Jared Waldrup is a CFP® professional with four years of industry experience, currently serving at Sequoia Financial Group, L.L.C. since 2024. He previously worked at AltruVista, LLC for five years and at Texas A&M University for five years. Sequoia Financial Advisors, LLC provides wealth planning, investment management, and retirement-plan and business-consulting services to a diverse client base including individuals, charitable organizations, corporations, trusts, family offices, and institutional clients. The firm employs a combination of in-house model portfolios, custom accounts, and third-party manager selection, supported by ongoing research and an Investment Policy Committee.

Douglas White is a financial advisor at Farther with seven years of industry experience. He holds Series 65 and Series 66 registrations and has worked at NEXT Financial, TCG (HUB International), Family Houston, and Edward Jones. Farther provides discretionary investment management and advisory services primarily to individual investors, trusts, and estates through a digital platform combined with in-person meetings. The firm employs an investment approach based on Modern Portfolio Theory, utilizing proprietary model portfolios and algorithmic rebalancing, and offers additional services including retirement plan consulting and recommendations on private investment funds.

Derek Thorp is a financial advisor with Commonwealth Financial Network in Houston, TX, holding Series 63 and Series 66 licenses and 19 years of industry experience. His career includes prior roles at LPL Financial LLC, Wells Fargo Clearing, and Chase Investment Services Corp. Thorp is also the owner of MFG Wealth, LLC, a private entity facilitating securities, advisory, and insurance business. Commonwealth Financial Network is a dual-registered broker/dealer and SEC-registered investment adviser serving a national network of nearly 2,900 advisors and managing over $210 billion in client assets. The firm provides a broad adviser-support platform that includes managed-account programs and access to third-party asset managers, offering a range of investment options and back-office services.

Travis Smith is a financial advisor with Eagle Strategies (NY Life) based in Houston, TX. He holds Series 63 and Series 66 licenses and has 15 years of industry experience. His career includes roles at Eagle Strategies, Nylife Securities LLC, The Menard Financial Group, and New York Life Insurance Company. He is also involved in insurance brokering with various outside carriers. Eagle Strategies serves individual and institutional clients by providing financial planning, investment management, and retirement-plan advisory services. The firm offers tailored advisory solutions through multiple program types and manages a significant portion of assets on a non-discretionary basis, with a focus on fiduciary responsibilities to retirement investors.

Emily Allen is a CFP® with 14 years of industry experience, currently serving at Focus Partners Wealth, LLC since 2024. She previously worked at Buckingham Asset Management for nine years and held positions at Posey Capital, Brennan Wealth Advisors, FSC Securities Corporation, and Oppenheimer. Focus Partners Wealth serves individuals, high-net-worth families, family offices, and institutional clients with comprehensive wealth management and advisory services. The firm employs a long-term, tax- and fee-sensitive investment approach that combines active and passive strategies, third-party managers, and private funds within an enhanced open architecture framework.

Christopher Sarofim is a financial advisor at Fayez Sarofim & Co. with 29 years of industry experience and holds a Series 65 designation. He has been with Fayez Sarofim & Co. and its affiliated entities since 2010, including Sarofim International Management Company and Sarofim Trust Co. Fayez Sarofim & Co. provides discretionary investment management to a diverse group of institutional and individual clients, including pension plans, endowments, foundations, and registered investment companies. The firm employs a bottom-up research process with a focus on large-cap, high-quality companies and offers a range of equity and fixed-income strategies while generally avoiding derivatives, leverage, short selling, and market timing.

Tharindu Wanigatunga is a financial advisor with Valic Financial Advisors in Houston, TX. He holds a Series 66 designation and has one year of industry experience. Prior to joining Valic Financial Advisors, he worked in various roles across multiple industries, including medical technology and laboratory services. Valic Financial Advisors serves primarily U.S. individuals, including high net worth and ultra-high net worth clients, as well as employer-sponsored retirement participants. The firm offers portfolio management, financial planning, and discretionary unified managed accounts, leveraging centralized technology and model solutions to support its large client base.

