Ira Ross is a financial advisor at Spartan Planning Group in Greensboro, NC, with 18 years of industry experience. He holds the Series 63 and Series 65 designations and has been with Spartan Planning & Wealth Management, LLC since 2015. Spartan Planning Group serves individual and high-net-worth households, as well as small businesses, trusts, and employee benefit plans, offering integrated financial planning and wealth management services. The firm uses a CFP®-based six-step process and combines discretionary and non-discretionary portfolio management, utilizing ETFs, mutual funds, and individual securities tailored to clients' objectives and risk profiles.

Christopher Harris is a financial advisor at Strategic Advisory Partners with a Series 65 designation and three years of industry experience. He has been with Strategic Advisory Partners since 2022 and also serves as an assistant and associate professor at Elon University, a role he has held since 2013. Strategic Advisory Partners serves individuals, pension and profit-sharing plans, and corporate clients by offering investment management, financial planning, and employee benefit plan advisory services. The firm manages approximately $124 million in assets using a combination of fundamental and technical analysis within a Modern Portfolio Theory framework and operates a wrap fee program while requiring custody at a recommended custodian.

Jason Lincoln is a financial advisor at Twin City Private Wealth, LLC with one year of industry experience. He holds a Series 65 designation and has a background that includes roles at Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center and Knight Property Group. Outside of his advisory work, Jason serves as a part-time Clinical CT Instructor at Forsyth Technical Community College. Twin City Private Wealth provides discretionary portfolio management and integrated financial planning to individuals, corporations, foundations, and retirement plan participants. The firm uses a range of investment methods and publicly discloses performance results, offering educational seminars and participant account management through third-party platforms.

John Simms Jr. is a CFA® charterholder and holds a Series 65 license with 14 years of industry experience. He has been with Piedmont Capital Management, LLC since 2011. Piedmont Capital Management, LLC provides discretionary investment management and financial consulting primarily to high-net-worth individuals and families, as well as corporations, business entities, and charitable organizations. The firm focuses on capital preservation and long-term cumulative returns through disciplined asset allocation and active manager selection, often customizing investment policies to client preferences and managing accounts on a discretionary basis.

Patrick Williford is a financial advisor at Carolina Financial Advisors, Inc. with six years of industry experience. He previously worked at Merrill for four years and Pure Fishing for three years. Williford holds the Series 66 designation. Carolina Financial Advisors provides discretionary portfolio management and financial planning to individuals, trusts, estates, corporations, pension and profit-sharing plans, and nonprofit organizations. The firm offers Values Based Investing portfolios aligned with traditional Christian values and employs a range of strategies emphasizing preservation of principal, quality securities, diversification, and varied analytical approaches.

Jonathan Smith is a financial advisor at Smith Partners Wealth Management, LLC in Greensboro, NC, holding a Series 65 designation with 13 years of industry experience. He has been with the firm since 1988, including its previous iteration as Jonathan Smith & Co. LLC. Smith Partners Wealth Management provides investment advice, financial planning, and customized consulting to individuals, families, businesses, trusts, retirement and profit-sharing plans, and charitable organizations. The firm offers discretionary and non-discretionary portfolio management, utilizing separately managed accounts tailored to clients’ life stages and risk tolerances, with a focus on low-cost index funds, ETFs, and tax-aware strategies.

Erica Lyall is a CFP® with 10 years of industry experience and is currently with Strategic Advisory Partners in Greensboro, NC. Her prior roles include positions at Modera Wealth Management, Parsec Financial Management, and Hutchinson Family Offices. Strategic Advisory Partners serves individuals, pension and profit-sharing plans, and corporate clients, offering investment management and financial planning services. The firm combines fundamental and technical analysis within a Modern Portfolio Theory framework, employing both active and passive strategies tailored to client objectives.

