Connor Simios is a CFP® and Series 65-licensed advisor with Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services, LLC. He has six years of industry experience, including prior roles at Vermillion Financial Advisors and Willow Creek Community Church. He joined Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services in 2025. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services, LLC is an SEC-registered enterprise advisory firm serving individuals, trusts, estates, charitable organizations, corporations, and retirement plans. The firm offers financial planning, asset management, and specialized retirement consulting through a network of advisors, employing a strategic investment process that combines passive and active management guided by an internal Investment Committee.

Donald Cafero Sr. is a ChFC® credentialed financial advisor with 42 years of industry experience, currently affiliated with TLG Advisors, Inc. He has worked at several firms including The Leaders Group Inc and Highland Capital Brokerage. Outside of his advisory role, he is involved in insurance brokerage through The Cafero Group and works as a point of sale and wholesale specialist with FSG. TLG Advisors, Inc. is an SEC-registered investment adviser managing approximately $2.0 billion in discretionary client assets. The firm serves individuals, retirement plans, trusts, estates, charitable organizations, businesses, and institutional investors, offering services such as portfolio management, comprehensive financial and estate planning, and ERISA fiduciary services. Their investment approach combines fundamental analysis and Modern Portfolio Theory, with a direct-to-consumer program called Starlight Portfolios that tailors portfolios based on client risk profiles.

Brian Marshall is a financial advisor at William Blair with 31 years of industry experience. He has been with William Blair & Company L.L.C. since 1994. He holds the Series 63 and Series 65 designations. William Blair’s Private Wealth Management division provides investment management, financial planning, and wealth services to individuals, foundations, pension, and corporate clients. The firm utilizes an active, research-driven approach across equities, fixed income, and alternative strategies, offering proprietary models and access to private funds through its MB Investments Program.

Jeffrey Graff is a financial advisor with Eagle Strategies (NY Life) based in Deerfield, IL, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and bringing 17 years of industry experience. He has worked at Graff Financial Group since 2015 and Oakwell Financial Partners from 2017 to 2019. Outside of his advisory work, he volunteers as a youth football coach in Orland Park. Eagle Strategies serves a diverse client base including individual investors and institutional sponsors, offering financial planning, investment management, and retirement-plan advisory services. The firm provides tailored advisory solutions through various program types, with a significant portion of assets managed on a non-discretionary basis.

Eric Freckman is a CFP® professional with 26 years of industry experience. He has worked at Private Advisor Group, LLC since 2015 and previously spent over two decades at LPL Financial, LLC. In addition to his advisory role, Mr. Freckman serves as a notary public. Private Advisor Group serves individuals, trusts, estates, charitable organizations, businesses, and retirement plans by offering discretionary and non-discretionary portfolio management, financial planning, retirement plan consulting, and managed account solutions. The firm employs a fiduciary-based model, utilizing a variety of strategies and technology platforms while often implementing advice through third-party managers and tactical asset management programs.

George Costakis is a financial advisor with Eagle Strategies (NY Life) in Deerfield, IL, holding the ChFC® designation and Series 63 license. He has 50 years of industry experience, including over two decades with Eagle Strategies and long tenures at Nylife Securities LLC and New York Life Insurance Company. Outside of his advisory role, he is involved in insurance brokering across multiple product lines and is a shareholder in NYLARC Holding Company, Inc. Eagle Strategies serves a diverse client base including individuals and institutional investors, providing financial planning, investment management, and retirement-plan advisory services. The firm emphasizes tailored advice delivered through various program types, primarily managing assets on a non-discretionary basis and operating within an integrated New York Life affiliate structure.

Candace Vondra is a CFA® charterholder with 23 years of industry experience, currently serving at William Blair since 2006. She holds the Series 63 designation and is based in Des Plaines, IL. William Blair’s Private Wealth Management division provides investment management, financial planning, and wealth services to individuals, foundations, pension, and corporate clients. The firm employs an active, research-driven approach across multiple asset classes and offers proprietary models, third-party sub-advisers, and access to private funds and co-investment opportunities.

David Ferrante is a financial advisor at William Blair with one year of industry experience. He holds a Series 66 designation and previously worked at Goldman Sachs in 2023. Outside of finance, he has been involved with Huntley Community School District 158 and Northwestern University since 2014. William Blair’s Private Wealth Management division provides investment management, financial planning, and wealth services to individuals, foundations, and corporate clients. The firm employs an active, research-driven approach across multiple asset classes and offers access to proprietary models, third-party sub-managers, and private investment opportunities.

Ryan Begley is a financial advisor at &PARTNERS with 10 years of industry experience. He holds a Series 66 designation and previously worked at Merrill and Wells Fargo Advisors. &PARTNERS serves a diverse range of individual and institutional clients, offering investment management, financial and tax planning, and retirement-plan services through a combination of fundamental, technical, and quantitative analysis. The firm operates as both a registered investment adviser and broker-dealer, providing discretionary and non-discretionary portfolio management and municipal advisory services.

Grace Bossert is a CFP® professional at Mercer Global Advisors Inc. with two years of industry experience. Her work history includes roles at Mercer Global Advisors since 2021, as well as positions at MOKA and T. Anton Investment House. Outside of finance, she was involved with Rags Consignments for five years. Mercer Global Advisors provides investment advisory and planning services to a diverse client base, including individuals, high-net-worth families, small business owners, corporate plan sponsors, foundations, and nonprofits. The firm’s investment approach is based on Modern Portfolio Theory, focusing on globally diversified, risk-appropriate portfolios using low-cost index vehicles and multi-factor tilts, complemented by financial planning, retirement consulting, tax support, and estate-planning coordination.

