Michael Hollars is a CFP® professional with 21 years of experience in financial advising, operating Client First Finance LLC since 2005. His background includes advanced technical graduate degrees and prior Silicon Valley executive experience. He participates in NAPFA activities and offers pro bono community workshops. Client First Finance LLC serves individuals, couples, trusts, estates, small businesses, and retirement-plan clients, providing financial advice ranging from specific issues to comprehensive multi-year planning. The firm focuses on long-term, passive index-based portfolios, disciplined asset allocation, and written investment policies, operating on a fee-only, non-discretionary model without custody of client assets.

Brian Murphy is a CFA® charterholder with 25 years of industry experience. He has been with Pariveda Investment Management since 2000. Murphy is also the CEO and partial owner of Kivalia, an online investment resource that provides free investment insights and model portfolios to participants in employee-sponsored retirement plans. He may provide management and business consulting services to third parties as well. Pariveda Investment Management offers fee-only investment management to individuals, high-net-worth clients, families, trusts, and select institutional accounts. The firm uses a combination of quantitative screening and fundamental analysis to manage portfolios focused on income generation and capital appreciation, employing a range of securities including equities, mutual funds, ETFs, and derivatives.

Warren Jackson is a CFA® charterholder with nine years of industry experience. He is the principal advisor at Kukui Tree Capital Management LLC, an independent firm he has been with since 2024. His prior roles include positions at Media Wealth, Adero Partners, Vista Wealth Management, and Bank of New York Mellon. Kukui Tree Capital Management advises individuals, high net worth individuals, trusts, and estates with discretionary investment management and comprehensive financial planning. The firm’s investment approach centers on fundamental analysis and a long-term orientation, tailoring portfolios to client goals, time horizons, and risk tolerance while overseeing third-party independent managers.

Jitesh Shah is a financial advisor at Avaari Financial with 15 years of industry experience. He holds a Series 65 designation and has worked as an engineer at IDT since 1999. Outside of advising, he maintains his engineering role, which is unrelated to his investment activities. Avaari Financial is an independent, fee-only advisory firm that serves medium- to high-net-worth individuals and some institutional clients through comprehensive financial planning and portfolio management. The firm employs a long-term, disciplined investment approach emphasizing diversified asset allocation, fundamental analysis, and tax minimization.

Thomas Berry is a financial advisor with LPL Financial in Campbell, CA, holding Series 63 and Series 66 licenses and 23 years of industry experience. He has worked with LPL Financial since 2004 and is also associated with Pacific Benefits Advisors and Pacific Wealth Advisors, LLC. Berry's activities include involvement with group health, life, disability, and pension plan insurance through Pacific Benefits Advisors. LPL Financial provides advisory and brokerage services to a diverse client base, including individual investors, retirement plan sponsors, institutions, charities, and high-net-worth households. The firm offers a variety of investment solutions supported by an in-house research team, combining large-scale advisory operations with insurance and credit products through affiliated agencies.

Ryan Taleghani is a financial advisor at Peninsula Equity Capital with seven years of industry experience. He holds a Series 66 designation and has previously worked at Morgan Stanley Private Bank, Morgan Stanley Smith Barney, Bank of America, and Merrill. Outside of his advisory role, he is involved as a partner in a real estate business and operates an online retail store. Peninsula Equity Capital is a state-registered investment adviser serving primarily institutional clients and pooled vehicles. The firm focuses on equity-centered portfolios using a combination of fundamental, cyclical, and behavioral analysis to identify undervalued businesses, with an investment approach that includes concentrated equity positions and the use of derivatives for hedging and trading within separately managed accounts.

Leon Shirman is a CFA® charterholder and the sole advisor at Emerald Hills Capital, LLC, an independent investment advisory firm based in Redwood City, CA. He has 14 years of industry experience and has led Emerald Hills Capital since 2011. Emerald Hills Capital provides discretionary portfolio management, financial planning, and consulting primarily to individual and high-net-worth clients. The firm manages approximately $16 million in assets and specializes in fundamental, long-term equity investments focused on small- to mid-cap companies, while also managing a private pooled investment vehicle.

