Jeffrey Kocis is a financial advisor with LPL Financial in Chicago, IL, holding a Series 66 designation and 24 years of industry experience. He has been affiliated with IHT Wealth Management LLC and LPL Financial since 2015. Outside of his advisory work, he serves as Chaplain and Executive Committee Board Member for the American Legion Riders Marne Post 13. LPL Financial provides advisory and brokerage services to a diverse client base, including individual investors, retirement plan sponsors, institutions, and high-net-worth households. The firm offers a range of investment solutions supported by an in-house Research team, combining large-scale advisory operations with additional financial products and services.

Brendan Donlevy is a financial advisor at VestGen Advisors, LLC with three years of industry experience. He holds a Series 66 designation and has worked at several firms, including Triad Advisors, Northwestern Mutual, and Capital Forensics Inc. Brendan is based in Chicago, IL. VestGen Advisors, LLC is a multi-team registered investment adviser managing approximately $3.47 billion for about 9,453 clients. The firm serves individual and high-net-worth clients with discretionary and non-discretionary investment management, financial planning, wrap-fee programs, and retirement plan services. Their approach integrates client-specific goal setting with various analytical methods and may include third-party managers or affiliate strategies.

Deborah Hinten is a CFP® professional with 39 years of industry experience, currently affiliated with Capital Analysts. She has worked with Lincoln Investment Planning, Inc. since 2011 and maintains a long-term connection with Consolidated Financial Resources, Inc. outside of her advisory role. She is involved in several business activities including managing a skin wellness product line and handling administrative duties in specialized flooring and construction companies. Capital Analysts serves a diverse client base including individual investors, retirement plans, trusts, and charitable organizations, providing discretionary and non-discretionary portfolio management through proprietary models and third-party managers. The firm operates with a fiduciary approach and offers varied portfolio services supported by an in-house Investment Management & Research team.

David Fischesser is a financial advisor with Ausdal Financial Partners, Inc. in Wheaton, IL, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and bringing 15 years of industry experience. His prior work includes positions at OSAIC, American Portfolios Financial Services Inc, and Grove Point Investments, LLC. Beyond advising, he owns Fisch Financial, LLC, which provides tax preparation, bookkeeping, and accounting services, and he serves as board treasurer for the Western DuPage Chamber of Commerce and chairman of the parish council at St. Michael Catholic Church. Ausdal Financial Partners serves individuals, trusts, estates, retirement plans, and business entities, managing approximately $3.73 billion for over 16,000 clients. The firm offers a range of advisory services and integrates multiple custodians and third-party money managers, operating as both a registered investment adviser and broker-dealer.

Phillip Smolinski is a financial advisor at Pure Financial Advisors, LLC with 19 years of industry experience. He holds the Series 66 designation and has worked previously at Fidelity Brokerage Services and Fairhaven Wealth Management, LLC. Pure Financial Advisors provides financial planning and portfolio management primarily for individual and high-net-worth clients, including services for trusts, estates, charitable organizations, and pension and profit-sharing plans. The firm employs a planning-centered investment approach overseen by an Investment Committee and combines enterprise-scale infrastructure with specialized operational features such as tax-aware strategies and advisor involvement in adult-education teaching.

Jessica Nieminski is an investment advisor representative at Fortis Capital Advisors, LLC with 13 years of industry experience. She has held positions at multiple firms, including Cetera and Network 1 Financial Securities, and operates ClearPath Financial LLC, a financial services DBA. Nieminski also sells health, life, property, and casualty insurance through ClearPath Financial Insurance, LLC. Fortis Capital Advisors serves individuals, families, businesses, retirement plans, institutional clients, and other advisers with portfolio management, financial planning, and retirement-plan consulting. The firm employs a range of investment strategies, including discretionary management and ESG options, and manages over $1.6 billion in discretionary assets.

