Allen Laya is a financial advisor with Capital Analysts, holding the ChFC® designation and a Series 63 license. He has 54 years of industry experience, including 21 years at Lincoln Investment Planning, Inc. and four years at PMG Asset Management Inc. Capital Analysts serves retail and institutional clients, including high-net-worth individuals, trusts, foundations, businesses, and charitable organizations. The firm offers portfolio management, custom and model portfolios, access to third-party managers, and retirement-plan advice through a nationwide network of independent advisors and firm-managed programs.

Dennis Michon is a financial advisor with Forum Financial Management, LP, holding a Series 65 license and 13 years of industry experience. He has been with Forum Financial since 2012 and concurrently operates as a partner and attorney at Michon & Buckley, a law firm specializing in estate planning and real estate services. Additionally, he serves as president of Tax & Financial Solutions, Inc., a tax and accounting firm. Forum Financial Management, LP provides fee-based wealth management, financial planning, and qualified plan services to individual and institutional clients. The firm also acts as a sub-advisor and turnkey asset management platform for other RIAs, employing model portfolios based on Modern Portfolio Theory and primarily utilizing DFA institutional mutual funds and ETFs.

Dar Baruchim is a financial advisor with Mariner Independent in Schaumburg, IL, holding Series 63 and Series 65 registrations. Baruchim has been with Mariner Platform Solutions and Kadima Wealth since 2026 and has prior experience at Northwestern Mutual and ATN Inc. Mariner Independent serves individuals—including high-net-worth clients—as well as pension and profit-sharing plans, trusts, estates, charitable organizations, and business entities. The firm offers financial planning, portfolio management, retirement plan consulting, insurance solutions, and access to alternative investments through a network of advisors using a wide range of investment tools and affiliated businesses.

Teresa Young is a financial advisor with First Advisors National, LLC, holding Series 63, 65, and 66 licenses and bringing 18 years of industry experience. Her prior roles include positions at W&S Brokerage Services, Western Southern Life, Alliant Credit Union, and LPL Financial. She volunteers as a tax preparer and quality examiner for Ladder Up in Chicago, assisting low-wage earning families with pro bono tax preparation. First Advisors National manages discretionary assets for individual and high-net-worth clients, offering investment management, third-party portfolio recommendations, and retirement plan consulting. The firm emphasizes manager selection and tactical allocation, utilizing fundamental analysis and formal annual reviews to guide its investment process.

Brian Plain is a CFP® with 20 years of industry experience and has been with Gradient Advisors, LLC since 2014. He provides consulting services focused on business management and growth to small business owners. Gradient Advisors offers investment management, financial planning, and consulting services to individuals, retirement plans, trusts, estates, charitable organizations, corporations, and other business entities. The firm operates primarily through third-party money managers and Investment Advisor Representatives, using a largely non-discretionary approach that incorporates multiple analytical methods to align portfolios with client objectives and risk tolerance.

Martin Pomrehn is a CFP® and PFS™ with 37 years of industry experience. He has been with Forum Financial Management, LP since 2016 and previously worked at Purshe Kaplan Sterling Investments, Inc. from 2016 to 2020. In addition to his advisory role, he is president and shareholder of MP360° Tax Services, Ltd., a CPA firm providing accounting and tax planning services. Forum Financial Management, LP offers investment advisory and related services to individuals, retirement plan sponsors, charitable organizations, and institutional clients. The firm utilizes model asset-allocation portfolios based on Modern Portfolio Theory and serves a significant number of independent advisors and RIAs through its turn-key asset-management platform.

Cody Maxwell is a CFP® with six years of industry experience, currently serving as a financial advisor at OnePoint BFG Wealth Partners. His prior roles include positions at Northwestern Mutual Investment Services LLC, Charles Schwab, and Kevin Spahn. OnePoint BFG Wealth Partners offers customized financial planning and wealth management services to a diverse client base, including individuals, retirement plans, charitable organizations, trusts, estates, and corporate entities. The firm employs a variety of proprietary models and third-party managers, managing most client assets on a discretionary basis.

