Brenden Melrose is a CFP® and holds a Series 65 license with 14 years of experience in the financial industry. He has been with Halbert Hargrove since 2014, currently serving as an advisor at their Long Beach, CA office. Halbert Hargrove Global Advisors manages approximately $4.2 billion for individuals, pension and profit-sharing plans, trusts, estates, charitable organizations, and corporate entities. The firm offers discretionary, fee-only investment management along with financial planning, consulting, and retirement plan services, utilizing a multi-advisor platform and an Investment Committee that combines qualitative and quantitative research to construct diversified portfolios.

Ryan Kennedy is a financial advisor with Advisory Services Network, holding Series 65 and Series 63 credentials and 12 years of industry experience. Prior to joining Advisory Services Network in 2022, he worked at Morgan Stanley Private Bank and Morgan Stanley Smith Barney from 2016 to 2022. He is also licensed as an insurance agent, selling health insurance, life insurance, and fixed income annuities. Advisory Services Network provides investment advisory and planning services to individuals, families, corporations, and retirement plans through a network of independent advisers. The firm offers various portfolio management and consulting services, using a range of securities and third-party managers, and supports multiple engagement models including discretionary and non-discretionary management.

Laurel Mann is a CFP® and holds a Series 66 designation with 25 years of industry experience. She is currently with Mariner Independent in Manhattan Beach, CA, and has previously worked at Purus Wealth Management and AdvicePeriod, LLC. She is involved with Reach for More, LLC, an entity created to receive non-investment related income. Mariner Independent provides investment advisory, financial planning, and consulting services to a diverse client base, including individuals, trusts, charitable organizations, corporations, and retirement plans. The firm offers portfolio management, access to model portfolios and third-party managers, and specialized retirement plan services through a platform integrating institutional resources and affiliated investment relationships.

Michael Chung is a CFP® with 20 years of industry experience, currently serving as a financial advisor at Apollon Wealth Management, LLC. He has previously worked at RBC Capital Markets for 10 years and Purshe Kaplan Sterling Investments for 2 years. Apollon Wealth Management is an SEC-registered multi-team advisory firm that serves a diverse client base including individuals, high-net-worth clients, family offices, trusts, businesses, charitable organizations, and retirement plans. The firm combines centrally managed model strategies with locally managed portfolios and offers a range of investment solutions including ESG models, Direct Indexing, and sub-advisory services for private funds and insurance clients.

Ralph Jackson III is a financial advisor at FourStar Wealth Advisors, LLC with 39 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 credentials and previously worked at Morgan Stanley Private Bank and Morgan Stanley Smith Barney for a combined 26 years. Outside of his advisory role, he serves as a board member for Athletic Scholarships R US, an organization assisting high school student-athletes in obtaining college scholarships. FourStar Wealth Advisors serves individuals, retirement and profit-sharing plans, trusts, estates, charitable organizations, and business entities by providing financial planning, discretionary portfolio management, and retirement-plan consulting. The firm combines fundamental and technical analysis, managing portfolios primarily on a discretionary basis with a diverse range of investment vehicles tailored to client risk tolerance and time horizon.

Guillermo Silesky is a financial advisor with Simplicity Wealth in Orange, CA, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and bringing 10 years of industry experience. His prior roles include positions at Secure Investment Management, Cambridge Investment Research, and MassMutual. Outside of his advisory work, he also advises and assists in the preparation of trusts and life insurance retirement planning through Tax Smart Investing & Planning. Simplicity Wealth serves a diverse client base ranging from individual investors to institutional entities, offering services that include financial planning, portfolio management, and retirement plan advisory. The firm employs a fund-of-funds investment approach using ETFs, mutual funds, and selected individual securities, and supports other advisers through technology, operational platforms, and a range of model portfolios.

Douglas Callen is a CFP® and ChFC® with 27 years of industry experience, currently serving as a financial advisor at B.B. Graham & Company, Inc. since 2010. He also provides consulting services to investment-related firms through CONNEXIEN, LLC and serves as an industry arbitrator for FINRA and the NFA. B.B. Graham & Company offers investment advisory and financial planning services to individuals, pension plans, trusts, and businesses, utilizing fundamental, technical, and cyclical analysis with a focus on both discretionary and non-discretionary asset management.