David Mcclellan is a financial advisor at Forum Financial Management, LP with 11 years of industry experience. He holds a Series 65 designation and has been with Forum Financial Management since 2015. Outside of his advisory role, he is involved with F.A.M. LLC as a member, providing management services related to the firm. Forum Financial Management, LP provides investment advisory and related services to individuals, retirement plan sponsors, charitable organizations, and institutional clients. The firm emphasizes model asset-allocation portfolios based on Modern Portfolio Theory and offers a range of services including portfolio management, financial planning, and back-office support for independent advisors and RIAs.

Daniel Zolet is a CFA® charterholder with eight years at Riverfront Investment Group, LLC and four years of overall industry experience. Prior to joining Riverfront in 2018, he worked at IBM and spent time with Extended Travel. Riverfront Investment Group provides discretionary portfolio management and model-based investment solutions primarily to individual investors, as well as trusts, pension, and institutional clients. The firm operates a multi-advisor platform and employs a “Price Matters” investment approach that combines strategic and tactical asset allocation with security selection and risk management.

John Kwasigroch is a financial advisor at Alera Investment Advisors, LLC with 31 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 66 licenses and has worked at firms including Securian Financial Services, Inc. and Triad Advisors, Inc. He is also involved with GCG Financial, providing fixed insurance products and investment advisory services. Alera Investment Advisors offers investment management, financial planning, and retirement plan advisory services to individuals, families, businesses, and institutions. The firm combines internal management with affiliate and independent managers, focusing on long-term allocations to mutual funds, ETFs, equities, and fixed income, while providing ERISA-related services for retirement plans.

Steven Podgorski is a financial advisor with Capital Analysts in Lombard, IL, holding Series 63 and Series 66 licenses and bringing 19 years of industry experience. He has been with Lincoln Investment since 2016 and operates Aspire Financial Group, providing life and health insurance services for legacy accounts. Podgorski also manages a family LLC established for additional liability protection. Capital Analysts serves a diverse client base including individuals, high-net-worth investors, retirement plans, trusts, and charitable organizations. The firm offers discretionary and non-discretionary portfolio management supported by an in-house investment team, with access to model portfolios, third-party managers, and ERISA advisory services.

Carlos Coutinho Maia is a financial advisor at Navy Federal Investment Services, LLC with five years of industry experience. He holds the Series 66 designation and has previously worked at firms including JP Morgan Securities, Equitable Advisors, Prudential Insurance Company of America, and Edward Jones. Outside of finance, he was involved in operating Carambola Gelato and Coffee Shop LLC for two years. Navy Federal Investment Services primarily serves members of Navy Federal Credit Union, individual investors, and trusts, offering portfolio management, financial planning, and retirement-plan fiduciary services. The firm utilizes model portfolios managed by third-party advisers on platforms such as Envestnet, providing account monitoring, rebalancing, and optional tax and impact overlay services.

Tara Hill is a CFP® professional with three years of industry experience. She is currently affiliated with Fortitude Financial Partners and Mariner Platform Solutions, having previously worked at Brown Brothers Harriman and Northern Trust. Mariner Independent serves individuals, including high-net-worth clients, as well as pension and profit-sharing plans, trusts, estates, charitable organizations, and business entities. The firm offers financial planning, portfolio management, retirement plan consulting, tax support, insurance solutions, and access to alternative investments through a network of investment adviser representatives and a range of affiliated businesses.

Jennifer Taylor is a CFP® with 29 years of experience in the financial services industry. She currently works at Pure Financial Advisors, LLC and has prior experience at Fairhaven Wealth Management and Fidelity, where she spent over 25 years in various advisory roles. Pure Financial Advisors provides financial planning and portfolio management primarily for individual and high-net-worth clients, as well as trusts, estates, charitable organizations, and pension and profit-sharing plans. The firm emphasizes a planning-centered investment approach overseen by an Investment Committee and incorporates tax-aware strategies, sub-advisers, and a multi-advisor platform supported by enterprise-scale infrastructure.

