Deborah Cross is a financial advisor with Romano Brothers and Company in Evanston, Illinois. She holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and has 22 years of industry experience, including 23 years with Romano Brothers. Romano Brothers and Company serves individuals, employee benefit plans, non-profits, trusts, estates, and corporate entities, offering discretionary portfolio management, financial planning, and brokerage services. The firm employs a generally conservative, long-term, fundamentals-based investment approach with both active and passive strategies, managing accounts through an eight-advisor team.

Michal Gicala is a CFP® professional at Capstone Financial Advisors Inc with six years of experience, including prior work at Ikenberry Dining Services and a background in full-time education. Based in Downers Grove, IL, Michal has been with Capstone since 2020. Capstone Financial Advisors serves individuals, pension and profit-sharing plans, trusts, charitable organizations, and corporate clients. The firm offers portfolio management and financial planning with an investment approach focused on asset-class allocation, cost control, and tax positioning, managing approximately $2.44 billion in client assets across a multi-advisor team.

James Franke is a financial advisor at Rothschild Investment LLC in Chicago, IL, with 22 years of industry experience. He holds the Series 63 and Series 65 designations. His prior experience includes roles at Robert Baird & Co., Morgan Stanley, and Citigroup Global Markets. Rothschild Investment LLC provides investment advisory and financial planning services to individuals, trusts, corporations, pension and profit-sharing plans, and institutional retirement plans. The firm employs client-specific asset allocation models and quantitative analysis, offering discretionary and non-discretionary portfolio management, retirement plan consulting, and management of pooled vehicles and an affiliated private fund.

Tom Sleeter is a financial advisor with Ruggaard & Associates, holding a Series 66 credential and over 27 years of industry experience. His career includes roles at LPL Financial and Cetera Advisor Networks LLC, and he has been involved with multiple family farming enterprises since the early 1990s. Outside of financial advising, he serves as a board member for two nonprofit organizations related to a recreational island and a rural cemetery. Ruggaard & Associates provides investment management and financial planning services to individual clients, including high-net-worth households, as well as pension and corporate retirement plans. The firm employs a variety of analytical approaches and strategies tailored to client objectives, combines investment management with tax preparation, and offers quarterly reviews and detailed reporting.

Margaret Quinn is a Certified Financial Planner (CFP®) with 21 years of industry experience. She has been with Paradigm Wealth Management, LLC since 2014, where she is part of a six-advisor team based in Chicago, IL. Paradigm Wealth Management, LLC serves individuals, including high net worth clients, and charitable organizations by providing discretionary and non-discretionary portfolio management, financial planning, and referrals to third-party money managers. The firm also manages held-away defined contribution plan accounts using a third-party platform and offers investment-related educational seminars for plan participants.

Jeremy Ander is a CFP® professional with Urban Financial Advisory Corporation, where he has worked since 2007. He is based in Chicago, IL, and has 19 years of experience with the firm. Urban Financial Advisory Corporation advises mid- to high-net-worth individuals and related entities, offering comprehensive financial planning and portfolio management. The firm integrates accounting and legal services alongside advisory work, and specializes in handling complex employer-sponsored benefit plans for clients.

James Longo Jr. is a CFP® and PFS™ credentialed financial advisor with 23 years of industry experience. He is currently with Cora Capital Advisors, where he has worked since 2025, following a long tenure at Osaic FA, Inc. In addition to his advisory role, Longo is involved in insurance sales and is the president of Paramount Wealth Advisors, a consulting company. Cora Capital Advisors is an SEC-registered fiduciary managing approximately $587 million for individuals, high-net-worth clients, trusts, estates, and businesses. The firm offers wealth management, discretionary portfolio management, financial planning, and retirement plan advisory services, employing a long-term, fundamental investment approach tailored to client goals and risk tolerance.

Paul Embree is a financial advisor with Embree Financial Group in Chicago, IL, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and 27 years of industry experience. He has worked at LPL Financial Corporation since 2009 and has been associated with Waterstone Financial Group and Moody Investment Advisors, Inc. since the early 2000s and 1990s, respectively. Embree Financial Group provides holistic financial planning, discretionary investment management, and retirement plan consulting to individuals and institutions, including high net worth clients and corporate entities. The firm manages assets through a fiduciary approach using fundamental, technical, and cyclical analysis, and offers customized reporting and fee arrangements.

James Veers is a CFP® and CFA® credentialed financial advisor with three years of industry experience. He currently serves at Studio Investment Management and previously worked at Great Lakes Advisors and Lombardia Capital Partners. Studio Investment Management provides discretionary investment management, financial planning, and investment consulting for individuals, high-net-worth clients, trusts, partnerships, retirement plans, and certain government entities. The firm emphasizes fundamental analysis, price sensitivity, and a long-term investment approach while incorporating cost and tax awareness in its portfolio management.

Bradley Cohen is a financial advisor at North Star Investment Management Corporation with 24 years of industry experience. He has been with North Star since 2006 and previously worked at Mid Atlantic Capital Corporation from 2016 to 2018. Cohen holds the Series 63 and Series 65 designations. North Star Investment Management Corporation provides discretionary portfolio management and financial planning services to a range of clients, including individuals, pension plans, trusts, and charitable organizations. The firm manages approximately $2.5 billion in assets and often uses its own mutual funds as part of its investment strategies.