Matthew Frederick is a financial advisor with Pure Financial Advisors, LLC in Wheaton, IL, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and bringing 35 years of industry experience. His prior work includes roles at Wells Fargo Advisors, Pacific Life Insurance Company, UBS Financial Services, and Merrill. He also holds life and health insurance licenses. Pure Financial Advisors, LLC is a multi-team registered investment adviser managing approximately $11 billion in assets for individual and high-net-worth clients. The firm emphasizes a financial-planning-centered approach using academic frameworks and offers comprehensive services including discretionary portfolio management, pension consulting, and donor-advised fund solutions.

Patrick Donohue is a financial advisor at Ausdal Financial Partners, Inc. with three years of industry experience. He holds the Series 65 designation and has worked in various roles including as an agent providing life and health insurance services. Donohue’s background includes experience with BCH Wealth Management, LLC, and involvement in non-investment business activities such as managing insurance needs for individuals and small businesses. Ausdal Financial Partners serves a diverse client base including individuals, trusts, estates, retirement plans, and business entities, managing approximately $3.73 billion across more than 16,000 clients. The firm offers tailored investment strategies through advisor-managed and separately managed accounts, leveraging multiple custodians and third-party managers in both discretionary and non-discretionary formats.

Gregory Whitehead is a financial advisor at Calamos Wealth Management LLC with 13 years of industry experience. He holds a Series 66 designation and previously worked at Charles Schwab & Co., Inc. and Charles Schwab Bank, SSB. Outside of his advisory role, he is a partner in ADK Escapes, LLC, a vacation rental development, and co-owner of a rental property in Chester, NJ. Calamos Wealth Management LLC provides discretionary wealth management and institutional advisory services to high-net-worth individuals, family offices, endowments, private foundations, and retirement plans. The firm’s investment process includes customized asset allocation, portfolio construction, and ongoing monitoring, often utilizing affiliated investment vehicles and maintaining governance controls to manage conflicts of interest.

Alejandro Pastrana is a financial advisor with Packerland Brokerage Services, Inc. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and has nine years of industry experience. Prior to joining Packerland, he worked at Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Company and other related entities. He is the sole proprietor of Serene Tax Solutions, where he provides tax return preparation, tax compliance, and business entity tax structuring services. Packerland Brokerage Services, Inc. serves individual and institutional clients, including high-net-worth individuals, trusts, corporations, and retirement plan sponsors, through a large network of advisors. The firm offers financial planning, portfolio management, retirement-plan consulting, and access to third-party money managers, utilizing a range of investment solutions via the Hilltop-cleared Envestnet platform.

Christopher Scott is a financial advisor at The Mather Group, LLC with nine years of prior experience at Northern Trust and two years at Edward Jones. He holds a Series 66 designation and has been in the industry for one year. The Mather Group primarily serves high-net-worth individuals, family offices, trusts, corporations, and other entities, providing comprehensive financial planning, investment management, tax and estate planning guidance, and family office services. The firm employs an evidence-based investment approach with customizable portfolio options and integrates AI and machine-learning tools while maintaining human oversight.

Steven Mogul is a financial advisor at Arete Wealth Advisors, LLC with 29 years of industry experience. He previously worked at UBS Financial Services for 17 years and at Miramar Capital for 3 years. He serves on the board of the Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital Children’s Research Fund. Arete Wealth Advisors provides investment advisory and financial planning services to individuals, pension plans, trusts, charitable organizations, and businesses. The firm manages assets primarily on a discretionary basis using both advisor-driven and proprietary model allocations, and it employs third-party sub-advisers while acting as an ERISA fiduciary when applicable.