Howard Kite is a CFP® and ChFC® with 44 years of industry experience. He is currently with Forum Financial Management, LP, where he has worked since 2009, and previously held roles at Purshe Kaplan Sterling Investment and PKS Advisory Services, LLC. Outside of his advisory work, he is a member of several non-investment-related business entities, including real estate management ventures. Forum Financial Management, LP provides fee-based wealth management, financial planning, and qualified plan services to individual and institutional clients. The firm also serves as a sub-advisor and turnkey asset management platform for other independent RIAs, offering model portfolios managed primarily with DFA institutional mutual funds and ETFs under a Modern Portfolio Theory approach.

Kevin Geiger is a financial advisor at Blackridge Asset Management, LLC with 16 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and has worked with firms including Retirement Wealth Advisors, Alchemy Advisors, and LPL Financial. Geiger also operates Geiger Investments, a separate investment-related business. Blackridge Asset Management is a multi-advisor firm serving individuals, trusts, retirement plans, charitable organizations, and small businesses. The firm provides financial planning and portfolio management services, employing a structured investment process that combines client input with third-party and advisor-created model portfolios, and offers sub-advisory services to unaffiliated registered investment advisers.

Emilija Ilic is a Series 65 licensed financial advisor at Mission Wealth Management, LP with one year of industry experience. Her prior work includes roles at Krd Ltd, Byline Bank, and the Law Offices of Lee Steinberg. Mission Wealth Management, LP is a multi-team advisory firm managing approximately $17 billion and serving high-net-worth individuals, families, and institutional clients. The firm offers tailored wealth management, portfolio management, financial planning, and consulting services, employing a tiered service model to align with client needs and emphasizing long-term investment strategies.

Allison Tregoning is a financial advisor at Gladstone Wealth Partners with eight years of industry experience. She holds the Series 66 designation and has worked at firms including LPL Financial, Cetera Financial Specialists LLC, and Wells Fargo Clearing Services LLC. Prior to her advisory career, she was employed at Azzip Pizza and the University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign. Gladstone Wealth Partners serves a diverse client base including individuals, high-net-worth investors, corporations, and charitable organizations, offering investment management, financial planning, and retirement-plan consulting. The firm operates through a network of independent advisers who tailor strategies using discretionary management, third-party managers, and model portfolios, and also provides ERISA-related services for qualified plans.

Paul Kaczmarczyk is a financial advisor with World Equity Group, Inc. in Schaumburg, Illinois. He holds a Series 66 designation and has 19 years of industry experience. He has been with World Equity Group since 2010 and also worked at VestGen Advisors, LLC. Outside of advising, he serves as treasurer for the Schaumburg Athletic Association United Soccer Club, a nonprofit youth soccer organization. World Equity Group provides fee-based investment advisory and financial planning services to individuals, pension plans, trusts, estates, charitable organizations, and businesses. The firm offers managed portfolios through wrap-fee programs and uses a risk-tolerance questionnaire to guide asset allocation, with discretionary authority granted to third-party managers and investment adviser representatives.

Michael Manno is a financial advisor with WORLD EQUITY GROUP, Inc. in Schaumburg, IL, holding Series 63 and Series 66 licenses and bringing 42 years of industry experience. He has been with World Equity Group since 2003. WORLD EQUITY GROUP, Inc. offers fee-based investment advisory and financial planning services to a broad client base including individuals, pension and profit-sharing plans, trusts, estates, charitable organizations, and businesses. The firm provides managed portfolios through its Adhesion Money Management wrap-fee program and related advisory services, utilizing risk-tolerance questionnaires and third-party discretionary money managers.

Gary Richards is a CFP® professional with over 31 years of experience in the financial industry. He has been with World Equity Group, Inc. since 1994. Outside of his advisory role, Richards is involved in the sale of fixed life insurance and annuities. World Equity Group serves individual and high-net-worth clients, business entities, non-profit organizations, and financial institutions, offering a range of investment advisory and brokerage services. The firm employs both model-based and customized investment approaches and manages approximately $945 million in assets.