Thomas Gillespie is a financial advisor at NWF Advisory Services Inc with 50 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and previously worked at Ameriprise Financial Services, Inc. from 2011 to 2023. Gillespie serves on the Board of Directors for Sonoma State, where he reviews financial statements and money market recommendations. NWF Advisory Services manages approximately $6.4 billion in client assets through a network of over 100 advisory representatives, primarily serving individual and high-net-worth clients. The firm employs an open-architecture, technology-driven platform offering portfolio management, model portfolios, unified managed accounts, and retirement plan consulting.

Julianne Copeland is a financial advisor at Halbert Hargrove with one year of industry experience. She holds a Series 65 credential and has previously worked at Modern Money and California State University of Long Beach. Halbert Hargrove Global Advisors serves individuals, trusts, estates, pension and profit-sharing plans, and other institutions by offering discretionary portfolio management, financial planning, retirement plan advisory, and access to independent managers and private funds. The firm uses a formal Investment Committee with a documented analytical framework to guide its investment decisions, combining qualitative and quantitative methods across a range of investment vehicles.

Damian Dering is a financial advisor at Concorde Asset Management, LLC in El Segundo, CA, with 29 years of industry experience. He holds the ChFC® designation and securities licenses including Series 63 and Series 66. His career includes roles at Concorde Investment Services and Custom Wealth, LLC. Outside of advising, he is involved in insurance sales, particularly related to fixed insurance products and Medicare, and he participates in tax consulting and captive insurance referral activities. Concorde Asset Management serves individual, corporate, and retirement-plan clients by providing discretionary and non-discretionary portfolio management, financial planning, and access to third-party asset managers and wrap fee programs. The firm builds portfolios tailored to client objectives through asset allocation and model-based strategies, utilizing proprietary and third-party platforms and serving as an overlay manager with discretionary trading responsibilities.

Mary Abundo is a financial advisor at Thrivent Advisor Network, LLC with 29 years of industry experience. She holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and has worked with several firms including Northern Lights Distributors, Counterpoint Mutual Funds, Monograph Wealth Advisors, and Kestra Private Wealth Services. Her current tenure at Thrivent Advisor Network began in 2021. Thrivent Advisor Network provides investment advisory services to individuals, families, trusts, estates, businesses, retirement plans, and charitable organizations. The firm emphasizes a long-term investment approach with customized asset allocations using low-cost mutual funds, ETFs, fixed-income securities, and alternative investments, supported by a structure integrated within the broader Thrivent group.

Michael Masalehdani is a financial advisor with IHT Wealth Management LLC, holding Series 66 and Series 63 licenses and bringing 12 years of industry experience. He has worked at Fidelity Personal and Workplace Advisors since 2018 and Fidelity Brokerage Services LLC since 2015. IHT Wealth Management serves individual clients, including high-net-worth individuals, as well as corporate and institutional entities and retirement plan sponsors. The firm offers discretionary asset management, financial planning, ERISA plan consulting, and OCIO arrangements, using a combination of proprietary models, third-party managers, and quantitative investment strategies.

Justin Whitsell is a financial advisor at Western Wealth Management LLC with 18 years of industry experience. He holds the Series 66 designation and has been with Western Wealth Management since 2016, also maintaining a long tenure with LPL Financial beginning in 2011. Whitsell hosts the Capital Gain Podcast, an investment-related podcast based from his home. Western Wealth Management serves a diverse client base, including individuals, corporations, retirement plans, charitable organizations, and institutional clients. The firm operates as a decentralized network, combining firm-designed model portfolios with access to various LPL-sponsored programs and third-party managers, offering a broad range of strategies and annual account reviews.