Joshua Walters is a CFP® professional with 14 years of industry experience. He is currently with Voya Financial Advisors, Inc. and has previously worked at firms including LPL Financial LLC, Calamos Wealth Management, and J.P. Morgan Chase Bank. Voya Financial Advisors, Inc. serves a diverse client base including individual and institutional clients, offering services such as financial planning, portfolio management, and plan-sponsor consulting. The firm provides advice through multiple program structures, mainly delivering non-discretionary recommendations where clients approve transactions.

Jonathan Baker is a CFA® charterholder with 10 years of industry experience. He is currently with Corient, where he has worked since 2022, following prior roles at Balasa Dinverno Foltz and CIPW Service Company. Corient provides investment advisory and financial planning services to a diverse client base, including individuals, trusts, pension plans, and corporate entities. The firm uses a goals-based, team investment approach that combines in-house strategies with third-party managers and specialized offerings such as family office and trustee services.

Heather Locus is a CFP®-certified financial advisor with 25 years of industry experience. She is currently with Corient, where she has worked since 2022, following a 22-year tenure at Balasa Dinverno Foltz LLC. Corient provides investment advisory and financial planning services to a diverse client base, including individual and high-net-worth clients, trusts, pension plans, and charitable organizations. The firm employs a goals-based, team investment approach that integrates in-house strategies with third-party manager solutions and utilizes various risk management tools to align portfolios with client objectives.

Benjamin Krotky is a financial advisor with Bankers Life Advisory Services, Inc., holding a Series 66 credential and beginning his industry experience in 2026. Prior to joining Bankers Life, he worked in various roles including positions at United Parcel Service and educational institutions. In addition to his advisory role, he is licensed as an insurance agent, brokering Medicare-related health insurance plans through Blue Cross Blue Shield. Bankers Life Advisory Services, Inc. provides discretionary portfolio management and investment consulting primarily to mass-affluent and high-net-worth individuals. The firm’s investment approach focuses on customized asset allocation, periodic rebalancing, tax efficiency, and a combination of fundamental, technical, and cyclical analysis.

Rod Russell is a financial advisor at Farther with 13 years of industry experience. He has previously worked at BNY Mellon and J.P. Morgan. Outside of his advisory role, he coordinates property development at Lake Roots Holdings, LLC. Farther provides discretionary investment management and related advisory services primarily to individual investors, trusts, and estates, using a platform that combines proprietary model portfolios with algorithmic rebalancing and AI tools. The firm’s approach emphasizes Modern Portfolio Theory and utilizes a range of investment vehicles including ETFs, mutual funds, equities, and fixed income.

Nicholas Bova is a CFP® with 13 years of industry experience, currently advising at &Partners since 2026. Prior to joining &Partners, he spent 13 years with Wells Fargo. &Partners serves a diverse client base including high-net-worth individuals, retirement plans, and institutional clients. The firm offers investment management, financial and tax planning, and consulting services through both discretionary and non-discretionary approaches, utilizing a range of proprietary and third-party strategies.

Donna Gordon is a financial advisor at Independent Financial Partners with 14 years of industry experience. She holds a Series 66 designation and has worked at Independent Financial Partners and affiliated firms since 2019, following seven years at Signature Financial Services, Ltd and Signature Advisors Group. Independent Financial Partners provides investment advisory, financial planning, trust, and retirement-plan services through a nationwide network of independent advisors. The firm supports a multi-advisor platform serving tens of thousands of individual, charitable, corporate, and high-net-worth clients, with a notable focus on retirement-plan advisory and pension consulting services.

James Argentine is a CFP® professional with 17 years of industry experience, currently serving as an advisor at SPC since 2014. He also operates as an independent insurance agent specializing in life, accident, and health insurance, and runs a sole proprietorship under the name Prospective Financial. SPC serves a diverse client base including high-net-worth individuals, charitable organizations, corporations, and employer-sponsored retirement plans, offering portfolio management, financial planning, and ERISA-related retirement services through a network of over 460 advisers managing approximately $5.66 billion in assets.

Pranav Singh is a financial advisor with FIFTH THIRD SECURITIES, Inc. in Crystal Lake, IL, holding Series 63 and Series 66 designations and bringing 17 years of industry experience. He previously worked at J.P. Morgan Securities and Jpmorgan Chase Bank NA for over a decade before joining Fifth Third in 2022. FIFTH THIRD SECURITIES, Inc. serves a diverse client base including individuals, high-net-worth clients, and institutions through investment advisory and brokerage services. The firm offers multiple program types and third-party portfolio management via its Passageway Managed Account Platform and operates as a broker-dealer, SEC-registered investment adviser, and municipal advisor.

Anthony Ceffalio is a financial advisor with NewEdge Advisors holding a Series 66 designation and two years of industry experience. His prior work history includes roles at LPL Financial and Athletico. NewEdge Advisors is an enterprise-scale registered investment adviser serving individuals, pension and profit-sharing plans, corporations, trusts, estates, and charitable organizations through a network of independent advisors. The firm offers a broad range of portfolio management, financial planning, and consulting services, utilizing multiple program structures and technology tools to support advisor and client needs.