Stephan Shipe is a CFP®, CFA®, and Series 65 registered advisor at Scholar Financial Advising, LLC with seven years at the firm and a total of five years in the industry. His prior experience includes roles at Wake Forest University, the University of New Hampshire, and Innovative CE LLC. Scholar Financial Advising serves high-income and ultra-high-net-worth individuals, providing comprehensive financial planning primarily through digital channels. The firm focuses on long-term, goal-driven planning with an emphasis on asset allocation, tax-aware asset location, and diversification, offering project-based and flat-fee advisory services without discretionary portfolio management.

William Donovan is a CFP® and Series 65 registered financial advisor with 11 years of experience, currently working at Smith Salley Wealth Management since 2015. He serves as part of a 17-advisor team based in Greensboro, NC. Outside of his advisory role, he is a managing member of Greenbrier Partnership II, LLC, a real estate investment venture. Smith Salley Wealth Management provides comprehensive wealth management, financial planning, and portfolio management services to individuals, high-net-worth clients, corporations, banks, trusts, and charitable organizations. The firm manages approximately $2.9 billion on a discretionary basis, employing a bottom-up fundamental investment approach with an emphasis on individual equity selection and fixed-income analysis.

Jonathan Morgan is a CFA® charterholder with 13 years of industry experience. He has worked at Holderness Investments Company since 2024 and previously held roles at McShane Partners and SP Capital Management LLC. Morgan was also involved with Simarian Enterprises LLC, operating as Simarian Research, from 2011 to 2022. Holderness Investments Company provides customized investment management and financial planning primarily to high-net-worth individuals, trusts, estates, and pension plans. The firm uses fundamental, bottom-up company analysis combined with a macroeconomic outlook and offers both discretionary and non-discretionary portfolio management along with ETF-based model strategies.

Hugo May is a financial advisor at Smith Salley Wealth Management in Greensboro, NC, holding a Series 65 designation with 17 years of industry experience. He has worked with Smith, Salley & Associates, LLC since 2009. Smith Salley Wealth Management is a team-based advisory firm serving individuals, high-net-worth clients, corporations, banks, trusts, and charitable organizations. The firm manages approximately $2.9 billion on a discretionary basis, employing a bottom-up, fundamental investment approach focused on equity selection, fixed-income analysis, and diversified portfolios using ETFs, REITs, and alternative funds.

Austin Childress is a financial advisor at Three Magnolias Financial Advisors with one year of industry experience. He holds a Series 65 designation and has a background that includes roles at Fuller Theological Seminary and Gardner-Webb University. Outside of financial advising, he serves as an Enrollment Communications Coordinator at Fuller Theological Seminary. Three Magnolias Financial Advisors serves individuals, pension and profit-sharing plans, corporations, trusts, estates, and charitable organizations by providing financial planning, portfolio management, and consulting services. The firm manages approximately $487 million across roughly 600 clients and develops tailored investment plans utilizing a range of assets and strategies.

Pasquale Errichiello is a CFP® with 16 years of industry experience, currently with Smith Salley Wealth Management since 2021. He previously worked at Wells Fargo Clearing and Morgan Stanley. He serves on the finance committee of the Women’s Resource Center and is a member of the Greensboro Parks and Recreation Commission. Smith Salley Wealth Management is a team-based advisory firm serving individuals, high-net-worth clients, corporations, banks, trusts, and charitable organizations. The firm manages approximately $2.9 billion on a discretionary basis using a bottom-up, fundamental investment approach focused on equity selection and fixed-income analysis.

Ryan Gehsmann is a financial advisor with AdaptFirst Investments LLC, holding a Series 66 designation and with 10 years of industry experience. Prior to joining AdaptFirst in 2019, he worked at Hornor Townsend & Kent Inc and Penn Mutual Life Insurance Company. Outside of his advisory role, Gehsmann owns a lawn care business and coordinates lacrosse tournaments and events in the Greensboro area. AdaptFirst Investments provides ongoing portfolio management, financial planning, and consulting services to individuals and businesses. The firm employs a valuation-focused investment approach and offers additional services such as outsourced CIO support, CFO-level consulting, bookkeeping, and in-house tax preparation.

Vaughn Heydel is a CFP® professional with 15 years of industry experience, currently serving at Financial Designs Corporation since 2007. He holds a Series 63 license and works in a team of three advisors based in Stokesdale, NC. Financial Designs Corporation provides wealth management, financial planning, and portfolio management services to individuals, trusts, estates, charitable organizations, and qualified retirement plan participants. The firm uses an active management approach combining charting, technical, fundamental, and cyclical analysis, offering both discretionary and non-discretionary relationships through its proprietary wrap fee program.

Richard Holderness is a CFA® charterholder with 17 years of industry experience. He has been with Holderness Investments Co since 1995 and is a member of Holderness Asset Solutions, LLC, an insurance services business. Holderness Investments Company provides customized investment management and financial planning primarily to high-net-worth individuals, trusts and estates, and pension and profit-sharing plans. The firm’s investment approach combines fundamental bottom-up company analysis with a consensus macroeconomic outlook and offers tailored portfolio management alongside ETF-based model strategies.

Ross Strickland is a financial advisor at Scholar Financial Advising, LLC in Winston-Salem, NC, holding a Series 65 designation. He joined the firm in 2026 and has prior experience at Forvis Mazars US, Wake Forest University, ROSS Stores, and Wake Forest Banking. Scholar Financial Advising serves high-income and ultra-high-net-worth individuals, providing comprehensive financial planning and ongoing advisory support through primarily online processes. The firm emphasizes a long-term, goal-driven approach focused on asset allocation, tax-aware asset location, rebalancing, and diversification, and operates without direct portfolio management or percentage-of-AUM fees.