Robert Hodgkiss Jr. is a financial advisor with Eagle Strategies (NY Life) based in Houston, TX, holding Series 63 and Series 66 licenses and bringing 32 years of industry experience. He has been affiliated with Eagle Strategies since 2012 and has longstanding ties to New York Life Insurance Company and its related entities since 2000. Outside of his advisory work, Hodgkiss serves as a board member for the American College Alumni Board and participates on the Greens Committee at Medinah Country Club. Eagle Strategies serves individual and institutional clients by providing financial planning, investment management, and retirement-plan advisory services. The firm offers multiple program types and emphasizes tailored recommendations, managing most assets on a non-discretionary basis and maintaining relationships with a broad range of institutional sponsors.

John Lytle is a financial advisor at Corient in Houston, TX, holding a Series 66 designation with 12 years of industry experience. He previously worked for Avalon Wealth Management LLC and Avalon Investment & Advisory for 10 years. Corient provides investment advisory and financial planning services to a diverse client base including individuals, high-net-worth clients, trusts, pension plans, and corporations. The firm employs a goals-based, team investment approach integrating in-house strategies, third-party managers, and risk management tools, with capabilities in private funds and affiliated trust services.

Megan Assenmacher is a CFP®-certified financial advisor with 13 years of industry experience. She is currently with Empower Advisory Group and has previously worked at Bank of America and Merrill. Empower Advisory Group provides financial planning and investment management primarily to employer-sponsored retirement plan sponsors and their participants, as well as to certain retail brokerage clients, using an integrated service model connected to Empower’s administrative platforms.

Marlon Scott is a financial advisor at Carson Wealth with 21 years of industry experience and holds a Series 66 designation. His career includes roles at firms such as Merrill, Ameriprise Financial Services, and LPL Financial. He serves as President of the UNT Alumni Association and Vice President of the INROADS Houston Alumni Association. Carson Wealth is an SEC-registered investment adviser with more than 650 advisors and oversees approximately $50.6 billion in assets. The firm provides discretionary asset management, financial planning, and retirement plan services, utilizing model portfolios guided by an Investment Committee and offering tailored solutions including custom indexing and alternative investments.

Patrick Reilly is a financial advisor with Valic Financial Advisors in Houston, TX, holding Series 66, 63, and 65 licenses and bringing five years of industry experience. His prior work includes roles at Foundation Automotive and Manvel Automotive, among others. He is also involved as an agent for non-securities insurance products through AGIA. Valic Financial Advisors serves primarily U.S. individuals, including high net worth clients and employer-sponsored retirement participants, offering portfolio management, financial planning, and discretionary unified managed accounts through a large network of advisors. The firm manages assets at scale, supporting nearly 300,000 clients with a significant reliance on technology and model solutions.

Hugh Hamilton is a financial advisor at Concurrent Investment Advisors, LLC with 26 years of industry experience. He holds the CFA® designation along with Series 63 and Series 65 licenses. Prior to joining Concurrent, he worked at Morgan Stanley Private Bank and Morgan Stanley Smith Barney for a combined 15 years, as well as RBC Capital Markets and Wells Fargo Clearing. He is also involved with Hamilton Capital Partners LLC, an entity created to hold a share of a vacation property. Concurrent Investment Advisors, LLC is a multi-team advisory firm serving individuals, high-net-worth clients, families, trusts, estates, businesses, and retirement plans. The firm offers wealth and investment management, financial planning, and retirement plan advisory services, emphasizing customized, primarily long-term portfolios utilizing ETFs, mutual funds, and other investment vehicles.

