Ryan O'Connor is a financial advisor with Advisory Alpha, LLC, holding a Series 65 designation and two years of industry experience. His prior roles include positions at Brookstone Wealth Advisors, Gradient Advisors, AE Wealth Management, and managing O'CONNOR Wealth Management. He is also co-owner of Naser & O'Connor Wealth Management and involved in insurance services through John O'Connor and Associates, LLC. Advisory Alpha manages over $4.3 billion for individual and high-net-worth clients, offering financial planning, specialty retirement-plan solutions, and subadvisory services. The firm employs a centralized Investment Team that uses a fund-of-funds approach with factor-based equity strategies, structured-product allocations, and fixed income solutions, typically managing portfolios on a discretionary basis.

Samuel Lee is a CFP® with 11 years of industry experience, currently serving as a financial advisor at HighPoint Planning Partners. His prior experience includes roles at Kovack Advisors, Financial Engines Advisors, Bank of America, and Merrill. Outside of his advisory work, he is involved in insurance sales and operates a vacation rental property. HighPoint Planning Partners provides discretionary asset management, financial planning, and consulting services to a diverse client base, including individuals, pension plans, trusts, and corporations. The firm manages approximately $4.0 billion in assets and employs a range of investment strategies across mutual funds, ETFs, equities, fixed income, and alternative vehicles.

Michael Seidler is a financial advisor with Gradient Advisors, LLC, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and seven years of industry experience. He previously worked at Bankers Life & Casualty, Inc., Bankers Life Securities, Inc., and Bankers Life Advisory Services, Inc. Seidler is also an associate and investment advisor representative at Burling Wealth Advisors Inc. Gradient Advisors, LLC provides investment management, financial planning, and consulting services to a diverse client base including individuals, pension and profit-sharing plans, trusts, estates, and charitable organizations. The firm supports a network of 169 advisors across 154 offices and utilizes a combination of fundamental, technical, and cyclical analysis to tailor client strategies.

Cole Swearingen is a CFP® professional at Brookstone Capital Management LLC with four years of industry experience. He has worked at Franklin Wealth Advisors, RMB Capital, and Prizm Financial Advisors. Outside of finance, he owns and operates a small business raising beef cows, selling meat cuts directly to consumers. Brookstone Capital Management is an SEC-registered adviser providing fee-based asset management and financial planning through a turnkey asset management platform and wrap-fee program. The firm serves a diverse client base including individuals, retirement plans, corporations, charitable organizations, other registered investment advisers, sovereign wealth funds, and banking institutions.

Michael Dahill is a financial advisor with Kestra Advisory in Burr Ridge, IL, holding a Series 66 designation. He has less than one year of industry experience, with prior roles including time at BlueLake Wealth Advisors, LLC and Heartland Bank and Trust Company. He has also worked at Edgewood Valley Country Club while completing his education. Kestra Advisory Services provides investment advisory and retirement-plan consulting to institutional and individual clients, including plan sponsors. The firm offers fiduciary consulting, plan-level investment advice, and employee education, serving a range of clients from large institutional investors to sovereign wealth funds.

Benjamin Parker is a financial advisor at Brookstone Capital Management LLC with seven years of industry experience. He holds a Series 65 designation and has worked at Brookstone since 2018. Outside of finance, he has been involved in music instruction through his business, Ben Parker Music Instruction, since 2009. Brookstone Capital Management is an SEC-registered adviser that provides fee-based asset management and financial planning services to a diverse client base, including individuals, retirement plans, corporations, and sovereign wealth funds. The firm delivers investment management primarily on a discretionary basis through model portfolios, unified managed accounts, and separately managed accounts, supporting a large network of advisors with back-office and turnkey asset management platform services.

Michael Peregrym is a financial advisor with Brookstone Capital Management LLC in Wheaton, IL, holding a Series 66 designation and 10 years of industry experience. His career includes 11 years at Edward Jones before joining Brookstone Capital Management and Dowling Financial Services in 2025. Brookstone Capital Management is an SEC-registered adviser that provides fee-based asset management and financial planning through a turnkey asset management platform and a wrap-fee program. The firm serves a diverse client base, including individuals, retirement plans, corporations, charitable organizations, sovereign wealth funds, and banking institutions, offering discretionary investment management primarily via model portfolios, unified managed accounts, and separately managed accounts.

Scott Krzeminski is a financial advisor at William Blair with 31 years of industry experience. He has been with William Blair & Company since 2014. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses. 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 an active, research-driven approach across various asset classes and offers proprietary models and access to private funds and co-investment opportunities.

Lewis Martin is a CFP® with nine years of industry experience, currently serving as a financial advisor at Kestra Advisory. His prior experience includes roles at Bank of America, Merrill, Legion Insurance Group, and Axa Advisors. Kestra Advisory Services provides investment advisory and retirement-plan consulting to a broad mix of institutional and individual clients, including plan sponsors. The firm offers services such as fiduciary consulting, plan design, employee education, and advisor-managed accounts, managing approximately $79.8 billion in assets.

Goran Tomic is a financial advisor with PNC Wealth Management, holding Series 63 and Series 66 licenses and 16 years of industry experience. His career includes roles at Fifth Third Bank, CUNA Mutual Group, CUNA Brokerage Services, and BMO Harris Financial Advisors prior to joining PNC Investments in 2018. He is also an authorized signer for Tipperary Door County LLC, a non-investment-related business. PNC Wealth Management offers retail brokerage and advisory services through model-based programs, including an invitation-only online discretionary model account for employees. The firm uses algorithm-driven risk assessments and delegates portfolio implementation to third parties, focusing on mutual funds and ETFs with annual rebalancing.

