Katie Macek is a CFP® professional with nine years of industry experience, currently serving at Timothy Financial Counsel, Inc. She previously worked at Mac-Ord Management Group for seven years and has experience outside finance, including operating Arbica Cafe. Timothy Financial Counsel, Inc. is a fee-only, hourly financial planning firm that provides project-based advice and individual consultations for a range of clients, including individuals, families, businesses, and charities. The firm emphasizes a time-based billing model and offers guidance focused on diversified mutual funds and ETFs, with a primary focus on advisory and implementation coaching rather than ongoing portfolio management.

Philip Gordon is a financial advisor at Altman Advisors in Chicago, IL, holding a Series 65 designation with two years of industry experience. Prior to joining Altman Advisors, he spent over two decades at Utah Valley University. Outside of his advisory role, he operates a short-term rental business in Denver through Pretty Big Orange, LLC. Altman Advisors provides discretionary portfolio management and financial planning services to individuals, high-net-worth clients, trusts, pension plans, and business entities. The firm emphasizes fundamental analysis and strategic asset allocation, offering a broad range of investment instruments and a wrap fee program that absorbs transaction costs.

Andrew Swierenga is a financial advisor at Timothy Financial Counsel, Inc. with three years of industry experience. He holds a Series 65 designation and has worked in various roles including positions at Wheaton College and Regions Bank. Outside of advising, he was involved with Trash Taxi of Georgia LLC. Timothy Financial Counsel, Inc. is a fee-only, hourly financial planning firm that serves individuals, families, businesses, trusts, charities, and retirement plans. The firm emphasizes advisory and implementation coaching without managing client assets, focusing on diversified investment exposure through no-load mutual funds and ETFs and providing a structured multi-level planning menu.

Anne Petty is a CFP® professional with 14 years of industry experience. She has worked at Doyenne Wealth Advisors since 2022 and was previously with Brownson, Rehmus & Foxworth, Inc. for six years. Based in Chicago, IL, she is part of a team of ten advisors at Doyenne Wealth Advisors. Doyenne Wealth Advisors provides personalized financial counseling and non-discretionary investment advisory services to high-net-worth individuals, senior corporate executives, and related trusts, foundations, and endowments. The firm emphasizes long-term, diversified asset allocation and operates on a fee-only, independent basis, managing over $1.8 billion under a non-discretionary model.

Steven Lewit is a financial advisor with SGL Financial, LLC, holding Series 63 and Series 65 designations and over 20 years of industry experience. He has been associated with multiple firms, including KCD Financial, Tarkenton Financial, and Wealth Financial Group, with career history dating back more than three decades. Lewit is also CEO of Wealth-N, Inc. and serves as an agent for Tarkenton Financial LLC and J.G. Wentworth’s annuity purchase program. SGL Financial, LLC provides fee-based investment management, financial planning, and consulting services to financially established individuals, high-net-worth clients, small businesses, and certain retirement plans. The firm operates under a fiduciary standard, emphasizing diversified asset allocation and long-term investment horizons, often implementing strategies through third-party managers.

George Carroll is a financial advisor at Regal Advisory Services, Inc. with two years of industry experience. He holds Series 65 and Series 63 licenses and has worked at Regal Securities and Loyola Marymount University, among other organizations. Regal Advisory Services serves individuals, retirement plans, trusts, foundations, and businesses by providing financial planning, portfolio management, and retirement plan advisory services. The firm employs a combination of fundamental and quantitative research to implement portfolios using proprietary offerings and third-party managers, often using non-discretionary advisory arrangements where clients retain final trading authority.

Frederick Kort is a CFP® and holds a Series 66 license with 19 years of experience in the financial advisory industry. He is currently with Cura Wealth Advisors, LLC and previously worked at Arete Wealth Advisors, IHT Wealth Management, Insight Securities, and UBS Financial Services. He is based in Chicago, IL. Cura Wealth Advisors serves individuals, high-net-worth clients, trusts, pension and profit-sharing plans, and business entities by providing comprehensive portfolio management and standalone financial planning. The firm uses a combination of fundamental, technical, quantitative, and qualitative analysis along with various asset-allocation strategies and manages over $527 million in assets across 172 client relationships.

