Karen Shane is a CFP® with 20 years of industry experience. She currently works at &PARTNERS in Charlotte, NC, joining the firm in 2025 after nine years at Wells Fargo Clearing and seven years at Wells Fargo Advisors LLC. &PARTNERS serves a diverse client base including high-net-worth individuals, institutions, and retirement plans, providing investment management, financial and tax planning, and ERISA 3(21) consulting. The firm offers discretionary and non-discretionary portfolio management using a combination of proprietary and third-party strategies, supported by due diligence and ongoing account monitoring.

Jonathan Ganzert is a financial advisor with Janney Montgomery Scott in Charlotte, NC, holding Series 63 and Series 66 registrations and bringing 47 years of industry experience. He has been with Janney Montgomery Scott since 2005. Ganzert serves as a board member of the Village of Morrocroft Homeowners Association, contributing to community management on a volunteer basis. Janney Montgomery Scott LLC is a large, dually registered broker-dealer and SEC-registered investment adviser managing around $110 billion in client assets. The firm serves a diverse client base including individuals, families, trusts, estates, corporations, retirement plan sponsors, charitable organizations, and municipal clients, offering brokerage, financial planning, consulting, and multiple advisory programs.

Philip Lee is a financial advisor with Independent Advisor Alliance, LLC, holding the CFP® designation and Series 63 and 66 licenses. He has 22 years of industry experience and has worked with LPL Financial LLC for the past 10 years. Independent Advisor Alliance serves a diverse client base including individuals, small businesses, charitable organizations, and retirement plans, providing asset management, financial planning, and retirement plan consulting. The firm combines a network of advisory representatives with access to various portfolio management strategies and technology platforms to support its services.

Deidre Caldwell is a financial advisor at Janney Montgomery Scott with 38 years of industry experience. She holds Series 63 and Series 66 licenses and previously worked for Robert W Baird for 10 years prior to joining Janney Montgomery Scott in 2024. Janney Montgomery Scott LLC manages approximately $110 billion in client assets and serves a diverse client base including individuals, families, trusts, estates, corporate and retirement plan sponsors, charitable organizations, and municipal clients. The firm offers brokerage services, financial planning, consulting, and multiple advisory programs, combining in-house portfolio management with third-party managers across various investment platforms.

Thomas Murray is a financial advisor at TIAA-CREF in Charlotte, NC, holding a Series 66 designation with two years of industry experience. Before joining TIAA-CREF, he worked at Principal Life Insurance Company and Principal Advised Services, where he provided one-on-one investment advice to retirement plan participants. TIAA-CREF’s Advice & Planning Services division offers financial planning and managed account programs to individuals, trusts, estates, partnerships, corporate entities, and small retirement plans, often serving clients connected to TIAA-administered employer retirement plans. The firm combines point-in-time planning services with ongoing discretionary management and acts as adviser to the TIAA Donor Advised Fund.

Jacob Hackney is a financial advisor with Empower Advisory Group in Charlotte, NC, holding Series 63 and Series 65 registrations and five years of industry experience. His career includes roles at Wells Fargo Clearing Services, P.J. Robb Variable Corp., and Crump Life Insurance Services. Empower Advisory Group provides financial planning and investment management primarily to employer-sponsored retirement plan sponsors and their participants, using an integrated model linked to Empower’s recordkeeping and administrative platforms. The firm offers point-in-time financial plans and optional managed account solutions within plan lineups selected by plan sponsors.

James Schenck is a financial advisor with Truist Advisory Services in Charlotte, NC, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and bringing 26 years of industry experience. He has worked at Truist Advisory Services and its affiliated entities since 2021, and previously spent over two decades at BB&T Investment Services and BB&T Securities. Truist Advisory Services provides investment consulting and advisory services to individuals, businesses, retirement plan sponsors, and charitable organizations. The firm employs a combination of discretionary manager relationships and non-discretionary consulting, supported by third-party platform arrangements and AI-enabled research tools, with an integrated approach involving affiliated broker-dealer and banking services.

Ronald Carland is a CFP® with 20 years of industry experience, currently serving at Beacon Pointe Advisors, LLC since 2022. He has also been associated with Altavista Wealth Management, Inc. since 2005 and is president of Carland & Andersen CPA, a CPA firm he has led since 1980. Beacon Pointe Advisors provides investment advisory and consulting services to a diverse client base, including individuals, institutions, and retirement plans. The firm employs a manager-driven investment approach using third-party independent managers and sponsors proprietary investment vehicles, including private funds and a registered interval fund.

Shawn Ford is a financial advisor at TIAA-CREF in Charlotte, NC, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses with 24 years of industry experience. He has been with TIAA-CREF since 2007. TIAA-CREF Individual & Institutional Services, LLC’s Advice & Planning Services division offers financial planning and discretionary managed account programs to individuals, trusts, estates, partnerships, corporate entities, and small retirement plans, often serving clients connected through TIAA-administered employer retirement plans. The firm provides both point-in-time planning services and ongoing management through various managed account programs, acting as adviser to a donor-advised fund and operating within a vertically integrated group using affiliated funds.

Nicholas Orange is a financial advisor at TIAA-CREF with 20 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 66 credentials and has worked at firms including Voya Financial Partners, Brighthouse Securities, and Alight Financial Solutions. TIAA-CREF Individual & Institutional Services offers financial planning and discretionary managed account programs to individuals, trusts, estates, and corporate entities, often serving clients connected through TIAA-administered employer retirement plans. The firm provides customized portfolio management alongside model portfolio options and acts as adviser to a donor-advised fund.

