Brian Early is a financial advisor with William Blair, holding a Series 66 designation and 16 years of industry experience. He has been with William Blair & Company since 2011. 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 various asset classes and provides proprietary models and access to private funds through its MB Investments Program.

Edward Gray III is a CFP® and Series 66-registered advisor with 15 years of industry experience. He is currently with The Colony Group, LLC and Buckingham Asset Management, LLC, having previously worked at Financial Solutions Advisory Group, Inc. and Morgan Stanley. Focus Partners Wealth, LLC serves individuals, high-net-worth families, family offices, and institutional clients with wealth management, financial and tax planning, employee benefit consulting, and access to private and registered pooled investment vehicles. The firm employs an investment approach that blends active and passive strategies within an enhanced open architecture framework, incorporating fundamental and quantitative analysis alongside alternative tools such as trend-following and options overlay strategies.

Luke Wolchuk is a financial advisor with SPC based in Chicago, IL, holding a Series 66 designation and four years of industry experience. He has worked at Sigma Planning Corporation since 2022 and previously at Dwayne Johnson & Associates and CNH Industrial. Outside of advisory services, he is a partner in a CPA and tax preparation practice where he assists with tax return preparation and electronic submissions. SPC serves a diverse client base including high-net-worth individuals, charitable organizations, corporations, and retirement plans, managing approximately $5.66 billion in assets through a team of over 460 advisers. The firm offers portfolio management, financial planning, and ERISA-related retirement plan services, delivering both discretionary and nondiscretionary investment management tailored to client needs.

Brandi Ruffalo is a financial advisor at Independent Financial Group, LLC with 24 years of industry experience. She holds Series 63 and Series 65 credentials and has been with Independent Financial Group since 2009. Outside of her advisory role, she owns Valuation & Forensic Partners, LLC, which provides business valuation, litigation, and divorce consulting services. Independent Financial Group, LLC offers investment advisory and brokerage services to a diverse client base, including individuals, high-net-worth clients, trusts, and corporate and pension plans. The firm employs a combination of firm- and third-party investment models and utilizes both passive and active management across multiple risk profiles.

Jennifer Rosenblum is a financial advisor with Mesirow Financial Investment Management, Inc., holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and bringing 28 years of industry experience. She has been with Mesirow Financial since 1997. Mesirow Financial Investment Management, Inc.’s Wealth Management division serves private individuals, pension plans, government entities, charitable organizations, and institutional clients. The firm provides discretionary and non-discretionary investment management and financial planning, employing a process that includes setting asset allocation targets, conducting due diligence across various investment types, and offering access to both third-party managers and proprietary private investment products.

John Pestikas is a financial advisor with PNC Wealth Management, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and bringing 22 years of industry experience. He has been with PNC investments since 2009. PNC Wealth Management offers retail brokerage and advisory services through model-based programs, including an invitation-only digital discretionary model account accessible to employees with existing PNC Bank online credentials. Their approach uses approved strategies executed via mutual funds and ETFs, relying on algorithmic risk assessments and delegating portfolio management and proxy voting to third parties.

Jerome O'Reilly is a financial advisor at PlanMember Securities Corporation with 39 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 credentials and previously worked at Vista Financial Group Ltd. and OSAIC. O'Reilly is also involved in insurance sales and services through his sole proprietorship, Vista Financial Group Ltd. PlanMember Securities Corporation provides retirement-plan advisory services to employers and plan participants, acting as an ERISA Section 3(38) fiduciary for many plans. The firm employs a top-down strategic asset allocation approach and manages risk-based mutual fund portfolios, offering education, support, and personalized retirement planning to its clients.

Thomas Zimmerman is a Series 66-registered financial advisor with two years of industry experience. He has worked at Goldman Sachs Wealth Services since 2024, with prior roles at William Blair and Private Vista LLC. Outside of finance, he was employed at Hinsdale Golf Club from 2016 to 2022. Goldman Sachs Wealth Services provides financial planning and portfolio management to a diverse client base, including individual investors, executives, and institutional clients. The firm uses strategic allocation models and manager selections to tailor portfolios and offers a range of services such as Private Family Office programs, Financial Wellness, and access to Alternative Investments.

Keletso Zondo is a financial advisor at Goldman Sachs Wealth Services with five years of industry experience and holds the Series 66 designation. Prior to joining Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC in 2021, Zondo worked at Goldman Sachs Ayco Personal Financial Management and Ayco, a Goldman Sachs company. Their background also includes roles at Lake Forest College and Waterford Kamhlabe UWCSA. Goldman Sachs Wealth Services advises a diverse client base including individual investors, corporate participants, executives, and institutional clients. The firm provides financial planning and portfolio management tailored to client objectives, leveraging strategic allocation models, external manager selections, and a range of implementation options within the broader Goldman Sachs ecosystem.

Kristina Denton is a financial advisor at Corient with 11 years of industry experience. She holds a Series 65 designation and has worked at Corient and its affiliated entities since 2022, following eight years at Balasa Dinverno Foltz LLC. Corient provides investment advisory and financial planning services to individual and high-net-worth clients, trusts, pension and profit-sharing plans, charitable organizations, and corporate entities. The firm uses a goals-based, team investment approach that combines in-house strategies with third-party managers and employs risk management tools to align portfolios with client objectives.