Qin Zhang is a financial advisor at Sun Global LLC with two years of industry experience. He holds a Series 65 designation and also serves as owner and president of FISO Group LLC, an insurance agency, where he manages and markets the business. Sun Global LLC provides discretionary portfolio management primarily for high-net-worth individuals, using a combination of fundamental, technical, cyclical, and quantitative analysis to drive investment decisions. The firm employs a mix of long-term investing, short-term trading, and options strategies while typically holding discretionary trading authority.

Frank Kautzky is a financial advisor at Chicago Oakbrook Financial Group with 26 years of industry experience. He holds the ChFC® designation along with Series 63 and Series 65 licenses. Prior to his current tenure beginning in 2024, he worked at Commonwealth Financial Network and Chicago Oakbrook Financial Group from 2007 to 2024. Outside of advising, he is the owner and president of KPW Holdings, Inc., a private entity established for tax purposes and RIA ownership. Chicago Oakbrook Financial Group serves individuals, pension and profit-sharing plans, charitable organizations, and businesses by providing customized wealth management, discretionary portfolio management, and comprehensive financial planning. The firm utilizes a broad range of securities and investment strategies and supports its advisory team with institutional resources, managing over $1.2 billion in client assets.

Thomas Shankland is a financial advisor with Harvest Investment Services, LLC, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and bringing 38 years of industry experience. His career includes long tenures at ProEquities, Inc. and extensive involvement with multiple insurance companies dating back over four decades. He is also the owner of Shankland Financial Services, an estate and financial planning firm where he serves as a Certified Estate Planner and Chartered Financial Consultant. Harvest Investment Services, LLC offers discretionary and non-discretionary portfolio management, financial planning, and consulting services to individuals, retirement plans, trusts, and other entities. The firm employs an actively managed tactical strategy and serves clients through a multi-advisor team structure across several offices.

Edward Connolly is a CFP® and holds a Series 65 license with 15 years of experience in the financial industry. He has worked at IRON Financial LLC since 2006. Connolly is part of Essex LLC, a team-based registered investment adviser located in Deer Park, IL. Essex manages approximately $563 million for around 600 clients, including individuals, high-net-worth clients, employer-sponsored retirement plans, pension and profit-sharing plans, trusts, and charitable organizations. The firm employs model portfolios and uses fundamental, technical, and sector analysis to guide asset selection and rebalancing, offering both discretionary and non-discretionary portfolio management along with financial planning services.

Megan Micek is a financial advisor at Vertex Partners with a Series 66 designation and three years of industry experience. She has worked at several firms including LPL Financial LLC and Professional Wealth Advisors. In addition to her advisory role, she provides administrative support to Vertex Partners. Vertex Partners offers advisory services to individuals, trusts, estates, charitable organizations, corporations, and retirement plans. The firm emphasizes tailored portfolios based on clients' risk tolerance, time horizon, and liquidity needs, utilizing a range of investment strategies and ongoing portfolio monitoring.

Dennis Slott is a CFP® with 41 years of industry experience, currently serving at Vestor Capital, LLC in Chicago, IL. He has been with Vestor Capital and its related entities since 2010 and holds the Series 63 and Series 66 licenses. Outside of his advisory role, he serves as a board member of the Father Wasson Legacy Endowment Inc. Vestor Capital is a multi-team investment and wealth management firm serving individuals, families, not-for-profit organizations, foundations, and qualified retirement plans. The firm manages approximately $2.08 billion in discretionary assets through a centralized Investment Committee that focuses on fundamental security analysis and a range of equity and fixed income strategies.

