Dominic Defazio is a CFP® with 20 years of industry experience, currently serving at Fifth Third Securities, Inc. since 2011. He is also the owner of Aqua Body Floats, a business focused on designing upholstery for recreational activities. Fifth Third Securities, Inc. provides brokerage and investment advisory services through its Passageway Managed Account Program to individuals, charitable organizations, corporate and business clients, and institutional investors. The firm offers multiple discretionary managed-account programs with features such as direct indexing and tax-overlay services, distinguishing itself through its municipal-advisor registration and affiliation with Fifth Third Bank.

James Gaines is a financial advisor at Mesirow Financial Investment Management, Inc. with 14 years of industry experience. He has been with Mesirow Financial since 2015 and holds the Series 66 designation. Mesirow Financial Investment Management’s Wealth Management division serves private individuals, pension and profit-sharing plans, governmental entities, charitable organizations, and institutional clients. The firm offers discretionary and non-discretionary investment management and financial planning, utilizing both third-party managers and proprietary private investment products tailored through quantitative and qualitative due diligence.

Shiji Varughese is a financial advisor at Citigroup Global Markets with six years of industry experience. He holds a Series 66 designation and has worked at Citigroup since 2022. His prior experience includes roles at Bank of America, Merrill, BMO Harris Bank, AT&T, and Intercontinental Exchange. Citigroup Global Markets serves individual and institutional clients across multiple wealth segments, offering a broad range of investment advisory programs and execution services. The firm employs multi-asset, multi-manager strategies and maintains in-house research and security-pricing activities, supporting large-scale and complex client relationships.

Luka Lezhava is a financial advisor with Bankers Life Advisory Services, Inc., holding a Series 66 designation and one year of industry experience. Prior to his current role, he worked at Bankers Life Securities and Bankers Life & Casualty. Outside of advising, he is active as an insurance agent assisting retirees with Medicare. Bankers Life Advisory Services, Inc. provides discretionary and non-discretionary investment consulting primarily to mass-affluent and high-net-worth individuals, focusing on customized asset allocation, tax efficiency, and a combination of fundamental and technical analysis. The firm emphasizes individual client service and integrates investment advisory with affiliated broker-dealer and insurance operations.

Sean Brooks is a financial advisor with Focus Advisor Solutions, LLC, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and bringing 16 years of industry experience. He has held roles at several firms, including Assetmark Brokerage, LLC and Centurion Capital Group, Inc., before joining Focus Advisor Solutions in 2018. Brooks also serves as a divisional manager maintaining financial advisor relationships in the Great Lakes region. Focus Advisor Solutions provides turnkey asset management and back-office services primarily to independent registered investment advisors and their clients. The firm offers diversified, systematically invested mutual fund and ETF model portfolios, discretionary fixed-income management, and retirement plan fiduciary services, managing approximately $41 billion in assets for over 33,000 clients.

Kevin Jamali is a financial advisor at Farther with Series 65 and Series 63 licenses and three years of industry experience. He previously worked at Famdep Capital Management for four years and Auctos Capital Management for eleven years. Farther provides discretionary investment management and advisory services primarily to individual investors, trusts, and estates through both digital platforms and in-person meetings. The firm employs a Modern Portfolio Theory-based approach using proprietary model portfolios, algorithmic rebalancing, and a mix of ETFs, mutual funds, equities, and fixed income, supplemented by AI tools under internal review.

Michael Williams is a CFP® and CFA® with 28 years of experience in the financial industry. He has been with MAI Capital Management, LLC since 2021 and previously worked at Cetera Financial Specialists LLC and Hochman Cole Financial Services, Inc. MAI Capital Management, LLC offers discretionary and non-discretionary investment management, integrated wealth management, retirement plan consulting, and family-office services to a diverse client base including high- and ultra-high-net-worth individuals, families, sports professionals, trusts, and institutional clients. The firm manages $72.3 billion in assets and provides customized portfolio management across various strategies, integrating financial planning and other services to meet client objectives.

James Brandt is a financial advisor with Independent Financial Group, LLC, holding Series 63 and Series 66 licenses and bringing 40 years of industry experience. His career includes long-term roles at Fortis Investors, Inc. and Brandt Financial Concepts, a firm he has been involved with since 1983. Outside of his advisory work, Brandt serves as a FEMA-certified trainer for the Community Emergency Response Team and holds leadership positions in local organizations including a homeowners association and the Palatine Fire Pension Board. Independent Financial Group, LLC is a dual-registered broker-dealer and SEC-registered investment adviser serving individuals, charities, corporations, and plan sponsors. The firm offers a range of advisory and brokerage services, utilizing various investment platforms and third-party managers, with approximately $11.3 billion in regulatory assets under management.

Adriana Jovsic is a financial advisor at Goldman Sachs Wealth Services with three years of industry experience. She holds a Series 66 designation and has previously worked at Ayco Goldman Sachs and Lake Forest College in various roles. Goldman Sachs Wealth Services provides financial planning, investment management, and advisory support to diverse clients, including high-net-worth individuals, corporate participants, and institutional clients. The firm utilizes centralized investment resources and offers tailored services such as Executive Wealth and Private Family Office support within a large integrated financial group.

Kevin Meehan is a CFP® and ChFC® with 40 years of experience in the financial services industry. He has been with Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services, LLC since 2013 and has prior experience at LPL Financial. Outside of his advisory role, he is involved in real estate through ownership of DHC Realty LLC. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services, LLC is an SEC-registered enterprise serving a diverse client base including individuals, trusts, charitable organizations, corporations, and retirement plans. The firm offers financial planning, asset management, and specialized retirement consulting, utilizing a strategic investment approach that combines passive and active management guided by an internal Investment Committee.