David Hanson is a financial advisor with Benjamin F. Edwards & Company, Inc., holding Series 63 and Series 65 credentials and bringing 45 years of industry experience. He has been with Benjamin F. Edwards since 2010. Outside of his advisory role, Hanson is a minority partner in a local partnership involved in land ownership, farming, and wetland creation. Benjamin F. Edwards & Company is an SEC-registered investment adviser and broker-dealer serving individuals, corporations, retirement plans, trusts, foundations, and charitable organizations. The firm offers a range of advisory programs and manages portfolios using both firm-developed and third-party strategies, with oversight from an Investment Strategy Committee.

Ronadev Mitra is a financial advisor at William Blair with 27 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and has been with William Blair since 2014. Outside of his advisory role, he is a member of Cornerstone Angels, an angel investing network based in Chicago, where he contributes time monthly. William Blair’s Private Wealth Management division serves individuals, foundations, pension, and corporate clients through discretionary and non-discretionary investment management and financial planning. The firm employs an active, research-driven approach across multiple asset classes and offers proprietary models and private fund access to its clients.

Joseph Chmiel is a financial advisor at Creative Planning with 26 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and has worked at firms including Transamerica Investors Securities Corporation and Diversified Investors Securities Corp. prior to joining Creative Planning. Creative Planning provides investment advisory and financial planning services to individuals, corporations, foundations, trusts, and retirement plans. The firm manages approximately $217 billion in client assets and employs a financial planning-led investment process emphasizing low-cost indexing and buy-and-hold strategies, supported by a broad range of supplemental investment options and integrated retirement plan services.

Timothy Mc Govern is a Series 66-licensed financial advisor with five years of industry experience, currently with Lincoln Investment. His prior roles include positions at Capital Analysts, J. McGovern & Associates, Hiscox, and Inmagine/123RF. Outside of his advisory work, he manages rental property responsibilities for a condominium unit. Lincoln Investment serves individuals, charitable organizations, businesses, and employer-sponsored retirement plans, with a focus on educators and 403(b)/457(b) participants. The firm offers financial planning, retirement plan advice, and a range of advisor-managed and firm-managed investment programs utilizing both strategic and dynamic approaches.

Casey Madden is a CFP® professional with 17 years of industry experience, currently serving at Brookstone Capital Management LLC since 2009. He also operates CM Financial Planning, where he provides annuities, long-term care, and life insurance services. Brookstone Capital Management is an SEC-registered adviser offering fee-based asset management and financial planning through a turnkey asset management platform and wrap-fee program. The firm serves a diverse client base, including individuals, retirement plans, corporations, charitable organizations, other registered investment advisers, sovereign wealth funds, and banking institutions.

Joseph Tabet is a financial advisor with William Blair, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and bringing 40 years of industry experience. He has worked at William Blair since 2004 and has held positions with Mony Securities Corporation and Mutual of New York since 1991. 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 an active, research-driven approach across multiple asset classes and offers proprietary models, sub-advisory arrangements, and access to private funds through its MB Investments Program.

Justin Wilson is a CFP® with 21 years of industry experience, currently serving at Fifth Third Securities, Inc. since 2006. He also has concurrent experience with Fifth Third Bank over the same period. Fifth Third Securities provides brokerage and investment advisory services through its Passageway Managed Account Program to individuals, charitable organizations, corporate clients, and institutional investors. The firm combines its municipal-advisor registration with a corporate affiliation to a large bank, offering multiple discretionary managed-account options, including direct indexing and tax-overlay services.

Kristian Malcontento is a financial advisor at Citigroup Global Markets with 15 years of industry experience. He holds a Series 66 designation and has worked at several firms, including J.P. Morgan Securities, U.S. Bancorp Investments, Fifth Third Securities, and Cetera. Outside of finance, he was involved with The Whiskey Hound for three years. Citigroup Global Markets serves individual and institutional clients across various wealth segments, offering a wide range of investment advisory programs and brokerage services. The firm employs multi-asset, multi-manager strategies and operates with a combination of large institutional scale and unique market roles, including swaps and futures services.

Neil Davies is a financial advisor at Creative Planning with seven years of industry experience. He holds Series 66 and Series 65 credentials. Prior to joining Creative Planning, Davies worked for Capital Strategies Investment Group for multiple periods spanning 2011 to 2024. 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, and corporations. The firm employs a financial-planning-led investment approach that incorporates low-cost indexing, tax-loss harvesting, and selective private market exposure while offering a range of institutional and fiduciary services.

Stacy O'Brien is a financial advisor with Benjamin F. Edwards & Company, Inc., holding a Series 66 designation and 12 years of industry experience. She previously worked at Morgan Stanley for 11 years before joining Benjamin F. Edwards in 2022. Outside of her advisory role, she is involved as a sales representative in a wholesale and distribution business. Benjamin F. Edwards & Company is an SEC-registered investment adviser and broker-dealer with approximately 436 advisors and $15.7 billion in client assets. The firm serves individuals, corporations, retirement plans, trusts, foundations, and charitable organizations, offering a range of advisory programs and investment management solutions supported by a combination of firm-developed and third-party model strategies.