Randall Hughes is a financial advisor with Hunter Capital Management in Lombard, IL. He holds Series 63, Series 65, and Series 66 licenses and has 10 years of industry experience, including a decade at Ballast Equity Management. Hunter Capital Management is an SEC-registered investment adviser managing approximately $1.09 billion in assets with a team of seven advisors. The firm serves a variety of clients including individuals, retirement plans, trusts, estates, and corporations, providing discretionary portfolio management through pooled vehicles, private funds, and a registered mutual fund.

David Krist is a CFP® with 12 years of industry experience, currently serving as an advisor at Millington Financial Advisors, LLC since 2021. Prior to that, he worked for eight years at Vantage Financial Partners, Ltd. He holds a Series 65 license and is based in Naperville, IL. Millington Financial Advisors serves individual and high-net-worth clients, families, estates, corporations, trusts, and retirement plans by providing discretionary investment management alongside financial planning, pension consulting, and retirement-plan advisory services. The firm integrates tax planning and estate-planning facilitation into its offerings and conducts educational seminars on retirement, estate, and college planning.

Benjamin Cohen is a CFP®-credentialed financial advisor with 19 years of industry experience, currently serving as part of the team at Cohen Capital in Chicago, IL. Prior to joining Cohen Capital, he worked for 12 years at Raymond James & Associates. Outside of his advisory role, he is a passive investor in businesses including Verlaine Restaurant and the Broadway production Once On This Island. Cohen Capital is an SEC-registered investment adviser that provides discretionary investment management, wealth management, and financial planning services to individuals, trusts, businesses, pooled vehicles, and institutional accounts. The firm primarily constructs portfolios using low-cost, diversified mutual funds and ETFs, supplemented by individual securities and alternative investments, and employs a mostly long-term investment approach with flexibility for shorter-term adjustments.

Jeffrey Pearce is a CFP® with 29 years of industry experience and has been with Vermillion Financial Advisors, Inc. since 1990. He is based in South Barrington, IL, and holds the Series 63 designation. Vermillion Financial Advisors serves individuals, pension and profit-sharing plans, business entities, trusts, estates, and charitable organizations with financial planning and investment advisory services. The firm emphasizes structured communication and education, offering both model and customized portfolio solutions primarily on a non-discretionary basis.

Jeffrey Hansen is a CFP® with seven years of industry experience, currently serving at Capstone Financial Advisors Inc. He has worked previously at Wells Fargo Advisors, RubinBrown Advisors LLC, and Bank of America, among others. Hansen holds Series 66 and Series 63 licenses. Capstone Financial Advisors provides investment advisory and planning services to individuals, including high-net-worth clients, pension and profit-sharing plans, trusts, estates, charitable organizations, and businesses. The firm’s investment approach emphasizes asset-class allocation, cost control, and tax efficiency, utilizing a mix of securities and third-party sub-advisers with a generally multi-year outlook.

Derrick Allen is a financial advisor at The Mosaic Financial Group, LLC in Chicago, IL, holding a Series 65 designation with four years of industry experience. He has been with The Mosaic Financial Group since 2003. The Mosaic Financial Group primarily serves high-net-worth individuals, trusts, estates, charitable organizations, and various business entities, managing approximately $898 million in assets. The firm emphasizes asset allocation and integrates accounting and tax services into its advisory platform, offering customized portfolio construction and both discretionary and non-discretionary advisory relationships.

Shawn Kennedy is a financial advisor with Pendulum Wealth Partners in Itasca, Illinois, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and bringing 25 years of industry experience. Prior to joining Pendulum Wealth Partners in 2025, he spent 22 years with Ameriprise Financial Services, LLC. He is also a licensed insurance agent involved in insurance sales and implementation. Pendulum Wealth Partners is a team of nine advisors managing approximately $254 million across 227 client relationships, providing discretionary investment management, financial planning, and family office services. The firm employs a fundamental, primarily long-term investment approach through diversified portfolios and operates under common control with an affiliated tax and accounting firm offering integrated services.