Orville Igharas is a financial advisor at Piedmont Capital Management, LLC with 11 years of industry experience. He holds the Series 66 designation and has worked at firms including First Citizens Investor Services, First Citizens Bank, and ValMark Advisers, Inc. since 2012. Piedmont Capital Management provides discretionary investment management and financial consulting primarily to high-net-worth individuals and families, as well as certain corporations and charitable organizations. The firm focuses on capital preservation and long-term returns through disciplined asset allocation and active manager selection, offering customized investment policies and managing both separately managed accounts and pooled vehicles.

Barry Carpenter is a financial advisor at Cascades Capital Asset Management, LLC in Greensboro, NC, holding Series 65 and Series 66 credentials with 23 years of industry experience. He has been with Cascades Capital since 2013. Cascades Capital Asset Management serves individuals, trusts, estates, corporations, and retirement plans by providing discretionary and non-discretionary portfolio management, limited financial planning, and retirement plan consulting. The firm emphasizes fundamental research, long-term equity ownership, diversification, and ongoing portfolio monitoring, managing approximately $322 million in assets.

David Belk is a CFP® professional with 26 years of industry experience, currently serving at Carolina Financial Advisors, Inc. He has held roles at Old North State Trust Company and Financial Security Management, Inc., and is president and owner of Belk & Associates DBA Belk Financial Group, where he manages life insurance and related financial products. Carolina Financial Advisors, Inc. provides discretionary portfolio management and financial planning to individuals, trusts, estates, corporations, retirement plans, and nonprofit organizations. The firm focuses on preservation of principal through quality and diversification, employing both fundamental and technical analysis, and offers a Values Based Investing option aligned with traditional Christian values.

Aaron Parrish, CFP®, TPCP®, is a Greensboro, NC fee-only financial planner. He created Level Wealth Management (LWM) to present a new option to investors transitioning into and through retirement. Historically, investors have had to do it themselves, work with a commission broker or work with an advisor that charges a percentage of their investments. LWM helps clients build intelligent portfolios, map out retirement and reduce taxes for one flat retainer fee that isn’t based on account size. This fee structure reduces conflicts of interest and allows clients to potentially keep more of their investment returns. LWM meets physically with clients in Greensboro, Charlotte, and Raleigh as well as virtually for out of state clients. Aaron graduated from Appalachian State University and was recruited by BB&T’s Private Banking Division to join their Financial Planning Analyst team. There, he gained valuable experience and created financial plans for hundreds of clients. He later became a Vice President and Senior Financial Advisor at Triad Financial Advisors before starting Level Wealth Management. He has also taught retirement planning courses at colleges and universities across Central North Carolina. When not working, Aaron prefers to invest his time and money in experiences—traveling with his wife, Martha, and their two children, Bradford and Dottie. He’s also a big believer in outsourcing tasks he doesn’t enjoy, so he can spend more time mountain biking and snowboarding.

Jayson Snipes is a financial advisor at Hanover Square Wealth Advisors LLC with a Series 65 credential and one year of industry experience. He has worked in accounting and tax services since 2017 and has held roles at Lexington City Schools and Maple Springs United Methodist Church. Hanover Square Wealth Advisors LLC provides investment management, financial planning, retirement-plan consulting, and business consulting to a diverse client base that includes individuals, high-net-worth clients, families, trusts, estates, businesses, and institutional entities. The firm offers a range of portfolio management strategies and access to alternative asset classes, serving clients through both discretionary and non-discretionary arrangements.

William Donovan is a CFP® and Series 65 registered financial advisor with 11 years of experience, currently working at Smith Salley Wealth Management since 2015. He serves as part of a 17-advisor team based in Greensboro, NC. Outside of his advisory role, he is a managing member of Greenbrier Partnership II, LLC, a real estate investment venture. Smith Salley Wealth Management provides comprehensive wealth management, financial planning, and portfolio management services to individuals, high-net-worth clients, corporations, banks, trusts, and charitable organizations. The firm manages approximately $2.9 billion on a discretionary basis, employing a bottom-up fundamental investment approach with an emphasis on individual equity selection and fixed-income analysis.