Michelle White is a financial advisor with Halbert Hargrove in Long Beach, CA, holding Series 63 and Series 66 credentials and 20 years of industry experience. She has been with Halbert Hargrove since 1998. Halbert Hargrove Global Advisors manages approximately $4.2 billion for a range of clients including individuals, pension plans, trusts, and charitable organizations. The firm provides discretionary, fee-only investment management and financial planning through a multi-advisor platform, employing a research-driven Investment Committee to construct diversified portfolios across various asset classes.

Sarah Brace is a financial advisor at Ascentis Independent Advisors, LLC with 25 years of industry experience. She holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and has previously worked at ORG Partners, LLC, Purshe Kaplan Sterling Investments, WealthShield Partners, United Planners' Financial Services, and Bridge Advisory. Outside of her advisory role, she volunteers at Huntington Hospital’s gift shop and is a notary public. Ascentis Independent Advisors provides investment advisory services to individuals, trusts, retirement plans, and businesses. The firm offers tailored portfolio management and financial planning, utilizing asset allocation, fundamental and technical analysis, and incorporates third-party managers and alternative investments through discretionary sub-advisory and co-advisory arrangements.

Joseph Chrisman is a CFA® charterholder with 15 years of industry experience. He has been with Monograph Wealth Advisors, LLC since 2015. Outside of his advisory role, he contributes to Libretto, LLC by providing software and strategy improvements for a financial planning platform. Monograph Wealth Advisors serves high-net-worth and non-HNW individuals, charitable organizations, and institutional clients with investment advisory, wealth planning, pension consulting, and philanthropic services. The firm emphasizes bespoke Investment Policy Statements and an asset-allocation-focused process, implementing strategies through in-house management and selected sub-advisors while offering comprehensive foundation support.

Stephen Lee is a CFP® professional with 19 years of industry experience. He is currently with RWA Wealth Partners and has previously worked at firms including Mariner Wealth Advisors and Mercer Global Advisors. RWA Wealth Partners serves individuals, families, trusts, charitable organizations, business entities, and employer-sponsored retirement plans, providing investment management, financial planning, tax planning, and retirement plan advisory services. The firm employs a strategic asset allocation approach supported by an open-architecture platform and offers internally managed strategies through its subsidiary, RWA Capital, as well as tax preparation services via RWA Tax Solutions.

Julie Broady is a financial advisor at Kingswood Wealth Advisors, LLC with 26 years of industry experience. She holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and has worked at Kingswood since 2022, including a prior role at National Securities Corporation from 2014 to 2022. Broady serves on the board of directors for Project ECHO, a nonprofit focused on entrepreneurial concepts for youth. Kingswood Wealth Advisors serves a diverse client base including individual and high-net-worth investors, retirement plan sponsors, and institutions, offering services such as portfolio management, financial planning, ERISA plan advisory, and consulting. The firm employs an open-architecture platform, frequently uses third-party managers, and integrates with affiliated financial entities to support insurance-linked account management.

Peter Mason is a CFP® with six years of industry experience, currently associated with Foundations Investment Advisors LLC. He has held roles at Elite Advisory Group, Broadridge Advisor Solutions, Aloha Wealth Partners, and Cambridge Financial. In addition to his advisory duties, he works as an insurance agent specializing in life and health insurance. Foundations Investment Advisors, LLC provides financial planning and portfolio management to individual and high-net-worth clients, employer-sponsored retirement plans, and registered investment companies. The firm employs a combination of fundamental, technical, and cyclical analysis, using model portfolios and an asymmetric rebalancing approach, and offers a wide range of services through a large network of affiliated offices and representatives.

Kristy Haley is a financial advisor with Avantax Planning Partners, Inc., holding Series 63 and Series 65 designations and bringing 25 years of industry experience. Her career includes roles at Cetera Planning Partners, Tower Square Investment Management, and multiple Cetera entities. Avantax Planning Partners, Inc. provides portfolio management, financial planning, and managed retirement plan services to individuals, pension plans, charitable organizations, and businesses. The firm primarily operates through a network of CPA firms and registered Advisor Representatives, managing approximately $7.57 billion in assets across about 164 advisors and 7,500 clients.