Ryan Vorhies is a financial advisor with Guardian Life holding a Series 66 designation and two years of industry experience. Prior to his current role, he worked at Compass Advisory Group and Amazon, and he also serves as a pilot for United Airlines. Guardian Life’s subsidiary, Park Avenue Securities LLC, provides brokerage and investment advisory services to individuals, corporate and retirement plan sponsors, charitable organizations, and businesses. The firm offers a combination of advisor-led discretionary management and model-based strategies, along with financial planning and consulting services tailored to client needs.

Earnest Smith III is a CFP®-certified financial advisor with 27 years of industry experience, currently with Truist Advisory Services in Nashville, TN. He has worked at SunTrust Advisory Services and SunTrust Investment Services since 2007. Outside of advising, Smith is an author and co-president of the Private Directors Association, a nonprofit focused on education for private directors. Truist Advisory Services provides investment consulting and advisory services to individuals, corporate clients, retirement plan sponsors, and charitable organizations. The firm combines discretionary manager relationships and non-discretionary consulting, with a focus on manager selection supported by AI-enabled research and inter-affiliate integration.

Joshua Harness is a financial advisor at Oppenheimer with 21 years of industry experience. He holds a Series 66 designation and has worked at Oppenheimer since 2022. Prior to that, he spent over a decade at B. Riley Wealth Management and B. Riley Wealth Advisors, and also worked at Ameriprise from 2005 to 2009. Oppenheimer is a registered investment adviser and broker-dealer serving individuals, corporations, pension plans, charitable organizations, and IRAs. The firm offers a wide range of investment programs and services, including discretionary and non-discretionary portfolio management, consulting, and retirement planning.

Laura Stevens is a Series 66-licensed financial advisor with Fifth Third Securities, Inc., where she has worked since 2013. She has 15 years of industry experience. Outside of her advisory role, she is involved in music through her ownership and operation of Laura Kaczor Music Ministries, where she writes, records, performs, and sells original music. Fifth Third Securities, Inc. provides brokerage and investment advisory services to individuals, charitable organizations, corporate clients, and institutional investors through its Passageway Managed Account Program, offering multiple managed-account options and features such as direct indexing and tax-overlay services.

Brian Huxhold is a CFP® professional with 15 years of industry experience, currently serving at Truist Advisory Services. He previously worked at Charles Schwab and Schwab Private Client Investment Advisory, with a combined tenure of five years before joining SunTrust Advisory Services in 2018. Truist Advisory Services provides investment consulting and advisory services to individuals, corporate clients, retirement plan sponsors, and charitable organizations. The firm offers asset allocation, fiduciary support, and manager selection programs, utilizing both discretionary and non-discretionary approaches supported by third-party platforms and AI-enabled research tools.

Calynn Gigant is a financial advisor at NewEdge Advisors with two years of industry experience. She holds Series 63 and Series 66 licenses. Prior to joining NewEdge Advisors in 2026, she worked at Ameriprise for four years and has experience in the restaurant industry. NewEdge Advisors is an enterprise-scale registered investment adviser serving individuals, pension and profit-sharing plans, corporations, trusts, estates, and charitable organizations. The firm offers a broad range of portfolio management, financial planning, and consulting services through a network of independent advisers, utilizing a variety of program structures and centralized due diligence.

James Wilson is a CFP® with 39 years of industry experience, currently affiliated with Commonwealth Financial Network and Brentwood Financial Partners, where he has worked since 2007 and 2013, respectively. He serves as president and chief manager of Wilson Financial Group, LLC, which operates Brentwood Financial Partners. Commonwealth Financial Network is a registered investment adviser supporting a national network of approximately 2,950 advisors with a variety of advisory programs, including customized portfolio solutions and retirement plan consulting. The firm provides operations, trading, technology, investment management, compliance, and practice-management support to affiliated advisors.

Johanna Mockett is a financial advisor with Transamerica Financial Advisors, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and bringing 19 years of industry experience. She has been with Transamerica Financial Advisors since 2012 and is involved in estate planning services through her roles with LSPN Pro LLC and Inheritguard, LLC. Additionally, she serves as president of Mockett, Inc., which handles administrative work for her business activities. Transamerica Financial Advisors serves a diverse client base, including individual investors, high-net-worth clients, and various institutional clients, offering both advisory and broker-dealer services. The firm employs a mix of proprietary and third-party model portfolios with discretionary and non-discretionary program options.

Justin Sykes is a financial advisor at TLG Advisors, Inc. with 12 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and has worked previously at Nationwide Securities LLC and Millennium Brokerage Group. In addition to his advisory role, he works as an independent insurance agent, focusing on the sale of individual life insurance, long-term care, and annuities. TLG Advisors serves a diverse client base including individuals, high-net-worth clients, charitable organizations, and institutional investors. The firm uses a manager selection process grounded in fundamental analysis and Modern Portfolio Theory to construct diversified portfolios and offers services such as investment supervision, financial planning, and fiduciary management for ERISA-qualified retirement plans.

Jeffery Factor is a financial advisor with Truist Advisory Services, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and bringing 41 years of industry experience. His career includes prior roles at Citigroup Global Markets, Morgan Keegan & Company, and Raymond James & Associates. He is based in Brentwood, Tennessee. Truist Advisory Services provides investment consulting and advisory services to individuals, corporate and business clients, retirement plan sponsors, and charitable organizations. The firm combines discretionary manager relationships and non-discretionary consulting, utilizing third-party platforms and AI-enabled research tools to support manager selection and portfolio oversight.