John Postel III is a financial advisor at Cohen Capital with 14 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and has previously worked at Raymond James & Associates and JPMorgan Chase. He is also a licensed insurance professional in a non-investment capacity. Cohen Capital is an SEC-registered investment adviser that offers discretionary investment management, wealth management, and financial planning services to individuals, trusts, businesses, pooled vehicles, and institutional accounts. The firm emphasizes a long-term portfolio approach using low-cost, diversified mutual funds and ETFs, while also employing other investment strategies and third-party managers as appropriate.

David Garcia is a financial advisor at Regal Advisory Services, Inc. with 26 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 66 licenses and has been associated with Regal Discount Securities, Inc. since 1998. Regal Advisory Services, Inc. serves individuals, corporations, retirement plans, trusts, foundations, and other institutional clients through a team of 15 advisors managing approximately $113.5 million in assets. The firm offers discretionary and non-discretionary portfolio management, financial planning, and retirement plan advisory, using a blend of fundamental and quantitative research tailored to client goals and risk tolerance.

Skaiste Aksomitaite is a financial advisor at Regal Advisory Services, Inc. with 20 years of industry experience. She holds a Series 65 designation and has been with Regal Advisory Services and its affiliated broker-dealer, Regal Securities, since 2005. Regal Advisory Services serves individuals, corporations, retirement plans, trusts, foundations, and institutional clients through a team of 15 advisors managing approximately $113.5 million in assets. The firm’s investment process combines fundamental and quantitative research tailored to client goals and risk tolerance, offering a range of strategies including equities, ETFs, options, alternative investments, and non-traded REITs.

Logan Guess is a Series 65-registered advisor with LCM Capital Management Inc. in Chicago, IL, with five years of industry experience. He has worked at LCM Capital Management since 2021 and previously held positions at WestRock and other firms dating back to 2016. LCM Capital Management serves individuals, high-net-worth clients, pension and profit-sharing plans, charitable organizations, and corporations by providing discretionary portfolio management, pension consulting, and participant education. The firm’s investment approach emphasizes fundamental analysis and sector leadership, primarily investing in S&P 500 and EAFE equities with a focus on long-term holdings, while occasionally using derivatives and borrowing strategies.

Joshua Youel is a financial advisor at SAGE Private Wealth Group, LLC, with 13 years of industry experience. He holds Series 65 and Series 63 licenses and has previously worked at Brighthouse Financial, Motorola Solutions, and LaSalle Investment Management Inc. He has been with SAGE Private Wealth Group since 2023. SAGE Private Wealth Group is an SEC-registered advisory firm that serves individuals, including high-net-worth clients, retirement plans, trusts, estates, and business entities. The firm offers wealth management and discretionary portfolio management using a client-specific process and a variety of investment strategies, including equities, fixed income, ETFs, and alternative investments.

Arthur Cohen is a financial advisor at Arthur M. Cohen & Associates LLC with 29 years of industry experience. He has been with Arthur M. Cohen and Associates since 1989. Cohen holds the Series 63 designation. Arthur M. Cohen & Associates, LLC provides investment advisory and financial planning services to individuals, pension and profit-sharing plans, trusts, estates, charitable organizations, and other entities. The firm tailors strategies based on client time horizon and risk tolerance, primarily using fundamental analysis, and manages over $1.1 billion in discretionary assets.

Kevin Stemberger is a financial advisor with Regal Advisory Services, Inc. in Farmington Hills, MI, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and bringing 40 years of industry experience. He has been with Noble Capital Partners since 2007 and serves as managing member of KJ Stemberger LLC, an accounting firm. Additionally, he is a committee member of the National Cancer Institute Council of Research Advocates. Regal Advisory Services, Inc. serves individuals, corporations, retirement plans, trusts, foundations, and institutional clients through a team of 15 advisors managing approximately $113.5 million in assets. The firm offers portfolio management, financial planning, and retirement plan advisory services, employing a blend of fundamental and quantitative research tailored to client goals and risk tolerance.

Thomas Janes is a CFA® charterholder with seven years at Rothschild Investment LLC and four years as an investment management consultant, totaling eleven years of industry experience. He is based in Chicago, IL. Rothschild Investment LLC provides investment advisory and financial planning services to individuals, trusts, corporations, pension and profit-sharing plans, and other institutional retirement plans. The firm employs client-specific asset allocation models integrating tax, estate, cash-flow, and risk-tolerance factors and offers comprehensive portfolio management, retirement consulting, and monitoring services.

Nancy Effert is a financial advisor at Essex LLC with 20 years of industry experience. She holds Series 63 and Series 66 licenses and has previously worked at ChangePath, LLC and Partnervest Advisory Services, LLC. Outside of her advisory role, she is involved in life insurance and annuity sales through Effert Financial Solutions. Essex LLC is a team-based registered investment adviser managing approximately $563 million for around 600 clients, including individuals, retirement plans, trusts, and charitable organizations. The firm offers discretionary and non-discretionary portfolio management, financial planning, and consultation services, employing model portfolios and a range of analytical approaches to asset selection and monitoring.

John Valleau Jr. is a CFP® and Series 65-licensed advisor with 28 years of industry experience. He has worked at ShankerValleau Wealth Advisors, Inc. since 1993 and is also involved with ShankerValleau Accountants, Inc., an accounting firm where he assists with tax preparation. ShankerValleau Wealth Advisors, Inc. is a six-advisor team managing approximately $550 million for individuals, pension and profit-sharing plans, charitable organizations, and corporations. The firm emphasizes diversified, low-cost, research-driven portfolio management primarily using structured strategies from Dimensional Fund Advisors, combined with ongoing financial planning and both discretionary and limited non-discretionary services.