Kristopher Roper is a CFP® and holds a Series 65 license with three years of industry experience. He is currently with Fortress Private Ledger, LLC and previously worked at Sparta Wealth Partners, Coastal Bridge Advisors, and TrinityPoint Wealth. Outside of his advisory role, he serves as Board Treasurer for the nonprofit Money Magnets Club, providing financial oversight and strategic guidance. Fortress Private Ledger serves individuals, employer-sponsored retirement plans, and other entities by offering financial planning, portfolio management, and Qualified Opportunity Zone advisory services. The firm employs trend-identification and technical analysis alongside fundamental and thematic strategies, delivering model-driven solutions managed in-house or with sub-advisers.

Scott Trease is the sole advisor at Sapere Wealth Management, LLC in Matthews, NC, holding a Series 63 designation and bringing 39 years of industry experience. He has been associated with Sapere Wealth Management and affiliated entities since 2002. Sapere Wealth Management provides discretionary portfolio management and financial planning to individuals, including high-net-worth clients, as well as institutional and trust entities. The firm employs a top-down, global-macro investment approach with an absolute-return focus, combining public equities, registered funds, and privately offered funds while emphasizing active liquidity management.

Blake Hedrick is a CFP® and holds a Series 66 license with 10 years of industry experience. He has worked at Family Wealth Partners, LLC since 2022 and previously held roles at LPL Financial, Independent Advisor Alliance, and TIAA-CREF. Family Wealth Partners serves individuals, business entities, charitable organizations, and pension plans with discretionary investment management, financial planning, pension consulting, and estate plan coordination. The firm employs a diversified, model- and research-driven investment process that includes fundamental analysis, modern portfolio theory, and both long- and short-term trading, covering a broad range of traditional and alternative securities.

David Caivano is a financial advisor at Cornerstone Wealth Planning in Charlotte, NC. He holds a Series 65 designation and has been in the industry since 2026. Prior to joining Cornerstone, he worked at Cogent Analytics, Augusta National, and Bed Bath & Beyond. Cornerstone Wealth Planning serves individuals, high-net-worth clients, and small business owners with investment advisory services, portfolio management, and comprehensive financial planning. The firm integrates in-house tax preparation with its advisory services and offers a range of planning engagement formats, including hourly work, retainers, and comprehensive plans.

Adam Coleman is a financial advisor at Nectarine with two years of industry experience. He holds a Series 65 designation and has previously worked at SmartPath Financial Education and Core Planning. Outside of his advisory role, he is involved as a mortgage loan originator at Loan Pronto and provides remote financial coaching through SmartPath Financial Education. Nectarine serves individual and high-net-worth clients by offering consultative financial planning through selected advisor representatives. The firm emphasizes long-term asset allocation using low-cost, index-based funds and provides services on a fee-for-service basis without managing client investment portfolios.

Shon Mc Carley is a Series 65-licensed advisor at Cornerstone Wealth Planning in Charlotte, NC, with experience in legal and financial services. He is a member and attorney at McCarley Legal, PLLC, where he provides estate planning and related legal advice. His prior work includes roles at Arnot & Haley, PLLC and Consilio, LLC. Cornerstone Wealth Planning serves individuals, high-net-worth clients, and small business owners, offering portfolio management and comprehensive financial planning grounded in Modern Portfolio Theory and fundamental analysis. The firm also provides in-house tax preparation and structured retirement-planning courses, with flexible planning options and no minimum account size.

Wade Menzies is a financial advisor at Insight Folios with 11 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and previously worked at Tactical Investment Advisors for 12 years. In addition to his advisory role, he is involved in insurance sales. Insight Folios provides portfolio management and financial planning primarily for individual and high-net-worth clients, as well as ERISA plan consulting and participant advisory services. The firm also serves other registered investment advisers through sub-advisory relationships and employs a team-of-advisers approach supported by proprietary planning software and artificial intelligence tools.

Christopher Hobart is a financial advisor with Hobart Wealth in Charlotte, NC, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and bringing 24 years of industry experience. He has held roles at various entities within the Hobart group of companies since 2004 and was previously with Global Financial Private Capital. Outside of advisory work, he owns a marketing consulting business and serves as secretary of a local business park homeowners association board. Hobart Wealth provides discretionary and non-discretionary investment advisory services to individuals, high-net-worth clients, retirement plans, and trusts. The firm offers tailored asset management, financial planning, and ERISA retirement plan consulting, with portfolios constructed and monitored to client objectives using a variety of investment strategies and third-party managers.

Paul Durso is a financial advisor with Insight Folios in Charlotte, NC, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and has 13 years of industry experience. He has been with Insight Folios since 2015 and concurrently operates Durso Capital Management Co. Outside of his advisory roles, Durso is involved with Uplift Marketing, where he contributes to sales, marketing, design, and coaching for the Simplicitree planning software. Insight Folios serves a broad range of individual clients, including high-net-worth households, as well as ERISA retirement plans and other registered investment advisers. The firm offers discretionary portfolio management and financial planning, utilizing its proprietary Simplicitree software alongside long-term trading strategies and artificial intelligence tools.

Stewart Neely is a financial advisor at Cornerstone Wealth Planning in Charlotte, NC, holding a Series 65 designation with five years of industry experience. Prior to joining Cornerstone in 2021, he spent six years working at Christ Covenant Church. Cornerstone Wealth Planning serves individuals, high-net-worth clients, and small business owners with investment advisory, portfolio management, and comprehensive financial planning. The firm combines Modern Portfolio Theory with fundamental analysis and integrates in-house tax preparation alongside its advisory services.