Mauricio Galindo Vega is a financial advisor with Scholar Financial Advising, LLC, holding a Series 65 credential. He has one year of industry experience, including prior roles at Polaris Laboratories and High Point University. Scholar Financial Advising serves high-income and ultra-high-net-worth individuals, providing comprehensive financial planning primarily through online platforms. The firm focuses on long-term, goal-driven strategies and offers advisory services without taking custody or discretionary authority over client accounts.

George Wyatt is a financial advisor at Smith Salley Wealth Management in Greensboro, NC, holding a Series 65 designation with 12 years of industry experience. He has been with Smith, Salley & Associates since 2013. Smith Salley Wealth Management is a team-based advisory firm serving individuals, high-net-worth clients, corporations, banks, trusts, and charitable organizations. The firm manages approximately $2.9 billion using a bottom-up investment approach focused on individual equity selection and fixed-income analysis, complemented by diversification and the use of ETFs, REITs, and alternative funds.

James Cordell is a financial advisor with Intercarolina Financial Services, Inc. in Greensboro, NC, holding Series 63 and Series 65 credentials and bringing 34 years of industry experience. He has been with Intercarolina Financial Services since 2010 and is also president of the Cordell Group, Inc. Outside of his advisory work, he plays mandolin in a bluegrass band called Guilty Pleasures. Intercarolina Financial Services provides investment advisory and retirement plan consulting to individual and qualified retirement plan clients, utilizing fundamental, technical, and cyclical analysis to manage portfolios across various asset classes on both discretionary and non-discretionary bases.

Andrew Clark is a CFP® professional with 10 years of industry experience. He has worked at Smith Salley Wealth Management since 2018 and previously spent two years at Stearns Financial Group. Smith Salley Wealth Management is a team-based advisory firm managing approximately $2.9 billion for individuals, high-net-worth clients, corporations, banks, trusts, and charitable organizations. The firm employs a bottom-up investment approach focused on individual equity selection, fixed-income analysis, and diversification, utilizing various strategies including ETFs, REITs, and alternative funds for qualified clients.

Walter Lasley is a financial advisor at AdaptFirst Investments LLC with 43 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 66 licenses and has previously worked at Momentun Independent Network, Neidiger, Tucker, Bruner, Inc., and Linsco/Private Ledger Corp. Outside of advising, he manages a resort residence unit in Garden City, SC. AdaptFirst Investments serves individuals and small businesses with portfolio management, financial planning, and consulting services including outsourced CIO and CFO roles. The firm employs a value-oriented approach using both technical and fundamental analysis and offers additional services such as bookkeeping, tax preparation, and financial coaching.

Edmund Batchelor Jr. is a CFP® with 19 years of industry experience and has been with Smith Salley Wealth Management since 2006. He is based in Greensboro, NC, and holds a Series 65 license. Smith Salley Wealth Management is a team-based advisory firm serving individuals, high-net-worth clients, corporations, banks, trusts, and charitable organizations. The firm manages approximately $2.9 billion on a discretionary basis, employing a bottom-up investment approach focused on equity selection and fixed-income analysis, with diversified portfolios that include ETFs, REITs, and alternative funds.

Emily Keagle is a Series 66-credentialed financial advisor at Financial Transparency with 24 years of industry experience. She has worked at multiple firms including CSSC Brokerage Services, Inc. and Consulting Services Support Corp., and has been with Financial Transparency since 2017. Outside of advising, she is co-manager of PROSCORE, LLC, a financial software development business. Financial Transparency provides investment advisory and financial planning services to individuals, families, retirement plans, businesses, and other organizations. The firm employs an investment approach based on asset allocation grounded in Modern Portfolio Theory and the Efficient Market Hypothesis, offering both passive and active models across multiple portfolio programs.

Kyle Leonard is a CFP® with eight years of industry experience, currently serving as a financial advisor at Semmax Financial Advisors, Inc. since 2023. His prior experience includes roles at Truliant Federal Credit Union, CUSO Financial Services, Fund Direct Advisors, Intercarolina Financial Services, and Lincoln Financial. Leonard is a volunteer committee member for the City of Mt. Airy Mayor's Office and serves as a board member for Mt. Airy City Schools. Semmax Financial Advisors, Inc. offers discretionary and non-discretionary investment advisory and portfolio management services to individuals, business entities, trusts, estates, and charitable organizations. The firm employs a blend of fundamental, technical, and cyclical analysis across various asset classes and incorporates tax and estate considerations into its planning and investment processes.

Ann Zuraw is a CFP® and CFA® with 20 years of industry experience. She is the sole advisor at Zuraw Financial Advisors, LLC, a firm she has led since 2013. Outside of her advisory work, she co-authored the book *Chicks, Chat and Change* and maintains blogs focused on financial topics for women. Zuraw Financial Advisors provides discretionary portfolio management and financial planning services to individuals, trusts, estates, corporations, and banking clients. The firm’s investment approach is tailored to client objectives and risk tolerance, employing a mix of ETFs, mutual funds, equities, and fixed-income securities, with ongoing portfolio reviews and use of third-party platforms and separate-account managers as appropriate.

Robert Masten is a financial advisor with AdaptFirst Investments LLC, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and 17 years of industry experience. He was previously with Masten Capital Management for 13 years before joining AdaptFirst in 2021. Outside of advising, he is a co-owner of a solar farm. AdaptFirst Investments serves individuals and small businesses with portfolio management, financial planning, and consulting services including outsourced CIO and CFO roles. The firm uses a value-oriented investment approach combining technical and fundamental analysis, and provides additional services such as bookkeeping, tax preparation, and financial coaching.