Terrance Gaertner is a CFP® professional with 41 years of industry experience, currently serving at Ausdal Financial Partners, Inc. since 2009. He holds a Series 63 license and is based in Park Ridge, IL. Outside of his advisory role, he is involved in term life insurance sales with various carriers on a commission basis. Ausdal Financial Partners is an SEC-registered investment adviser and FINRA-member broker-dealer managing approximately $2.13 billion in client assets through a network of 152 advisors. The firm offers investment advisory programs, retirement plan services, and financial planning to individuals, trusts, corporations, pension plans, and charitable organizations, utilizing a range of investment strategies and custodial platforms.

Paul Wong is a CFP®-certified financial advisor with 30 years of industry experience, currently practicing at LaSalle St. Investment Advisors, L.L.C. He has worked at La Salle St. Securities, Inc. for nearly three decades. Outside of his advisory role, Wong serves as Treasurer and Committee Member of the Mission Related Investment Committee at Grace Church. LaSalle St. Investment Advisors provides personalized, fee-based financial planning and investment supervisory services to a diverse client base including individuals, trusts, estates, pension plans, charitable organizations, and small businesses. The firm offers both non-discretionary and discretionary investment management programs, emphasizing a predominantly non-discretionary asset mix.

Kyle Buffo is a CFP® professional with 11 years of industry experience, currently serving at Mission Wealth Management, LP. His prior roles include positions at LPL Financial LLC, Cadaret Grant & Co., Inc., and Q3 Advisors LLC. Outside of finance, he is a self-employed musician. Mission Wealth Management is an SEC-registered, multi-team advisory firm that offers wealth management, financial planning, and portfolio management primarily to affluent individuals and families, as well as institutional clients. The firm emphasizes customized, long-term strategies using a diverse range of investment vehicles and provides services through various advisory models.

John Berger is a financial advisor with LaSalle St. Investment Advisors, L.L.C., holding Series 63 and Series 65 credentials and bringing 41 years of industry experience. He has been with LaSalle St. Investment Advisors since 2000 and affiliated with La Salle St. Securities since 1991. LaSalle St. Investment Advisors provides personalized, fee-based financial planning and investment supervisory services to individuals, trusts, estates, pension and profit-sharing plans, charitable organizations, and small businesses. The firm offers both non-discretionary and discretionary management programs, emphasizing a predominance of non-discretionary assets under management.

Maxwell Cinnamon is a financial advisor with HighPoint Planning Partners, holding a Series 66 designation and two years of industry experience. He previously worked at the University of Kansas Athletic Department and State Bank of Herscher. Mr. Cinnamon is also a licensed insurance agent and splits his time between advisory and registered representative roles. HighPoint Advisor Group serves individuals, pension and profit-sharing plans, trusts, estates, charitable organizations, and corporate entities, offering discretionary asset management, financial planning, and retirement plan advisory. The firm constructs investment policies through personal consultations and implements portfolios using fundamental analysis across various asset classes and platforms.

Kevin Tavas is a financial advisor with Silver Oak Securities, Inc. and holds a Series 66 designation. He has 25 years of industry experience, including roles at Cetera, Bright Futures Wealth Management, and Lifetime Financial Group, where he currently serves as an investment advisor and equity strategist. Silver Oak Securities, Inc. serves a diverse client base including individuals, pension plans, corporations, and trusts, managing approximately $2.4 billion in discretionary assets. The firm offers a range of advisory programs tailored to client objectives, with an emphasis on discretionary investment management and operational features such as automated portfolio monitoring and deployment.

David Frohlichstein is a CFP® professional with 39 years of experience in the financial industry. He has been with Ausdal Financial Partners, Inc. since 2009 and also operates Frolicstein Financial, a financial advisory business he has managed since 1999. In addition to his advisory work, he has been a self-employed professional musician for over 50 years. Ausdal Financial Partners is an SEC-registered investment adviser and FINRA-member broker-dealer serving individuals, trusts, corporations, pension plans, and charitable organizations. The firm offers a range of investment advisory programs and financial planning services, utilizing both discretionary and non-discretionary strategies across various asset classes and account types.