Joseph Brooks is a Certified Financial Planner® with 27 years of experience in the financial advisory industry. He is currently with Sapere Wealth Management, LLC in Matthews, NC, and has held positions at Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Company and Nfp, among others. Sapere Wealth Management provides discretionary investment management and financial planning to individuals, pension and profit-sharing plans, trusts, estates, charitable organizations, and business entities. The firm employs a top-down global macroeconomic analysis with an absolute-return focus, using diversified model portfolios designed to manage liquidity and limit drawdowns.

Niki Erb is a Series 65-licensed financial advisor at Insight Folios with six years of industry experience. Prior to joining Insight Folios and Durso Capital Management Co. in 2020, she worked at Frito Lay for over two decades. She is also involved in insurance and annuity sales. Insight Folios provides portfolio management and financial planning primarily for individual and high-net-worth clients, along with ERISA plan consulting and participant advisory services. The firm often acts as a sub-adviser to other registered investment advisers and uses a team-of-advisers approach supported by proprietary planning software and artificial intelligence tools.

Eric Mohammed is a financial advisor with Principal Advised Services, holding Series 63 and Series 66 licenses and possessing 11 years of industry experience. His prior work includes six years at Wells Fargo Advisors and ongoing roles with multiple Principal entities since 2021. He also serves as a retirement consultant, providing one-on-one investment advice to retirement plan participants eligible for distribution. Principal Advised Services delivers investment advice and related services mainly to retirement plan participants and retail IRA clients, offering both non-discretionary recommendations and a discretionary investment management program called SimpleInvest. The firm integrates third-party methodologies with proprietary models and benefits from its affiliation with the Principal Financial Group family, enabling access to a range of proprietary products and resources.

Zachary Cox is a financial advisor with Lombard Advisers Incorporated and holds a Series 66 designation. He has one year of industry experience and previously worked at FD Transaction Advisory and CohnReznick. Lombard Advisers provides personalized investment management services to individuals, pension and profit-sharing plans, trusts, estates, charitable organizations, and small businesses through a multi-team structure. The firm offers both discretionary and non-discretionary portfolio management solutions, employing a range of analytical methods to construct portfolios.

Ruth Stene is a financial advisor with Great Valley Advisor Group, LLC, holding a Series 66 designation and eight years of industry experience. She previously worked at LPL Financial and Bank of America, among other firms. Stene also sells non-variable insurance products, including life and health insurance. Great Valley Advisor Group is a multi-team investment adviser serving individuals, retirement plans, trusts, and other entities. The firm offers discretionary and non-discretionary investment management, financial planning, and retirement-plan consulting, emphasizing individualized portfolio construction and ongoing oversight through a combination of in-house strategies and third-party managers.

Jesse Walker is a financial advisor with Principal Advised Services in Monroe, NC, holding Series 63 and Series 66 licenses and having six years of industry experience. He has worked at various firms, including Principal Financial Services and Wells Fargo Clearing Services LLC. Principal Advised Services provides investment advice and related services primarily to retirement plan participants and retail IRA clients, offering both non-discretionary recommendations and a discretionary investment management program called SimpleInvest. The firm integrates third-party and proprietary methodologies and is part of the Principal Financial Group, leveraging affiliated entities to offer a range of financial products and services.

Larry Poole is a financial advisor with Capital Analysts in Matthews, NC, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and having 39 years of industry experience. He has worked at Lincoln Investment Planning since 2005 and is president and 50% owner of Poole Financial Services, Inc., which provides access to life insurance and fixed annuity products. Additionally, he serves as president of Insurance and Retirement Planning Inc., a company offering life insurance and fixed annuities. Capital Analysts serves a diverse client base including individual and high-net-worth investors, trusts, foundations, businesses, and charitable organizations, offering portfolio management and retirement-plan advice through a nationwide network of independent advisors and in-house investment teams. The firm employs a proprietary mutual-fund screening process and maintains institutional relationships supporting various investment and cash management solutions.

Matthew Oneil is a CFP® and ChFC® with 18 years of experience in financial advisory. He is currently with CG Advisory Services and previously worked at Geneos Wealth Management Inc and WFG Investments, Inc. Outside of advisory, he is involved with Capital Asset Insurance Services, which offers fixed insurance products. CG Advisory Services is an SEC-registered firm managing approximately $4.02 billion for a diverse client base, including individuals, pension plans, charitable organizations, and corporate clients. The firm provides discretionary portfolio management, financial planning, retirement plan services, and consulting through both proprietary model portfolios and customized account solutions.

Elizabeth Newton is a financial advisor with Archer Investment Corporation in Charlotte, NC. She holds a Series 65 designation and has two years of industry experience. Her prior work includes positions at Newton Wealth Management and Wray Ward, as well as five years at Cory's Audio Visual. Archer Investment Corporation provides investment advisory services to individuals, high-net-worth clients, trusts, pension plans, and investment companies through separately managed accounts and The Archer Funds. The firm manages approximately $900 million on a primarily discretionary basis, offering customized portfolio management and model-based strategies across a diversified range of asset classes.

James Vande Logt is a CFP® and ChFC® with 20 years of experience in financial advisory roles. He currently serves at VestGen Advisors, LLC and Private Client Services, having previously worked at LPL Financial LLC and Valmark Securities, Inc. Outside of advising, he is involved as a co-founder and member of VestGen Wealth Partners Holdings, a financial services holding company. VestGen Advisors, LLC is a multi-team registered investment adviser managing approximately $3.47 billion for over 9,400 clients. The firm serves individual and high-net-worth clients with discretionary and non-discretionary investment management, financial planning, and retirement plan services, utilizing a variety of analytical methods and third-party managers to implement client portfolios.