Scott Farwell is a financial advisor at Fifth Third Securities, Inc. with 17 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 66 licenses and has worked at Fifth Third Securities and Fifth Third Bank since 2022. Prior to that, he was with TD Ameritrade for five years and Edge Financial Advisors for one year. 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. The firm offers multiple discretionary managed-account programs combining third-party portfolio managers, strategist portfolios, and advisor-managed sleeves, and is notable for its municipal-advisor registration and affiliation with Fifth Third Bank.

Marjory Blackmer is a financial advisor at Principal Financial Services with 23 years of industry experience. She holds Series 63 and Series 66 credentials and has previously worked at Global Retirement Partners, LPL Financial, Kestra Financial Services, and Strategic Retirement Partners. Principal Securities provides brokerage and registered investment advisory services to a wide range of clients, including individual investors, retirement plans, trusts, estates, charitable organizations, corporations, and active-duty U.S. military personnel stationed outside the United States. The firm’s advisory services include direct advisory programs, financial planning, retirement plan consulting, and access to third-party money manager asset allocation and separately managed account solutions.

Richard Sugarman is a financial advisor at Goldman Sachs Wealth Services with 23 years of industry experience. He holds a Series 66 designation and previously worked at The AYCO Company, L.P./Mercer Allied for 15 years before joining Goldman Sachs in 2021. Outside of his advisory role, he serves as a part-time instructor at Northwestern University, teaching topics related to the Certified Financial Planner Certification. Goldman Sachs Wealth Services provides financial planning, investment management, and advisory support to a wide range of clients, including individual and high-net-worth households, corporate participants, and institutional clients. The firm leverages centralized investment resources and affiliated teams to deliver tailored wealth management solutions through a combination of discretionary and non-discretionary managers.

Michael McKevitt is a CFP®-designated financial advisor with 18 years of industry experience. He has worked at Private Advisor Group, LLC since 2015 and previously spent eight years with LPL Financial. Private Advisor Group serves individuals, trusts, estates, charitable organizations, businesses, and retirement plans with discretionary and non-discretionary portfolio management, financial planning, and retirement plan consulting. The firm employs a fiduciary advisory model and offers a range of managed account solutions, including its proprietary WealthSuite platform and third-party strategies.

Joseph Foltz is a CFP® with six years of industry experience and is currently an advisor at Corient. His prior experience includes roles at Balasa Dinverno Foltz LLC and several other financial and educational organizations. Corient provides investment advisory and financial planning services to a diverse client base, including individuals, high-net-worth clients, trusts, pension plans, and corporate entities. The firm employs a goals-based, team investment approach that integrates in-house strategies with third-party managers and utilizes risk management tools to align portfolios with client objectives.

Lorence Merritt is a financial advisor with Independent Financial Partners in Highland Park, IL, holding the ChFC® designation and Series 63 and 65 licenses. He has 46 years of industry experience and has worked at firms including LPL Financial and Sheridan Road Advisors. Outside of his advisory work, he serves as Co-Chair of Legacy Fundraising at Temple Beth Israel. 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 individual, charitable, corporate, and high-net-worth clients, with a notable focus on retirement-plan advisory and pension consulting.

Michael Tuber is a financial advisor at Focus Partners Wealth, LLC with 15 years of industry experience. He holds the Series 63 and Series 66 designations. Prior to joining Focus Partners Wealth, he worked at Kovitz Investment Group Partners, Strategic Wealth Partners, and JP Morgan Chase Bank, N.A. Focus Partners Wealth serves individuals, high-net-worth families, family offices, and institutional clients with wealth management, financial planning, and advisory services. The firm’s investment approach combines active and passive strategies within an enhanced open architecture framework, utilizing fundamental and quantitative analysis alongside tools like trend-following and options overlay strategies.

Stevany Williamson is a financial advisor with Empower Advisory Group in Arlington Heights, IL. She holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and has three years of industry experience. Her prior work includes roles at JPMorgan Chase Bank, J.P. Morgan Securities, and various mortgage-related firms. Before entering financial services, she operated Stevany Thomas Salon and Spa for three years. Empower Advisory Group provides financial planning and investment management primarily to employer-sponsored retirement plan sponsors and their participants, as well as certain IRA and brokerage account holders. The firm’s integrated model supports services through Empower’s recordkeeping and administrative platforms, offering point-in-time financial plans and optional managed account solutions.

Alexander Mueller is a financial advisor with PNC Wealth Management in Libertyville, IL, holding a Series 66 designation and eight years of industry experience. Prior to joining PNC in 2021, he worked at Wells Fargo Clearing from 2018 to 2021 and was involved in fitness-related businesses from 2013 to 2018. PNC Wealth Management provides retail brokerage and advisory services through model-based programs, including a digital discretionary model account offered by invitation to employees. The program uses algorithm-driven risk assessments to select approved mutual fund and ETF strategies managed by PNC or third parties, with portfolio implementation and proxy voting delegated to external providers.

Daniel Madura is a financial advisor at Janney Montgomery Scott with 33 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and has worked at several major firms, including Wells Fargo Clearing, Credit Suisse Securities, and Morgan Stanley. Janney Montgomery Scott is a large, dually registered broker-dealer and SEC-registered investment adviser managing approximately $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 portfolio management with third-party managers and offering custody and trustee services through a subsidiary trust company.