James Schwarz is a CFP® and Series 66 credentialed financial advisor with 14 years of industry experience. He has worked at Charles Schwab Bank and Charles Schwab & Co., Inc. from 2011 to 2017 before founding Clear Retirement Advice LLC in 2017. He is a limited partner in a family limited partnership, Quarry Hill, with no decision-making authority or compensation. Clear Retirement Advice LLC provides discretionary portfolio management and goal-based financial planning primarily for individual and high-net-worth clients. The firm employs fundamental analysis and modern portfolio theory to create tailored asset allocations and uses a fixed-fee billing structure without third-party subadvisers.

Donald Hejna is a CFA® charterholder and holds a Series 65 license with 12 years of experience in the financial industry. He is the principal at Stantum, LLC, an independent advisory firm, and has held roles at Microsoft Corporation as a principal data science manager and at Accenture, LLP. He also serves as a teaching assistant and facilitator at Stanford University Graduate School of Business. Outside of his advisory work, Hejna is the managing partner of Virentem Ventures, LLC, a software and technology company. Stantum provides financial planning and portfolio management services to individuals, corporations, trusts, and other entities, employing a quantitative, risk-focused approach that incorporates Monte Carlo simulations, optimization techniques, and machine-learning methods. The firm offers a combination of traditional advisory services and specialized analytical projects, including securities ratings and bespoke valuation models.

Joel Meyer is the principal and sole advisor at Meyer Financial Advisors, Inc. in Los Altos, CA. He holds the CFA® designation and has seven years of industry experience. Prior to founding Meyer Financial Advisors, he worked at Administrative Software Applications, Inc. for 14 years. Since 2021, he has also served as CEO of Meyer Financial Counselors, LLC, providing financial planning for divorcing couples and business consulting. Meyer Financial Advisors, Inc. is an independent, single-advisor firm serving individuals, high-net-worth clients, and small businesses with financial planning, portfolio management, and investment consultation. The firm employs a Modern Portfolio Theory-based approach, combining fundamental and technical analysis to build diversified portfolios and offers periodic educational seminars and family-office style services.

Stephen Lajala is the principal of Lajala & Associates, an independent advisory firm based in San Jose, CA. He holds CPA credentials and has 43 years of experience with his firm, alongside eight years of industry experience as a financial advisor. In addition to his advisory work, he engages in public accountancy and income tax preparation through his CPA firm. Lajala & Associates provides discretionary portfolio management and limited-scope hourly financial planning to a small client base including individuals, pension and profit-sharing plans, trusts, and estates. The firm employs a strategic asset allocation approach with a core-and-satellite structure using primarily no-load mutual funds and ETFs, focusing on global diversification and monthly performance reporting.

Xu Tian is the principal of Tian Capital LLC, an independent investment management firm based in Mountain View, CA. He holds a Series 65 designation and has 10 years of industry experience, having founded and managed Tian Capital since 2016. Tian Capital LLC is a fee-only firm that provides discretionary portfolio management primarily to individual and high-net-worth investors. The firm employs fundamentally driven, equity-focused strategies including value, growth, and event-driven approaches, and is noted for its use of leverage and derivative instruments within separately managed accounts.

Brandon Amaral is a CFP® professional with five years of experience in financial planning. He is the principal advisor at Amaral Financial Planning in San Jose, CA. Prior to founding his firm, he worked at Ballast Point Financial Planning, Wade Financial Advisory, and Ameriprise Financial Services. In addition to financial planning, he offers tax preparation, IRS representation, and limited notarization services. Amaral Financial Planning serves individuals, families, and trusts with fee-only financial planning and discretionary portfolio management. The firm focuses on long-term, passive investing based on Modern Portfolio Theory and provides tailored investment strategies through custodial platforms such as Betterment and Charles Schwab.