Michael Garrison is a CFP® and CFA® with eight years of industry experience. He is currently with NorthCoast Asset Management LLC and has previously worked at Focus Partner Wealth, Kovitz Investment Group Partners, Strategic Wealth Partners, and BMO Harris Bank NA. NorthCoast Asset Management provides investment advisory services to a diverse client base, including individuals, retirement plans, corporations, and charitable organizations. The firm employs a quantitative and systematic investment approach using proprietary models and manages portfolios across a wide range of strategies, including alternatives and private investment funds.

Emily Sobut is a financial advisor with Goldman Sachs Wealth Services, holding a Series 66 designation and 17 years of industry experience. She has worked at Goldman Sachs since 2021 and previously spent 13 years at The AYCO Company, L.P./Mercer Allied. Outside of her advisory role, she serves as a brand ambassador for AM Golf Trips, a sports organization based in Chicago. Goldman Sachs Wealth Services provides financial planning, investment management, and advisory support to a diverse client base, including individual and high-net-worth households, corporate participants, and institutional clients. The firm utilizes centralized investment resources and a range of discretionary and non-discretionary managers, offering tailored solutions such as executive wealth management, retirement plan education, and private family office support.

Michael Sirvinskas is a financial advisor at William Blair with 39 years of industry experience. He has been with William Blair & Company L.L.C. since 1993 and holds Series 63 and Series 65 credentials. 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 an active, research-driven approach across multiple asset classes and provides proprietary models, third-party sub-advisers, and access to private funds through its MB Investments Program.

Robert Weis is a CFP® with 32 years of industry experience currently serving at &Partners since 2024. His prior roles include positions at Wells Fargo Advisors and Wells Fargo Clearing, where he worked from 2009 to 2023. He also serves as President of Robert Weis Wealth Management Services, Ltd., an entity used to manage operational expenses for his practice. &Partners serves a diverse client base including individuals, retirement plans, charitable organizations, foundations, universities, and sovereign wealth funds. The firm offers both investment advisory and brokerage services, utilizing a combination of proprietary and third‑party management solutions delivered through platforms like Envestnet.

Adam Larson is a CFA® charterholder with 18 years of industry experience. He is currently with Corient, where he has worked since 2022, following previous roles at Balasa Dinverno Foltz LLC and Savant Capital Management. Corient provides investment advisory and financial planning services to a diverse client base, including individuals, high-net-worth clients, trusts, pension and profit-sharing plans, charitable organizations, and corporate entities. The firm uses a goals-based, team investment approach that combines in-house strategies with third-party managers and employs risk management tools alongside alternative investments where appropriate.

William Buhr is a CFA® charterholder with 13 years of industry experience. He is currently with Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services, LLC and has prior experience at JPMorgan Chase Bank NA, J.P. Morgan Securities LLC, and Wells Fargo Advisors. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services, LLC is an SEC-registered enterprise advisory firm serving a broad client base including individuals, trusts, charitable organizations, corporations, and retirement plans. The firm offers financial planning, asset management, and specialized retirement consulting through a combination of passive and active investment strategies overseen by an internal Investment Committee.

Douglas Clermont is a financial advisor with TLG Advisors, Inc., holding a Series 63 designation and 26 years of industry experience. His prior roles include positions at The Leaders Group, Inc., GBS Insurance & Financial Services, Principal Life Insurance Co., and PrinCor Financial Services. He is also licensed as an outside insurance agent, selling fixed life, fixed annuities, disability, long-term care, and health insurance. 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, comprehensive financial and estate planning, and ERISA fiduciary services. Its approach combines fundamental analysis and Modern Portfolio Theory, with a direct-to-consumer program called Starlight Portfolios that uses risk questionnaires to customize portfolios reviewed quarterly.

Frank Schoen is a financial advisor with Transamerica Financial Advisors in Hoffman Estates, IL, holding Series 63 and Series 65 credentials and 27 years of industry experience. He is the owner of The Force Agency, Inc. and S2C Tax & Accounting Services LLC, where he provides tax preparation and accounting services. Schoen has been with Transamerica Financial Advisors since 2012. Transamerica Financial Advisors serves a diverse client base including individual investors, pension and profit-sharing plans, trusts, estates, charitable organizations, and corporations. The firm offers both advisory and broker-dealer services with a range of proprietary and third-party investment models in discretionary and non-discretionary programs.

Ashley Seubert is a CFP® with 17 years of industry experience, currently serving at Focus Partners Wealth, LLC since 2026. Prior to this, she worked at Kovitz Investment Group Partners, LLC and Strategic Wealth Partners Group LLC. Focus Partners Wealth, LLC provides wealth advisory and investment management services to individuals, families, retirement plans, institutions, and businesses. The firm employs a long-term, tax- and fee-sensitive investment approach within an enhanced open architecture framework that combines active and passive strategies, private funds, and ETFs.

Thomas Marx is a financial advisor at William Blair with 40 years of industry experience. He has been with William Blair & Company L.L.C. since 1995. Marx holds Series 63 and Series 65 designations. William Blair’s Private Wealth Management division provides investment management, financial planning, and wealth services to individuals, foundations, pension, and corporate clients. The firm employs active, research-driven management across multiple asset classes and offers proprietary model portfolios and access to private funds through its integrated platform.