Howard Kite is a CFP® and ChFC® with 44 years of industry experience. He is currently with Forum Financial Management, LP, where he has worked since 2009, and previously held roles at Purshe Kaplan Sterling Investment and PKS Advisory Services, LLC. Outside of his advisory work, he is a member of several non-investment-related business entities, including real estate management ventures. Forum Financial Management, LP provides fee-based wealth management, financial planning, and qualified plan services to individual and institutional clients. The firm also serves as a sub-advisor and turnkey asset management platform for other independent RIAs, offering model portfolios managed primarily with DFA institutional mutual funds and ETFs under a Modern Portfolio Theory approach.

Michael Ryabik is a financial advisor at The Mather Group, LLC in Chicago, IL, with 16 years of industry experience. He holds the Series 63 and Series 65 designations and has been with The Mather Group since 2016. The Mather Group serves high-net-worth individuals, family offices, trusts, corporations, and other entities by providing comprehensive financial planning, investment management, tax and estate planning guidance, and family office services. The firm uses an evidence-based investment approach with multiple risk-based models and offers customization options such as direct indexing and ESG portfolios.

James Niedermeier is a financial advisor at Ausdal Financial Partners, Inc. with 40 years of industry experience. He has been with Ausdal since 2009 and also owns Niedermeier Agency, through which he is involved in insurance sales. Ausdal Financial Partners is an SEC-registered investment adviser and FINRA-member broker-dealer managing approximately $2.13 billion in client assets. The firm offers a range of investment advisory programs, retirement plan services, and financial planning to individuals, trusts, corporations, pension plans, and charitable organizations.

Christopher Janc is a financial advisor with Northern Trust Securities, Inc. in Chicago, IL, holding Series 63 and Series 66 credentials and 12 years of industry experience. His prior experience includes roles at Merrill, Wells Fargo, and J.P. Morgan. Outside of his advisory work, he serves as secretary and member of Duneland 1 LLC, an entity formed with his spouse to own a dual-use vacation and rental property. Northern Trust Securities, Inc. is an SEC-registered investment adviser and FINRA-registered broker-dealer serving high-net-worth individuals, retail investors, and institutional clients. The firm offers discretionary portfolio management through model-driven strategies including Separately Managed Accounts and Fund Strategist Portfolios, utilizing both proprietary and third-party investment products.

Matthew Kahovec is a CFP® and holds a Series 65 license with seven years of industry experience. He has worked at The Mather Group, LLC since 2019, following five years at Astraeus Advisers LLC. The Mather Group primarily serves high-net-worth individuals, family offices, trusts, corporations, and other entities, providing financial planning, investment management, tax and estate planning guidance, and family office services. The firm employs an evidence-based investment approach with risk-based allocation models and tax-synchronized portfolio construction, offering customization options such as direct indexing and ESG factor portfolios.

Cooper White is a financial advisor at Waverly Advisors, LLC with 15 years of industry experience. He holds a Series 65 credential and previously worked for 15 years at Promus Capital. Cooper serves on the advisory committees of Apogem Real Asset Funds, Ridge Lake GP Stakes Fund, and Kayne Anderson Direct Lending. Waverly Advisors is a multi-team registered investment adviser managing portfolios for individuals, retirement plans, and pooled investment vehicles. The firm combines traditional equity and fixed-income strategies with alternative and private-market allocations, and provides services including investment management, financial planning, and multi-family office offerings.

Christopher Martella is a financial advisor with First Advisors National, LLC in Chicago, IL, holding Series 63 and Series 65 designations and two years of industry experience. Outside of his advisory role, he is involved in real estate and energy consulting through Domain Properties, Keystone Property Management, and Navigate Power. First Advisors National provides investment management, asset allocation advice, and retirement plan consulting primarily to individual clients, implementing strategies mainly via third-party money managers and employing both tactical and strategic asset allocation methodologies.

Robin Patinkin is a CFP®, CFA®, and Series 65 credentialed advisor with 22 years of industry experience. He is currently with The Mather Group, LLC and has prior experience at Focus Partners Wealth, The Colony Group, InterOcean Capital Group, and Cedar Hill Associates. The Mather Group serves high-net-worth individuals, family offices, trusts, corporations, and other entities by providing financial planning, investment management, tax and estate planning guidance, and family office services. The firm employs an evidence-based investment approach with risk-based allocation models and offers customization options including direct indexing and ESG portfolios.

Elliott Vaughn is a CFP® professional with 11 years of industry experience. He is currently with IHT Wealth Management LLC and has prior experience at LPL Financial, LLC, and Prairie Sky Financial Group, LLC. Vaughn is based in Chicago, IL. IHT Wealth Management serves individuals, corporate and institutional clients, and retirement plan sponsors, providing discretionary asset management, financial planning, ERISA plan consulting, and outsourced CIO services. The firm uses fundamental value screening, quantitative optimization, and tax-efficient strategies to tailor portfolios to clients’ objectives and risk tolerances.

Jeffrey Menough is a CFP® professional with 34 years of experience in the financial industry. He has been with Highpoint Planning Partners since 2013 and also maintains a longstanding affiliation with LPL Financial beginning in 2010. Menough has established a home-based business entity for tax and investment purposes that he manages with limited monthly time commitment. Highpoint Planning Partners serves a diverse clientele including individuals, high-net-worth clients, pension and profit-sharing plans, trusts, estates, charitable organizations, and corporate entities. The firm provides asset management, financial planning, retirement plan advisory, and utilizes a range of investment vehicles and third-party platforms to deliver tailored advisory services.

