Nikola Novakovic is a financial advisor with Guardian Life and Park Avenue Securities, holding a Series 66 designation and bringing 11 years of industry experience. His career has been primarily with Guardian Life and Park Avenue Securities since 2015. Outside of advisory work, he is involved as co-owner in several LLCs, including Healthbridge Ventures LLC, which assists foreign nationals in establishing business operations in the U.S. Park Avenue Securities LLC, a subsidiary of The Guardian Life Insurance Company of America, provides brokerage and investment advisory services to individuals, corporate and retirement plan sponsors, charitable organizations, and businesses. The firm combines advisor-led discretionary management with model-based strategies and offers a range of financial planning, consulting, and digital advisory solutions.

James Papas is a financial advisor at Mariner with 25 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 credentials and previously worked at Charles Schwab and U.S. Bancorp Investments. Mariner serves a diverse client base including individuals, pension plans, trusts, and charitable organizations, offering investment management, financial planning, retirement plan consulting, and coordinated tax services. The firm utilizes customized discretionary portfolios supported by in-house research and third-party managers, with additional capabilities in tax integration and employer financial wellness solutions.

Matthew Banez is a Financial Consultant at Fidelity Investments, a position he has held since 2020. He has over a decade of experience partnering with high net worth families, focusing on developing tailored financial strategies that align with their unique goals and situations. Prior to his current role, Matthew worked as a Senior Financial Consultant at TD Ameritrade from 2018 to 2020, and held roles at Scottrade Inc. including Branch Manager from 2017 to 2018 and Investment Consultant from 2012 to 2017. Matthew holds a California Insurance License, which complements his expertise in financial consulting. His approach is influenced by his personal background and dedication to understanding his clients' stories, enabling him to co-create appropriate financial strategies. Outside of his professional work, Matthew enjoys family activities, fitness, football, and outdoor adventures.

Lauren Mc Gowan is a CFP® with six years of industry experience and currently serves as a financial advisor at Corient. Her prior experience includes roles at Charles Schwab Bank, Dowling & Yahnke, and Hilltop Wealth Advisors. 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 employs a goals-based, team investment approach that integrates in-house strategies with third-party solutions and uses risk management tools and continuous portfolio monitoring to align investments with client objectives.

Todd Beckmann is a CFP® professional with 15 years of experience in the financial services industry. He has worked at Kestra Advisory since 2018 and previously held roles at Foresters Advisory Services and Foresters Financial Services. Beckmann serves as Treasurer on the board of a homeowners association and manages an entrepreneurial venture, Beckmann Enterprises LLC. Kestra Advisory Services provides investment advisory and retirement-plan consulting to institutional and individual clients. The firm offers a range of services including fiduciary consulting, plan-level investment advice, and pooled plan solutions, serving clients such as plan sponsors and large institutional investors.

Elliot James is a financial advisor at Cerity Partners LLC with Series 63 and Series 65 credentials and three years of industry experience. His prior roles include positions at Northwestern Mutual Investment Services LLC and Entrewealth, LLC. Cerity Partners advises a diverse client base including individuals, families, trusts, business entities, charitable institutions, and institutional investors, managing approximately $166.2 billion in client assets as of the end of 2025. The firm offers customized wealth management services with an investment approach centered on client-specific profiles, combining proprietary quantitative methods with third-party and direct security selection, and providing access to alternative and private market solutions for qualified clients.

Tracy Yang is a financial advisor with Transamerica Financial Advisors who holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and has 10 years of industry experience. She has worked at Transamerica Financial Advisors since 2015 and Fastrack Financial Corporation since 2022, where she is an owner. Yang is also affiliated with World Financial Group, Inc. Transamerica Financial Advisors provides investment advisory, brokerage, and retirement-plan services to individual investors, employer-sponsored plans, trusts, estates, charitable organizations, and businesses. The firm utilizes a model portfolio approach implemented through third-party managers and platform providers, supported by a large network of advisors and multiple program platforms.

David Hobbs is a CFP® and CFA® affiliated with Corient, with five years of industry experience. He previously worked at Bordeaux Wealth Advisors and Ernst & Young. Corient provides investment advisory and financial planning services to a diverse client base, including individuals, trusts, pension plans, charitable organizations, and corporations. The firm employs a goals-based, team investment approach that combines in-house strategies with third-party manager solutions and utilizes risk management tools and stress testing to align portfolio exposures with client objectives.

Jason Shapiro is a financial advisor with Guardian Life in San Diego, CA, holding a Series 63 designation and 16 years of industry experience. His career includes roles at Northwestern Mutual from 2008 to 2023 and at Park Avenue Securities/Guardian Life since 2023. Shapiro serves as a board member of the Foundations Board at El Cab and owns JShap Financial, Inc. Park Avenue Securities LLC, operating as Park Avenue® Wealth Management and a subsidiary of Guardian Life, offers brokerage and advisory services to individuals, corporations, retirement plan sponsors, and charitable organizations. The firm utilizes advisor-led discretionary management alongside model-based strategies and provides various financial planning and consulting services tailored to client needs.

Efren Ortiz Espinoza Jr. is a financial advisor with Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services, LLC, holding a Series 66 license and one year of industry experience. Prior to joining Wealth Enhancement, he worked at LPL Enterprise LLC and held outside employment with Athleisure Inc. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services serves individuals, high-net-worth clients, corporations, and retirement plans by providing financial planning, asset management, and retirement-plan consulting. The firm manages over $122 billion in assets, employing a diversified investment approach that blends passive and active managers guided by an internal Investment Committee.