Philip Benavides is a financial advisor with Sanctuary Advisors, LLC, holding Series 63 and Series 66 licenses and 13 years of industry experience. He previously worked at Bank of America, N.A. for 11 years and Merrill for four years. Outside of his advisory role, he is a silent partner in a family business involving real estate investment. Sanctuary Advisors, LLC provides investment advisory and financial planning services to a diverse client base, including individuals, corporations, pension plans, and charitable organizations. The firm supports a network of over 400 independent advisors who deploy various investment strategies through discretionary and non-discretionary accounts, utilizing multiple management platforms and sub-advisers.

Matthew Eckberg is a financial advisor with Steward Partners Investment Advisory, LLC, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and six years of industry experience. His prior roles include positions at UBS Financial Services, Merrill, and SageSpring Wealth Partners LLC. Outside of finance, he has involvement with Edleys BBQ. Steward Partners Investment Advisory, LLC is an SEC-registered, enterprise-scale RIA managing approximately $36.7 billion in regulatory assets. The firm serves a broad client base including individuals, pension and profit-sharing plans, corporations, trusts, estates, and charitable organizations, offering a range of investment advisory, financial planning, and managed account services.

Andrew Cook is a financial advisor at Focus Partners Wealth, LLC in Nashville, TN, holding a Series 65 credential with three years of industry experience. His prior roles include positions at The Colony Group, LLC and InterOcean Capital Group LLC, as well as a five-year tenure at the University of Iowa. Focus Partners serves individuals, high-net-worth families, family offices, and institutional clients with a broad range of wealth management and advisory services. The firm employs a long-term, tax- and fee-sensitive investment approach that combines active and passive strategies within an enhanced open architecture framework.

Patrick Snell is a CFA® charterholder with 13 years of industry experience. He is currently with Sequoia Financial Group, L.L.C. and has served as Chief Investment Officer at M Capital Advisors since 2007. Sequoia Financial Advisors, LLC provides wealth planning, investment management, and retirement-plan and business-consulting services to a diverse client base, including high-net-worth individuals, charities, corporations, trusts, and family offices. The firm employs a combination of in-house model portfolios, custom accounts, and third-party manager selection, supported by an Investment Policy Committee and extensive research resources.

David Howell is a CFP®, ChFC®, and Series 66 licensed advisor with 24 years of industry experience. He is currently with Principal Financial Services and has held roles at Freedom Planning Partners, Freedom Insurance & Financial Group, Marcum Benefit, and Principal Life Insurance Company. Howell also teaches part of the CFP curriculum at Kaplan/Belmont University and serves as a board member for a nonprofit baseball organization. Principal Securities offers brokerage and registered investment advisory services to a diverse client base, including individual investors, retirement plans, trusts, and charitable organizations. The firm provides direct advisory programs, financial planning, retirement plan consulting, and access to third-party money managers through various advisory and promoter arrangements.

Caleb Alexander is a financial advisor at Corient in Franklin, TN, holding a Series 65 designation and beginning his tenure with the firm in 2026. He has a background that includes six years at CapWealth Advisors, LLC, and prior experience with LBMC and Wiatr & Associates. Corient offers investment advisory and financial planning services to a diverse range of clients including individuals, high-net-worth clients, trusts, and institutional entities. The firm uses a goals-based, team investment approach integrating in-house strategies, third-party managers, and risk management tools, along with access to affiliated private fund platforms.

Jimmy Barker is a financial advisor at Truist Advisory Services with 33 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 66 licenses and has worked at firms including Merrill, Bank of America, BB&T Securities, and Truist Investment Services. Outside of his advisory role, he teaches a weekly cycling class at Hillwood Country Club in Nashville. Truist Advisory Services provides investment consulting and advisory services to individuals, corporate and business clients, retirement plan sponsors, and charitable organizations. The firm combines discretionary manager relationships and non-discretionary consulting, supported by third-party platform and manager arrangements, to deliver its investment solutions.

Richard Schmock is a financial advisor with Rockefeller Financial LLC, holding a Series 66 credential and 20 years of industry experience. His prior roles include positions at Morgan Stanley Private Bank and Morgan Stanley. Outside of his advisory work, he is involved in managing a rental property through a family-run structure. Rockefeller Financial LLC serves high-net-worth individuals, families, family offices, institutional clients, retirement plans, foundations, and corporations. The firm provides a range of investment management and financial planning services, operating under a Private Advisor model with a consolidated platform offering discretionary and non-discretionary solutions across multiple asset classes.

Ryan Guerra is a financial advisor at Transamerica Financial Advisors with credentials including Series 63 and Series 65. He has worked in the financial services industry for over two decades, including roles at Transamerica Financial Advisors since 2012 and involvement with organizations such as Forged Man Collective and Net Law Group Inc. Outside his advisory work, he has associations with community and faith-based organizations like Crossroads Community Church and Mercy Hill Church. Transamerica Financial Advisors serves a diverse client base including individual investors, retirement plans, trusts, and charitable organizations, offering both advisory and broker-dealer services through proprietary and third-party model portfolios as well as insurance and brokerage products.

Christopher Gardner is a financial advisor at Janney Montgomery Scott with 25 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63, Series 65, and Series 66 licenses. His prior work includes roles at NFP Securities, Taylor Securities, Cambridge Investment Research, and Jackson National Life Distributors. Janney Montgomery Scott LLC is a large, dually registered broker-dealer and SEC-registered investment adviser managing about $110 billion in client assets. The firm serves a diverse client base with brokerage services, financial planning, consulting, and multiple advisory programs, combining in-house and third-party portfolio management.