Eric Fasse is a financial advisor at Northern Trust Securities, Inc. in Chicago, IL, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses with four years of industry experience. His prior roles include positions at Cabrera Capital Partners, Cabrera Capital Markets, and American Trust Investment Services. Northern Trust Securities, Inc. provides investment advisory and model-based managed account services to high-net-worth individuals and institutional clients, utilizing a model-driven approach that combines proprietary mutual funds and ETFs with third-party managers. The firm is affiliated with a large banking holding company, offering custody and broker-dealer services alongside its advisory programs.

Connor Garrigus is a financial advisor with Chicago Partners Investment Group LLC holding a Series 65 designation. He joined the firm in 2026 and previously held positions related to education at Wake Forest University and Loyola Academy. He has no prior industry experience before joining Chicago Partners Investment Group. Chicago Partners Investment Group LLC provides discretionary and non-discretionary investment advisory services to high-net-worth individuals, trusts, not-for-profit plans, endowments, corporations, and other business entities. The firm employs a long-term, diversified, asset-allocation oriented investment approach that incorporates fundamental analysis and quantitative optimization across various asset classes including mutual funds, ETFs, direct indexing, and fixed income.

Christopher Peterson is a financial advisor at Highpoint Planning Partners with two years of industry experience. He holds a Series 66 designation and previously worked for St. Charles Bank & Trust Company N.A. for ten years before joining Highpoint Advisor Group and LPL Financial in 2024. Highpoint Advisor Group serves individuals, pension and profit-sharing plans, trusts, estates, charitable organizations, and corporate entities. The firm offers discretionary asset management and financial planning services, constructing client investment policies through personal consultations and implementing portfolios using fundamental analysis across a range of securities and third-party platforms.

Paul Kaczmarczyk is a financial advisor with VestGen Advisors, LLC in Chicago, IL, holding a Series 66 designation and 19 years of industry experience. He has been with VestGen Advisors since 2026 and concurrently associated with World Equity Group since 2010. Outside of advisory work, he serves as treasurer for the Schaumburg Athletic Association United Soccer Club, a nonprofit youth soccer organization. VestGen Advisors provides investment management, financial planning, and retirement plan services to individuals, high-net-worth clients, small businesses, trusts, and pooled investment vehicles. The firm combines advisor-level client relationships with centralized portfolio construction and utilizes third-party managers and proprietary strategies to serve a diverse client base, including other advisers and institutional entities.

Callie Just is a financial advisor with HighPoint Planning Partners and holds a Series 66 credential. She has nine years of industry experience, including prior roles at PPM America, Inc., Jackson National Life Distributors LLC, and Merrill. Outside of her advisory work, she owns Just Chic LLC, an event design and planning business. HighPoint Advisor Group serves a diverse client base including individuals, pension and profit-sharing plans, trusts, estates, charitable organizations, and corporate entities. The firm provides discretionary asset management, financial planning, retirement plan advisory, and manages a wrap-fee program, constructing client portfolios through fundamental analysis across various investment vehicles.

John Zielinski is a CFA® charterholder with 21 years of industry experience, currently serving as a financial advisor at VestGen Advisors, LLC since 2025. His prior roles include positions at Optimum Investment Advisors, William Blair, Capital Guardian Trust Company, and Neuberger Berman. Outside of financial services, he manages several LLCs involved in farming operations in Illinois, Indiana, and Michigan. VestGen Advisors provides investment management, financial planning, and retirement plan services to a diverse client base including individuals, high-net-worth clients, small businesses, and institutional entities. The firm combines advisor-level client relationships with centralized portfolio construction, utilizing third-party managers and proprietary strategies, and manages approximately $6.66 billion in assets.

Ilhwa Lee is a CFA® charterholder based in Chicago, IL, with nine years of industry experience. She has worked at RMB Capital Management LLC since 2017 and previously spent one year at Crystal Rock Capital Management. Lee is currently affiliated with Curi Capital, LLC. Curi Capital provides wealth management, investment management, retirement plan consulting, family office services, and a subscription offering for early-career medical professionals. The firm serves individuals, high-net-worth clients, and institutional clients, employing a long-term, fundamentally driven investment approach across various account types and investment vehicles.

Maher Harb is a financial advisor at Curi Capital, LLC with 16 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and has worked at RMB Capital Management since 2008. Outside of his advisory role, he supports his family’s business operations as an officer and authorized signor on several corporations and LLCs related to bars and cafes in the Chicagoland area, though he is not compensated for this work. Curi Capital provides wealth management, investment management, retirement plan consulting, and family office services to individuals, high-net-worth clients, and institutional clients. The firm employs a long-term, fundamentally driven investment approach using bottom-up equity analysis and relative-value fixed income strategies across various portfolio structures.

Jignesh Jain is a financial advisor at Belpointe Asset Management LLC with securities licenses Series 63 and Series 65. He has held positions at AFIN Wealth Management and Amplified Planning and worked at NEC Corporation of America for 13 years. Jain serves as a board member for the Jain Society of Metro Chicago, a religious non-profit organization. Belpointe Asset Management is a multi-team registered investment adviser with over 160 advisors and manages more than $7.5 billion for individuals, corporations, trusts, and other advisers. The firm offers discretionary investment management, financial planning, and retirement-plan consulting through customized portfolios, model strategies, and various affiliated funds and services.

Glenn Schwalje is a financial advisor at Financial Security Advisory, Inc. with 27 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and has held roles at firms including Milliman Investment Management Services and Jackson National Life Distributors. Schwalje is also involved in compliance consulting through Oyster Consulting, LLC. Financial Security Advisory, Inc. provides investment advisory and financial planning services to individuals, trusts, estates, and employer-sponsored plans, focusing on asset allocation and long-term holdings. The firm uses quantitative and qualitative methods to select investments and manages accounts primarily on a limited discretionary basis.