brokerage clients. The firm uses an integrated approach tied to its recordkeeping and administrative platforms, offering both point-in-time financial plans and optional managed account solutions.

Sasha Zhu is a financial advisor with Citigroup Global Markets, holding Series 63 and Series 66 licenses and possessing 15 years of industry experience. She has been with Citigroup Global Markets since 2014. Outside of her advisory role, she is involved in business administration for a restaurant called Little by Little. Citigroup Global Markets serves individual and institutional clients across various wealth segments, offering a range of investment advisory programs and broker-dealer execution and custody services. The firm implements multi-asset, multi-manager strategies through discretionary and non-discretionary programs and maintains large institutional capabilities including in-house research and market roles such as swap dealer and futures commission merchant.

Trevor Lawson is a financial advisor at Empower Advisory Group with Series 63 and Series 65 credentials and four years of industry experience. His prior work includes roles at GWFS Equities and a part-time position as an EMT with AMR/Rural Metro, where he provides emergency medical services. He also occasionally assists with clerical duties at a family roofing company. Empower Advisory Group primarily serves employer-sponsored retirement plan sponsors and their participants, offering financial planning and investment management through an integrated model connected to Empower’s recordkeeping and administrative platforms. The firm emphasizes long-term portfolio returns and annual rebalancing within plan lineups selected by plan sponsors.

Chi Yu Lu is a financial advisor at Citigroup Global Markets with 17 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and has worked at Citi Groups since 2019, following a decade at HSBC Bank USA. Citigroup Global Markets serves individual and institutional clients across various wealth segments, offering a wide range of investment advisory programs and execution services. The firm employs multi-asset, multi-manager strategies, combining large institutional scale with unique market roles such as operating as a swap dealer and futures commission merchant.

Giulio Cannatello is a financial advisor with Kestra Advisory Services, holding the CFP® designation and Series 63, 65, and 66 licenses. He has 13 years of industry experience, including roles at Fidelity Investments, LPL Financial, and Merrill. His work includes financial planning, investment, and insurance advice through Transitions Wealth Advisors. Kestra Advisory Services provides investment advisory and retirement-plan consulting to a diverse client base, including institutional and individual investors. The firm offers services such as fiduciary consulting, plan design, and advisor-managed accounts, with approximately $79.8 billion in assets under management and a client base that includes large institutional investors and sovereign wealth funds.

Thomas Bodin is a CFP® and CFA® with 13 years of industry experience. He is currently with Focus Partners Wealth, LLC and previously worked at Buckingham Strategic Wealth, LLC and operated Bodin Wealth Management LLC. Focus Partners Wealth serves individuals, high-net-worth families, family offices, corporate and institutional clients with wealth management and advisory services. The firm employs a long-term, tax- and fee-sensitive investment approach using a blend of active and passive strategies, third-party managers, and private funds under an enhanced open architecture framework.

Jeremy Pomer is a CFP® with 17 years of industry experience, currently serving at Kestra Advisory Services, LLC since 2016. He has also worked with Kestra Investment Services, NFP Advisor Services, 401 K Advisors, and Financial Telesis Inc. In addition to his advisory role, Pomer is a Senior Plan Consultant involved in retirement plan consulting and fiduciary services. Kestra Advisory Services provides investment advisory and retirement plan consulting to plan sponsors and a diverse range of institutional and individual clients, offering services including plan design, compliance testing, fiduciary consulting, and plan-level investment advice. The firm serves large institutional investors and offers access to multiple management platforms and third-party solutions.

Anthea Lai is a financial advisor with HSBC Securities (USA) Inc. in Cupertino, CA, holding Series 63 and Series 66 licenses and bringing 25 years of industry experience. She has been with HSBC and its affiliates since 2015, including roles at HSBC Bank USA, N.A., and previously spent time at East West Bank and Cetera Investment Services. Lai also serves as a bank officer for HSBC Bank (USA) N.A., concurrently with her registered representative role. HSBC Securities (USA) Inc. offers managed account programs for individuals, retirement accounts, charitable organizations, and corporations, featuring both client-directed and fully discretionary options. The firm employs a multi-profile investment approach combining strategic and tactical asset allocation supported by HSBC Global Asset Management and affiliated providers.