Ralph Backe Jr. is a financial advisor with Prospera Financial Services, Inc., holding Series 63 and Series 65 credentials and bringing 32 years of industry experience. He previously worked at Wells Fargo Advisors Financial Network LLC before joining Prospera in 2019. Outside of his advisory role, he co-owns vacation condos in St. Petersburg, Florida. Prospera Financial Services, Inc. is an enterprise-scale firm serving individuals, corporate and charitable entities, and retirement plans, managing approximately $12.4 billion through about 207 advisors across 140 offices. The firm offers diversified investment advisory and financial planning services using a combination of firm models, third-party sub-advisers, and customizable allocations across multiple platforms.

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.

Dennis Anderson is a CFP® with 34 years of industry experience, currently serving as a financial advisor at Benjamin F. Edwards & Company, Inc. since 2013. He is also the owner of a grain and livestock farm in Viola, Illinois. Benjamin F. Edwards & Company is an SEC-registered investment adviser and broker-dealer serving a diverse client base, including individuals, pension plans, charitable organizations, and corporations. The firm offers a range of investment management and financial planning services through fee-based wrap programs that incorporate both proprietary and third-party strategies.

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.

Pranav Singh is a financial advisor at Fifth Third Securities, Inc. with 16 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 66 licenses and previously worked at J.P. Morgan Securities and JPMorgan Chase Bank. Fifth Third Securities provides brokerage and investment advisory services through its Passageway Managed Account Program to individuals, charitable organizations, corporate clients, and institutional investors. The firm offers multiple discretionary managed-account programs and features such as direct indexing and a tax-overlay service, operating as a wholly-owned subsidiary of Fifth Third Bank.

Donald Baran is a financial advisor with TLG Advisors, Inc. holding a Series 66 license and five years of industry experience. His professional background includes roles at The Leaders Group Inc., FSG, Pizza Hut, Edward Jones, Weiman Products, and EMCO Chemical Distributors. He also works as an insurance wholesaler for fixed insurance products directly with financial advisors through FSG. TLG Advisors, Inc. serves a wide range of clients including individuals, high-net-worth clients, trusts, charitable organizations, corporations, pension and retirement plans, and other institutional investors. The firm focuses on manager selection and ongoing portfolio monitoring using fundamental analysis and Modern Portfolio Theory, offering services through independent representatives, sub-advisors, and a direct-to-consumer digital program called Starlight Portfolios.

Eric Eimen is a financial advisor at William Blair with five years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 66 credentials. Prior to joining William Blair in 2022, he worked at BMO Private Bank from 2011 to 2022. William Blair’s Private Wealth Management division offers 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 provides clients access to proprietary models, third-party sub-managers, and private investment opportunities.

Todd Bessey is a CFP® with 31 years of industry experience and is currently affiliated with Integrated Wealth Concepts LLC. He previously worked at Wayne Hummer Investments for 17 years before joining Integrated Wealth Concepts in 2021. Integrated Wealth Concepts serves individuals, families, trusts, estates, businesses, and retirement plans through a network of independent financial advisors. The firm offers discretionary investment management, financial planning, family office and retirement plan advisory services, and sponsors wrap-fee programs, focusing on customized portfolios that combine internal management and third-party asset manager oversight.

David Reilly is a financial advisor with Benjamin F. Edwards & Company, Inc., holding a Series 66 designation and 22 years of industry experience. He has been with Benjamin F. Edwards & Co since 2013. Benjamin F. Edwards & Company is an SEC-registered investment adviser and broker-dealer serving a diverse client base including high-net-worth individuals, pension plans, charitable organizations, and corporations. The firm offers a range of fee-based wrap programs and investment strategies managed internally and by third parties, supported by an in-house trading desk and an Investment Strategy Committee.

Jennifer Merida is a financial advisor at Empower Advisory Group with 17 years of industry experience. She holds Series 63 and Series 66 licenses and has previously worked at firms including 818 Capital Group, Money Concepts Capital Corp., ADP, and BMO Harris Financial Advisors. Outside of her advisory role, she is a 2% owner and performs back-office work for Kaidence Chiropractic & Wellness, a business owned by her husband. Empower Advisory Group provides financial planning and investment management services primarily to employer-sponsored retirement plan sponsors and their participants, as well as to Empower Premier IRA and certain retail brokerage clients. The firm integrates its services with Empower’s recordkeeping and administrative platforms, focusing on long-term portfolio returns and participant savings rates.

Joanna Geier is a CFP® professional with over 14 years of experience in financial advisory roles. She has worked at Mercer Global Advisors Inc. since 2019 and previously spent nine years at Jackson Financial Management. Outside of her advisory work, she consults on data entry for physical therapy visits at Tomson Rehab. 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 employs a Modern Portfolio Theory-based investment approach with globally diversified, risk-appropriate portfolios using a range of investment vehicles and offers various related financial planning and consulting services.