Jonathan Morgan is a CFA® charterholder with 13 years of industry experience. He has worked at Holderness Investments Company since 2024 and previously held roles at McShane Partners and SP Capital Management LLC. Morgan was also involved with Simarian Enterprises LLC, operating as Simarian Research, from 2011 to 2022. Holderness Investments Company provides customized investment management and financial planning primarily to high-net-worth individuals, trusts, estates, and pension plans. The firm uses fundamental, bottom-up company analysis combined with a macroeconomic outlook and offers both discretionary and non-discretionary portfolio management along with ETF-based model strategies.

Hugo May is a financial advisor at Smith Salley Wealth Management in Greensboro, NC, holding a Series 65 designation with 17 years of industry experience. He has worked with Smith, Salley & Associates, LLC since 2009. Smith Salley Wealth Management is a team-based advisory firm serving individuals, high-net-worth clients, corporations, banks, trusts, and charitable organizations. The firm manages approximately $2.9 billion on a discretionary basis, employing a bottom-up, fundamental investment approach focused on equity selection, fixed-income analysis, and diversified portfolios using ETFs, REITs, and alternative funds.

Pasquale Errichiello is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ with 16 years of industry experience. He is currently with Smith Salley Wealth Management and has prior experience at Wells Fargo Clearing, Wells Fargo Advisors, LLC, and Morgan Stanley. Errichiello serves as a finance committee member for the Women's Resource Center and is a commission member of the Greensboro Parks and Recreation Commission. Smith Salley Wealth Management is a team-based firm that provides comprehensive wealth management, financial planning, and portfolio management to individuals, high-net-worth clients, corporations, banks, trusts, and charitable organizations. The firm manages approximately $2.9 billion on a discretionary basis and emphasizes a bottom-up investment approach focusing on individual equity selection and fixed-income analysis.

Ryan Gehsmann is a financial advisor with AdaptFirst Investments LLC, holding a Series 66 designation and with 10 years of industry experience. Prior to joining AdaptFirst in 2019, he worked at Hornor Townsend & Kent Inc and Penn Mutual Life Insurance Company. Outside of his advisory role, Gehsmann owns a lawn care business and coordinates lacrosse tournaments and events in the Greensboro area. AdaptFirst Investments provides ongoing portfolio management, financial planning, and consulting services to individuals and businesses. The firm employs a valuation-focused investment approach and offers additional services such as outsourced CIO support, CFO-level consulting, bookkeeping, and in-house tax preparation.

Vaughn Heydel is a CFP® professional with 15 years of industry experience, currently serving at Financial Designs Corporation since 2007. He holds a Series 63 license and works in a team of three advisors based in Stokesdale, NC. Financial Designs Corporation provides wealth management, financial planning, and portfolio management services to individuals, trusts, estates, charitable organizations, and qualified retirement plan participants. The firm uses an active management approach combining charting, technical, fundamental, and cyclical analysis, offering both discretionary and non-discretionary relationships through its proprietary wrap fee program.

Richard Holderness is a CFA® charterholder with 16 years of industry experience. He has been with Holderness Investments Co since 1995. In addition to his advisory role, he is a member of Holderness Asset Solutions, LLC, where he provides insurance services. Holderness Investments Company offers customized investment management and financial planning primarily to high-net-worth individuals, trusts, estates, and pension plans. The firm uses a fundamental, bottom-up approach combined with a consensus macroeconomic outlook, employing both discretionary management and ETF-based model strategies.

George Wyatt is a financial advisor at Smith Salley Wealth Management in Greensboro, NC, with 11 years of industry experience. He holds a Series 65 designation and has been with Smith, Salley & Associates since 2013. Smith Salley Wealth Management is a team-based advisory firm serving individuals, high-net-worth clients, corporations, banks, trusts, and charitable organizations. The firm manages approximately $2.9 billion using a bottom-up, fundamental investment approach that incorporates equity selection, fixed-income analysis, and diversified strategies including ETFs, REITs, and alternative funds.