Chrysanthe Karayannis is a financial advisor with TIAA-CREF in Evanston, IL, holding Series 66 and Series 63 designations and bringing 26 years of industry experience. She has been with TIAA-CREF since 2015. TIAA‑CREF Individual & Institutional Services, LLC provides financial planning and discretionary managed account programs primarily to individuals connected with TIAA-administered employer retirement plans, as well as to trusts, estates, partnerships, corporate entities, and small retirement plans. The firm offers a range of services including point-in-time planning and ongoing discretionary management, applying a fiduciary standard to its RIA services within a vertically integrated structure.

Richard Friedman is a financial advisor at Creative Planning with 22 years of industry experience. He holds a Series 65 designation and previously worked at Hwr Trading Partnership and under his own practice before joining Creative Planning in 2021. Outside of his advisory role, he is a partner in Beta Iota, LLC, a limited partnership involved in rental property investments. Creative Planning serves a diverse client base including individuals, corporations, and retirement plans, managing approximately $217 billion in assets. The firm employs a financial planning–led investment approach emphasizing low-cost indexing and buy-and-hold strategies, supported by a range of supplemental portfolio management and retirement plan services.

Arvinder Kochar is a financial advisor with Kestra Advisory in Glenview, IL, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and bringing 21 years of industry experience. He previously worked at GWFS Equities, Inc. for nine years before joining Kestra Advisory and related affiliated firms in 2019. Kochar also serves as a Registered Field Assistant for IPPFA Benefits, providing administrative and customer service support. Kestra Advisory Services offers investment advisory and retirement-plan consulting to plan sponsors and a diverse range of institutional and individual clients, providing services including fiduciary consulting, plan design, and employee education. The firm serves large institutional investors and offers access to multiple management platforms and third-party solutions.

Arinola Afolabi is a financial advisor at Goldman Sachs Wealth Services with a Series 66 designation and one year of industry experience. Prior to joining Goldman Sachs, she held positions at Piper Sandler and worked at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Goldman Sachs Wealth Services advises a diverse client base including individual investors, executives, plan sponsors, and institutional clients, providing financial planning, portfolio management, and specialized programs such as Private Family Office and Executive Wealth services. The firm utilizes strategic allocation models, manager selections, and operational tools including tax-aware techniques and proprietary analytics to tailor portfolios to client objectives.

Kurt Wittmeyer is a CFP® professional with seven years of industry experience, currently serving at Corient. His prior roles include positions at Balasa Dinverno Foltz LLC and Northern Trust. He also mentors young adults through 3rd Decade, providing guidance on personal financial planning. Corient offers investment advisory and financial planning services to a diverse clientele, including individuals, high-net-worth clients, trusts, pension plans, and corporate entities. The firm employs a goals-based, team investment approach that integrates in-house strategies with third-party managers and utilizes risk management tools to align portfolios with client objectives.

Nivene Al Ibrahim is a financial advisor at Goldman Sachs Wealth Services with two years of industry experience. She holds a Series 66 designation and has worked at Goldman Sachs & Co LLC since 2022. Prior to her financial advising career, she held various roles including positions at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and in the retail and hospitality sectors. Goldman Sachs Wealth Services provides financial planning, investment management, and advisory support to individual, high-net-worth, corporate, charitable, and institutional clients. The firm utilizes centralized investment resources and offers tailored services such as Executive Wealth and Private Family Office support, leveraging integrated financial group capabilities and a range of discretionary and non-discretionary management strategies.

Gidon Neuman is a financial advisor at &PARTNERS with a Series 66 designation and one year of industry experience. His prior work includes roles at 3826 Ventures LLC, Illinois Urgent Care LLC, and Cagan Management Group. &PARTNERS serves a wide range of clients including individual investors, retirement plans, charitable organizations, foundations, universities, and sovereign wealth funds. The firm offers investment advisory and brokerage services, financial planning, ERISA consulting, and investment banking, utilizing both proprietary and third-party investment strategies through platforms such as Envestnet.

Thomas Collar is a CFP® professional with 14 years of industry experience. He has worked at Balasa Dinverno Foltz LLC for 13 years and has been with Corient and its affiliated entities since 2022. Corient provides investment advisory and financial planning services to a diverse client base, including individuals, high-net-worth clients, trusts, pension plans, charitable organizations, and corporate entities. The firm uses a goals-based, team investment approach that incorporates internal strategies, third-party managers, and risk management tools, with distinctive capabilities in private fund offerings and affiliated trust and broker-dealer services.

Christopher Hill is a CFP® and CFA® charterholder with nine years of experience in the financial services industry. He is currently an advisor at Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services, LLC, where he has worked since 2023. His prior experience includes roles at LPL Financial, LaSalle Investment Management Distributors, LLC, Invesco, and Aon. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services, LLC is an SEC-registered enterprise advisory firm serving a diverse client base including individuals, trusts, estates, charitable organizations, corporations, and retirement plans. The firm employs a strategic investment process that combines passive and active management across multiple risk classes, supported by an internal Investment Committee and quantitative and fundamental research.

Anastasia Sullivan is a CFP® with 10 years of experience in the financial services industry. She is currently with TIAA-CREF and has previously worked with Strategic Advisers, Inc. and Fidelity Investments. Based in Philadelphia, PA, she holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses. TIAA‑CREF Individual & Institutional Services, LLC provides financial planning, discretionary managed account programs, and broker-dealer services to individuals, trusts, estates, partnerships, corporate entities, and small retirement plans, often serving clients with existing relationships through TIAA-administered employer retirement plans. The firm offers a fiduciary standard in its advisory services and manages portfolios through both model-based and customized investment approaches.