Garrett Gates is a CFP®-designated financial advisor with seven years of industry experience, currently associated with Guardian Life in San Diego, CA. Prior to his current role, he spent five years with Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Company. Guardian Life’s subsidiary, Park Avenue Securities LLC, offers brokerage and advisory services to individuals, corporate and retirement plan sponsors, charitable organizations, and businesses. The firm utilizes a combination of advisor-led discretionary management and model-based strategies, providing clients access to a range of investment and insurance solutions.

Tyler Venegas is a financial advisor at Empower Advisory Group with six years of industry experience and holds a Series 66 designation. His prior experience includes roles at Merrill, Vanguard Advisers, USAA, and TIAA-CREF. Empower Advisory Group provides financial planning and investment management primarily to employer-sponsored retirement plan sponsors and their participants, as well as Empower Premier IRA and retail brokerage clients. The firm’s integrated approach is tied to Empower’s recordkeeping and administrative platforms, offering point-in-time financial plans and optional managed account solutions focused on long-term portfolio returns and clients’ savings rates.

Evan Cohen is a financial advisor at Stratos Wealth Partners, Ltd with 16 years of industry experience. He holds the Series 66 designation and has previously worked at Edward Jones and Morgan Stanley. Cohen is based in San Diego, CA. Stratos Wealth Partners is an SEC-registered enterprise advisor with approximately 379 advisors and $18.6 billion in assets under management. The firm serves a broad mix of clients including individuals, retirement plans, corporations, nonprofits, and other institutions, offering customized portfolio management, financial planning, and outsourced CIO solutions through an independent contractor model and an open-architecture platform.

Colin Roesler is a CFP® and CFA® with nine years of industry experience. He is currently with Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services, LLC and has previously worked at BNY Mellon, J.P. Morgan Securities, JPMorgan Chase Bank, and Morgan Stanley. 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 utilizes a strategic investment approach combining passive and active management, supported by quantitative and fundamental research and an internal Investment Committee.

Nathan Sorkin is a CFP® and Series 65 credentialed financial advisor with Stratos Wealth Partners, Ltd, based in San Diego, CA. He has three years of industry experience and has held prior roles at San Diego State University, the City of Del Mar, and Torrey Pines High School. Stratos Wealth Partners is an enterprise firm with approximately 379 advisors managing about $18.6 billion in assets. The firm serves a diverse client base including individuals, retirement plans, corporations, nonprofits, and institutional clients, using a model that emphasizes independent advisor discretion and an open-architecture investment approach incorporating multiple third-party platforms and managers.

Daniel Engel is a financial advisor with TLG Advisors, Inc. in San Diego, CA, holding Series 63 and Series 65 credentials and bringing 10 years of industry experience. His prior roles include work at Holdsworth & Co and Pitch It Forward, and he is also involved with JAG Legacy & Insurance Solutions as an independent insurance agent. Engel has volunteered with the Miracle League of San Diego since 2005. TLG Advisors, Inc. is an SEC-registered investment adviser managing approximately $2.0 billion in discretionary client assets. The firm serves individuals, retirement plans, trusts, estates, charitable organizations, businesses, and institutional investors, offering investment supervisory and portfolio management, financial and estate planning, ERISA fiduciary services, and a direct-to-consumer program called Starlight Portfolios that combines fundamental analysis with Modern Portfolio Theory.

Halle Hewitt is a Series 65 licensed financial advisor with Stratos Wealth Partners, Ltd. in San Diego, CA, bringing one year of industry experience. Prior to joining Stratos, she worked at WCG Wealth Advisors, LLC and Fides Wealth Strategies Group. Hewitt’s background also includes roles outside the financial industry, such as positions at Ketch Grill & Taps and involvement with the YMCA San Diego. Stratos Wealth Partners, Ltd. is an SEC-registered enterprise adviser with approximately 379 advisors and $18.6 billion in assets under management. The firm serves a broad range of clients, including individuals, retirement plans, corporations, and nonprofits, employing an open-architecture investment approach that integrates multiple third-party platforms and managers to provide customized portfolio management and specialized planning services.

Nicholas Clark is a financial advisor with Guardian Life, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and 15 years of industry experience. His career includes roles at Park Avenue Securities, Guardian Life Insurance Company, and MML Investors Services. Park Avenue Securities LLC, a subsidiary of The Guardian Life Insurance Company of America, provides brokerage and investment advisory services to individuals, corporate and retirement plan sponsors, charitable organizations, and businesses. The firm offers tailored financial planning and consulting through advisor-led discretionary and model-based strategies, combined with proprietary and third-party platforms.

Chau Lai is a CFP® and ChFC® with 28 years of experience in the financial services industry. He is currently with Guardian Life and Park Avenue Securities, where he has worked since 1999 and 2002, respectively. Outside of his advisory role, he serves as Vice Chair of the Philanthropy Committee on the UC San Diego Alumni Board. Park Avenue Securities LLC, a subsidiary of The Guardian Life Insurance Company of America, provides brokerage and investment advisory services to individuals, corporate and retirement plan sponsors, charitable organizations, and businesses. The firm offers a combination of advisor-led discretionary management and model-based strategies through proprietary and third-party platforms, with services tailored by investment adviser representatives to meet diverse client needs.

Brandon Mather is a CFP® professional with 14 years of industry experience, currently affiliated with Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services, LLC. His prior experience includes roles at Dunham & Associates Investment Counsel, Inc. and LPL Financial LLC. He is based in Coronado, CA. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services provides financial planning, asset management, and retirement-plan consulting to individuals, high-net-worth clients, corporations, and retirement plans. The firm manages over $122 billion in assets and employs a diversified investment approach combining passive and active strategies, overseen by an internal Investment Committee.