James Wormley is a financial advisor at Benjamin F. Edwards & Company, Inc. with 22 years of industry experience. He has been with Benjamin F. Edwards since 2013 and holds the Series 66 designation. Benjamin F. Edwards & Company is an SEC-registered investment adviser and broker-dealer serving a diverse client base including individuals, pension plans, charitable organizations, and corporations. The firm offers fee-based wrap programs, financial planning, retirement and investment management consulting, utilizing a range of discretionary and non-discretionary strategies monitored by an Investment Strategy Committee.

Megan Anderson is a financial advisor with Benjamin F. Edwards & Company, Inc. She holds a Series 66 license and has two years of industry experience. Prior to joining Benjamin F. Edwards, she worked at Golden Technology and Randstad Technologies. Benjamin F. Edwards & Company is an SEC-registered investment adviser and broker-dealer serving a diverse client base, including individuals, pension plans, charitable organizations, and corporations. The firm offers a range of investment management and financial planning services, utilizing both discretionary and non-discretionary wrap programs with various model strategies monitored by an Investment Strategy Committee.

Kelly Tischart is a financial advisor with The Huntington Investment Company and holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses. She has 34 years of industry experience, having worked previously at LPL Financial and Ameriprise Financial Services. Outside of her advisory role, she is associated with a retail business specializing in collectible merchandise such as baseball cards and coins. The Huntington Investment Company serves individuals, charitable organizations, corporations, and other business entities by offering advisory and brokerage services through multiple wrap-fee programs on the Envestnet MAS platform. The firm uses an open-architecture model that includes third-party sub-managers and proprietary Private Bank models, providing portfolio management and related services primarily through percentage-of-assets wrap fees.

Sandra Nies is a financial advisor at Fifth Third Securities, Inc. with seven years of industry experience. She holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and has worked at several firms, including Huntington National Bank, Park Avenue Investment Advisory, and BMO Harris Financial Advisors. Fifth Third Securities, Inc. provides brokerage and investment advisory services through its Passageway Managed Account Program to a diverse client base, including individuals, charitable organizations, and institutional investors. The firm offers multiple discretionary managed-account programs and features such as direct indexing and a tax-overlay service, supported by its affiliation with Fifth Third Bank and multiple platform partnerships.

John Rousos is a financial advisor at TLG Advisors, Inc. with 41 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and has worked at firms including Highland Capital Brokerage and Investacorp Advisory Services. He is also involved in wholesaling and insurance-related activities through FSG. TLG Advisors, Inc. manages approximately $2.0 billion in discretionary client assets and serves individuals, retirement plans, trusts, estates, charitable organizations, businesses, and institutional investors. The firm offers investment supervisory and portfolio management, comprehensive financial and estate planning, ERISA fiduciary services, and a direct-to-consumer program called Starlight Portfolios.

Annette Hammortree is a financial advisor with Primerica Advisors, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and bringing 39 years of industry experience. She has been associated with Guardian Life Insurance Company and Park Avenue Securities since 2005. Outside of her advisory role, she serves as a board member for PACT, Inc. and Lifes Plan Inc., organizations focused on support and trustee services for people with disabilities. Park Avenue Securities LLC serves a broad retail client base, including individual and high-net-worth investors, charitable organizations, and corporate clients, offering brokerage, advisory, and financial planning services. The firm employs a range of investment strategies through proprietary and third-party portfolios and provides various account-level services such as lending solutions and donor-advised fund options.

Katharine Lois is a financial advisor at Benjamin F. Edwards & Company, Inc. with four years of industry experience. She holds a Series 66 designation and previously worked at Edward Jones for six years before joining her current firm. Benjamin F. Edwards & Company is an SEC-registered investment adviser and broker-dealer serving individuals, pension plans, charitable organizations, corporations, and institutions. The firm offers a range of investment management and financial planning services through consolidated wrap programs that include both discretionary and non-discretionary strategies monitored by an Investment Strategy Committee.

Jason Giambarberee is a financial advisor at Empower Advisory Group with Series 66 and Series 63 designations. He has experience in real estate sales and advisory roles dating back to 2012 and joined the financial services industry in 2024. Outside of financial advising, he has maintained a real estate career with @properties since 2020. Empower Advisory Group provides financial planning and investment management primarily to employer-sponsored retirement plan sponsors and their participants, as well as to IRA and retail brokerage clients. The firm integrates its services closely with Empower’s recordkeeping and administrative platforms, focusing on long-term portfolio strategies and participant engagement through managed account options.

Ernesto Aranda is a CFP® and Series 66 credentialed advisor with nine years of industry experience. He is currently with The Huntington Investment Company and has prior experience at Ameriprise Financial Services, Bank of America, and Merrill. He has also been affiliated with DePaul University for ten years. The Huntington Investment Company serves individuals, charitable organizations, corporations, and other business entities with advisory and brokerage services. Its programs use an open-architecture model combining third-party sub-managers and proprietary Private Bank models, offering various wrap-fee programs on the Envestnet MAS platform.