Cory Eagerman is a financial advisor at Creative Planning with Series 66 and Series 65 credentials and five years of industry experience. His prior roles include positions at Iron Financial and Morningstar Financial, where he worked for three and eleven years, respectively. Creative Planning provides wealth management, financial planning, and retirement-plan advisory services to a diverse client base, including high-net-worth individuals, pension plans, trusts, foundations, and corporations. The firm employs a financial-planning-led investment approach that emphasizes low-cost indexing and buy-and-hold strategies for long-term goals, along with supplementary techniques such as tax-loss harvesting and selective private market exposure.

John Dewald is a financial advisor at Goldman Sachs Wealth Services with nine years of industry experience. He holds a Series 66 designation and has previously worked at The AYCO Company, L.P./Mercer Allied, Wayne Hummer Investments LLC, and Axa Advisors, LLC. Dewald is based in Deerfield, Illinois. Goldman Sachs Wealth Services advises a broad client base including individual investors, corporate participants, executives, plan sponsors, and institutional clients. The firm offers tailored financial planning and portfolio management supported by strategic allocation models and access to specialized programs such as Private Family Office services and Alternative Investments.

Gzim Mehmeti is a financial advisor with Citigroup Global Markets, holding Series 63 and Series 66 licenses and bringing 19 years of industry experience. He has been with Citigroup Global Markets since 2007. Outside of his advisory role, he is the managing partner of DNM Holdings LLC, a commercial real estate venture based in Chicago. Citigroup Global Markets serves individual and institutional clients across various wealth segments, offering a wide range of investment advisory programs and execution services. The firm employs multi-asset, multi-manager strategies through discretionary and non-discretionary programs and maintains unique market roles, including swap dealer and futures commission merchant activities.

Lindsey Holton is a financial advisor at William Blair with 16 years of industry experience. She holds Series 63, Series 65, and Series 66 licenses and has been with William Blair since 2015. William Blair’s Private Wealth Management division offers discretionary and non-discretionary investment management, financial planning, and wealth services to individuals, foundations, pension, and corporate clients. The firm employs an active, research-driven approach across equities, fixed income, and alternative strategies, providing proprietary models and access to private funds and co-investment opportunities.

Nathan Smolinski is a financial advisor at William Blair with one year of industry experience. He holds a Series 66 designation and has worked at William Blair since 2022, with a brief period outside the industry. William Blair’s Private Wealth Management division offers investment management, financial planning, and wealth services to individuals, foundations, pension, and corporate clients. The firm employs active, research-driven strategies across multiple asset classes and provides access to proprietary models and private investment opportunities.

Steven Fortner is a financial advisor at William Blair with 13 years of industry experience. He has been with William Blair since 2018 and previously worked at Northern Trust Hedge Fund Services from 2016 to 2018. He holds Series 66 and Series 63 designations. William Blair’s Private Wealth Management division offers discretionary and non-discretionary investment management, financial planning, and wealth services to individuals, foundations, pension, and corporate clients. The firm emphasizes active, research-driven management across various asset classes and provides proprietary models and access to private funds and co-investment opportunities.

Sherwin Lesk is a CFP® professional with 24 years of experience in financial advising. He has worked at Hightower Advisors since 2017 and was previously with Leonetti & Associates, LLC for 11 years. Lesk has also practiced law as a licensed attorney in Illinois, dedicating less than 10% of his time to this activity. Hightower Advisors provides investment advisory and planning services to a diverse client base, including individual and institutional investors such as pension plans, charitable organizations, and corporations. The firm employs a multi-manager investment approach, utilizing both affiliated and third-party managers, and offers a range of portfolio management and consulting services.

Lauren Rosberg is a CFP® with 19 years of industry experience, currently with Mercer Global Advisors Inc. since 2023. Her prior roles include positions at Nadler Financial Group, Ausdal Financial Partners, and Capital Asset Advisory Services, among others. She receives residual income from the sale of Medicare supplement insurance. Mercer Global Advisors provides investment advisory and planning services to a diverse client base, including individuals, high-net-worth families, small business owners, and nonprofit organizations. The firm employs a Modern Portfolio Theory-based approach focused on globally diversified, risk-appropriate portfolios with multi-factor tilts and offers a range of implementation options alongside financial planning and tax support services.

Ryan Airola is a financial advisor at William Blair with 18 years of industry experience. He holds the Series 66 designation and has been with William Blair & Company since 2007. William Blair’s Private Wealth Management division offers discretionary and non-discretionary investment management, financial planning, and wealth services to individuals, foundations, pension, and corporate clients. The firm employs active, research-driven management across equities, fixed income, and alternative strategies, providing proprietary models and access to private funds and co-investment opportunities.

Benjamin Bremen is a CFP® professional with 13 years of industry experience. He is currently with Focus Partners Wealth, LLC and has previously worked at Kovitz Investment Group Partners, Strategic Wealth Partners, and RMB Capital Management. Focus Partners Wealth, LLC provides wealth advisory and investment management services to a broad client base including individuals, high-net-worth families, family offices, retirement plans, institutions, and businesses. The firm employs a long-term investment approach that emphasizes tax- and fee-sensitivity within an enhanced open architecture framework combining active and passive strategies, separate account managers, private funds, mutual funds, and ETFs.