Ronald Lindquist Jr. is a financial advisor with VOYA Financial Advisors, Inc. in Charlotte, NC, holding Series 63 and Series 65 credentials with 33 years of industry experience. He has been with VOYA Financial Advisors since 2014. In addition to his advisory role, he is an independent insurance agent specializing in fixed insurance products. VOYA Financial Advisors serves a diverse client base including individual and institutional investors, offering financial planning, portfolio management, and consulting services through various program structures with an emphasis on recommendation-based, non-discretionary relationships.

Charles Campbell is a ChFC® with 34 years of industry experience, currently serving with Kestra Advisory. He has been with Kestra Advisory since 2016 and has been involved with Kestra Investment Services, LLC since 2014. Based in Charlotte, NC, his background includes providing investment advisory and employee benefits sales. Kestra Advisory Services offers investment advisory and retirement-plan consulting to a diverse client base, including plan sponsors, institutional, and individual clients. The firm provides comprehensive services such as fiduciary consulting, plan design, investment advice, and access to multiple management platforms, serving a wide range of investors including sovereign wealth funds.

Leland Harrelson is a financial advisor with Truist Advisory Services in Charlotte, NC. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 credentials and has three years of industry experience. His prior roles include positions at Northwestern Mutual and Marslender-West Asset Management Firm. Truist Advisory Services provides investment consulting and advisory services to individuals, businesses, retirement plan sponsors, and charitable organizations. The firm uses a combination of discretionary manager relationships and non-discretionary consulting, supported by third-party platform arrangements and AI-enabled research tools, to deliver its investment solutions.

Lucy Cain is a financial advisor at Truist Advisory Services with one year of industry experience. She holds a Series 66 credential and has previously worked at Truist Bank and TRUIST Investment Services, Inc. Outside of finance, she has experience working at Pure Barre Charlotte, an exercise studio. Truist Advisory Services provides investment consulting and advisory services to individuals, corporate and business clients, retirement plan sponsors, participants, and charitable organizations. The firm combines discretionary manager relationships and non-discretionary consulting, leveraging third-party platforms and AI-enabled research tools to support its investment offerings.

Zachary Farmer is a financial advisor with Commonwealth Financial Network, holding a Series 66 designation and five years of industry experience. He has worked at Commonwealth and The Pinnacle Financial Group since 2018. Outside of his advisory roles, he previously operated Farmer Painting Plus from 2012 to 2020. Commonwealth Financial Network serves a national network of approximately 2,950 advisors and their clients, offering a range of advisory programs and services including wealth management and retirement plan consulting. The firm provides operational, trading, technology, investment management, compliance, and practice-management support to affiliated advisors.

Elaine Bennett is a financial advisor at Guardian Life with 25 years of industry experience. She holds a Series 66 designation and has worked with Park Avenue Securities since 2001. Her responsibilities include managing contingent roles related to estate and financial matters for family members. Park Avenue® Wealth Management, a subsidiary of The Guardian Life Insurance Company of America, serves individuals, pension plans, charitable organizations, and corporate clients with brokerage services, financial planning, and investment advisory programs. The firm offers both discretionary and non-discretionary advisory relationships using model portfolios from in-house and third-party managers.

Jeffery Smith is a CFP® with 10 years of industry experience, currently affiliated with Guardian Life and Park Avenue Securities. His work history includes multiple roles at Guardian Life Insurance and Park Avenue Securities since 2016. He serves as President of the Rotary Club of Troutman. Park Avenue Securities LLC, a subsidiary of The Guardian Life Insurance Company of America, provides brokerage services, financial planning, and investment advisory programs to individuals, pension plans, charitable organizations, and corporate clients. The firm offers both discretionary and non-discretionary advisory relationships and incorporates proprietary and third-party model portfolios.

Aaditya Jampani is a financial advisor with Wells Fargo Investment Institute, Inc. He holds a Series 65 credential and has been in the industry since 2026. Prior to joining Wells Fargo, he worked at Neurika.AI and Vivian Contracting LLC, and completed studies at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Wells Fargo Investment Institute is an SEC-registered, bank-affiliate advisory and research organization that provides manager due diligence, securities research, asset-allocation guidance, and model portfolios primarily to Wells Fargo’s wealth and fiduciary businesses. The firm’s integrated approach includes proprietary forecasting tools and centralized operational practices, serving both affiliated entities and select non-affiliated investment advisers.

Andersen Crowder is a financial advisor at TIAA-CREF with two years of industry experience. He holds Series 65 and Series 63 designations and previously worked at Vanguard Marketing Corporation and The Vanguard Group, Inc. Outside of finance, he has experience in the food service industry, having been involved with Jia Asian Fusion for several years. TIAA‑CREF Individual & Institutional Services, LLC’s Advice & Planning Services division provides financial planning and managed account programs to individuals and various entities, often serving clients connected to TIAA-administered employer retirement plans. The firm offers both point-in-time planning services and ongoing discretionary management through model and customized portfolios.

Paul Brown is a CFP® with 26 years of industry experience, currently affiliated with Independent Advisor Alliance, LLC. His career includes roles at LPL Financial, Bank of America, and Merrill. Outside of his advisory work, he is the owner of Streamline Productions, a business he has operated since 2008. Independent Advisor Alliance serves a diverse client base including individuals, small businesses, charitable organizations, and retirement plans, offering asset management, financial planning, and retirement consulting. The firm utilizes a network model of advisory representatives and employs various portfolio management strategies supported by technology platforms and third-party managers.