Brenda Friederich is a CFP®-certified financial advisor with 21 years of industry experience. She is the sole advisor at Abundit Wealth in San Jose, CA, and has worked previously with Mariner Independent Advisor Network and RNP Advisory Services. In addition to her advisory work, she is a licensed insurance agent in California and has been involved in insurance sales since 2003. Abundit Wealth provides financial planning, discretionary portfolio management, and wealth management services primarily to individual clients and pension or employee benefit plans. The firm constructs broadly diversified, long-term portfolios using institutional mutual funds and ETFs, employing a small- and value-tilt approach, and offers pension consulting and participant-level advice under ERISA.

Sa Lvatore Guardino is a CFP® with 13 years of experience in financial advising. He has been with The Guardino Financial Group since 2012 and is also associated with C2 Financial Corporation. Outside of his advisory work, he is involved as a mortgage broker and insurance agency producer. The Guardino Financial Group provides financial planning and advisory services to individuals and families, including high net worth clients, focusing on cash flow, retirement, tax, estate, and insurance needs. The firm recommends no-load or low-load mutual funds and ETFs, emphasizing long-term, buy-and-hold strategies with global diversification and low-cost passive funds, and operates on an hourly fee basis rather than a percentage of assets.

Xiuya Li is a financial advisor at Dao Trading & Advisory Inc. with three years of industry experience. Li holds Series 65 and Series 66 licenses and has worked as a software engineer at Cadence Design Systems, Inc. since 2002. Dao Trading & Advisory Inc. provides investment management, financial planning, and wealth management services to individuals, high-net-worth clients, families, charitable organizations, and business entities. The firm’s investment approach focuses on macroeconomic analysis and asset allocation, with discretionary account management and an emphasis on educational seminars and market trend training.

Allyson Saldana is the principal of AMS Capital Management LLC, an independent registered investment adviser based in San Mateo, CA. She holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and has 26 years of industry experience. Since 2007, she has also worked as a licensed insurance agent offering life, health, and disability fixed insurance products. AMS Capital Management LLC serves approximately 55 clients, including individuals, high-net-worth clients, trusts, estates, and retirement plan sponsors and participants. The firm provides investment supervisory services, financial planning, retirement plan consulting, and distributes a monthly newsletter, employing fundamental analysis and primarily non-discretionary portfolio oversight.

Arvind Chopra is a financial advisor at Sagepointe Advisors LLC with nine years of industry experience. He holds a Series 65 designation and concurrently works as a Senior Principal Engineer at Cadence Design Systems. Sagepointe Advisors serves individual, high-net-worth, and business clients, providing discretionary portfolio management tailored to client objectives and risk profiles. The firm employs a variety of analytical methods and trading strategies, including the use of sophisticated instruments such as futures and structured notes, and it is notable for its work with corporate clients in addition to individual investors.

Jerry Nightingale is the sole advisor at Nightingale Financial Advisory in Fremont, CA, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses with eight years of industry experience. He has been with Nightingale Financial Advisory since 2000. The firm provides discretionary investment management to individual clients and nonprofit organizations, managing approximately $36.8 million in assets. Its investment approach focuses on capital preservation and disciplined risk management, employing qualitative and quantitative filters with a contrarian tilt that allows for concentrated industry positions while maintaining diversification and fixed-income allocations.

Lavina Nagar is a CFP® and Series 65-licensed financial advisor with 15 years of industry experience. She has been with Maya Advisors, Inc., an independent firm based in Menlo Park, CA, since 2008. Maya Advisors serves individual and high-net-worth clients as well as charitable organizations, offering investment and portfolio management, financial planning, and advisory services for donor-advised funds through Schwab Charitable. The firm’s investment approach emphasizes long-term fundamental analysis, utilizing low-cost diversified mutual funds and ETFs, and provides a notable client-managed program for self-directed investors.