Michelle Wilburn is a financial advisor with Empower Advisory Group, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and 11 years of industry experience. She previously worked at Valic Financial Advisors for eight years and has been with Empower-related firms since 2023. Wilburn is also involved with Catbirds, a business she has been connected to for over a decade. Empower Advisory Group provides financial planning and investment management primarily to employer-sponsored retirement plan sponsors and their participants, as well as to select IRA and retail brokerage clients. The firm offers integrated services tied to its recordkeeping and administrative platforms, focusing on long-term portfolio returns and annual rebalancing.

Bernice Castaneda is a financial advisor with Valic Financial Advisors in Houston, TX, holding Series 63 and Series 66 licenses and seven years of industry experience. Her prior roles include positions at J.P. Morgan Securities, JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A., and USAA. She is also involved as an agent offering non-securities insurance products through Agia. Valic Financial Advisors primarily serves U.S.-domiciled individual investors, including high-net-worth and ultra-high-net-worth clients, as well as corporate and retirement-plan participants. The firm provides discretionary managed-account programs, financial planning, consulting, and brokerage services, utilizing Envestnet-developed UMA models for portfolio construction.

Meagan O’Shaughnessy is a financial advisor with Corient, holding Series 66, Series 65, and Series 63 designations and 10 years of industry experience. Her prior roles include positions at JPMorgan Chase and Morgan Stanley, as well as a teaching role at the University of Texas McCombs School of Business. 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 uses a goals-based, team investment approach that integrates in-house strategies with third-party manager solutions and employs risk management tools to align portfolios with client objectives.

Brian Watts is a financial advisor at VALIC Financial Advisors in Houston, TX, with 25 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 66 licenses and has worked at Valic since 1999, including a role at SunAmerica Capital Services, Inc. since 2014. VALIC Financial Advisors primarily serves U.S.-domiciled individual investors, including high-net-worth and ultra-high-net-worth clients, as well as corporate and retirement-plan participants. The firm offers discretionary managed-account programs, financial planning, and brokerage services through its broker-dealer operations.

Harold Perkins Jr. is a financial advisor with Oppenheimer, holding Series 63 and Series 65 credentials and bringing 48 years of industry experience. He has been associated with Fahnestock & Co. Inc. since 2003. Perkins serves as a board member of the Michael Hoctor Foundation, a nonprofit organization based in Houston. Oppenheimer is a registered investment adviser and broker-dealer serving individuals, corporations, pension and profit-sharing plans, and charitable organizations. The firm offers a range of advisory programs including asset management, consulting, and retirement services, utilizing strategic and tactical asset allocation along with manager selection and periodic portfolio reviews.

Justin Reed is a financial advisor at Focus Partners Wealth, LLC in Houston, TX, holding a Series 66 designation with four years of industry experience. Prior to joining Focus Partners Wealth in 2025, he worked for Equitable Advisors, LLC for three years and was involved with the Lambda Chi Alpha Educational Foundation from 2019 to 2022. Focus Partners Wealth serves individuals, high-net-worth families, family offices, and institutional clients with wealth management and advisory services. The firm employs a long-term, tax- and fee-sensitive investment approach using a blend of active and passive strategies, third-party managers, and private funds.

Leah Bennett is a CFA® charterholder with 29 years of industry experience. She is currently Chief Investment Strategist at Concurrent Asset Management and an advisor with Concurrent Investment Advisors, LLC. Her prior experience includes roles at Westwood Advisors, Westwood Trust/Westwood Advisers, South Texas Money Management, and Rek Advisors. She serves on the boards of the Elevation Family Partner Foundation, Christus Foundation (as chair of the investment committee), Artpace (finance committee), Menil (Acquisitions Committee), and Performing Arts Houston. Concurrent Investment Advisors, LLC is a multi-team SEC-registered advisory firm serving individuals, high-net-worth clients, families, trusts, estates, businesses, and retirement plans. The firm emphasizes customized, primarily long-term portfolios utilizing ETFs, mutual funds, individual securities, bonds, alternative investments, and independent sub-advisers, supported by a network of roughly 286 advisors.