Russell Kroeger is a CFP® professional with 10 years of industry experience. He is currently with Upstart Wealth Management, LLC and Paradigm Wealth, Inc. (Trayecto), where he is the Founder and CEO, focusing on designing and building technology products for financial advisors and consumers. His prior experience includes roles at Michael Powsner CPA, Paradigm Wealth Architects, LLC, and Yeske Buie Inc. Upstart Wealth Management provides investment management and comprehensive financial planning primarily for individual and high-net-worth clients. The firm employs discretionary, asset-allocation strategies using model portfolios and a range of implementation vehicles, including derivatives and margin, which are uncommon among peer team firms.

James Brown is a Certified Financial Planner (CFP®) with 15 years of industry experience. He currently works at Minerva Planning Group, where he has been since 2024, following 13 years at Vaughan-Brown Wealth Management. Minerva Planning Group serves individual and high-net-worth clients, as well as trusts, estates, and other investment advisors, offering discretionary portfolio management and financial planning. The firm emphasizes a long-term asset allocation approach using low-cost, diversified mutual funds and ETFs, particularly Dimensional Fund Advisors (DFA) funds, combined with fundamental analysis and selective use of individual securities.

Lisa Gabriel is a CFP® and ChFC® with 21 years of industry experience. She has been with Pinafore Wealth Counsel Inc. since 2014. Gabriel serves as a board member and occasional instructor at Duke University’s Osher Lifelong Learning Institute, where she teaches classes on financial, retirement, and legacy planning. Pinafore Wealth Counsel provides investment management, financial planning, retirement consulting, and financial transition planning to individuals, trusts, estates, charitable organizations, and business entities. The firm manages approximately $174 million for about 100 clients, constructing tailored portfolios using a variety of securities and employing fundamental, technical, charting, and cyclical analysis, while also offering insurance products and Financial Transition Planning services.

Michael Fenchak is a financial advisor at Top Rank Wealth Management, LLC with one year of industry experience. He holds a Series 65 designation and has previously worked at RedHawk Wealth Advisors, Evergreen Wealth Advisors, Bank of NY Mellon, and Willis Towers Watson, among others. Top Rank Wealth Management is a state-registered advisory firm that offers discretionary asset management and financial planning services to individual and high-net-worth clients. The firm utilizes technical, charting, and quantitative analysis within customized investment programs and maintains close operational ties to affiliated insurance and legal-planning businesses.

Austin Brown is a CFP® professional with eight years of experience in financial advising. He is currently with Bolin Creek Wealth Advisors LLC, where he has worked since 2023. Prior to this, he spent ten years at Woodward Financial Advisors, Inc. Bolin Creek Wealth Advisors is a fee-only firm serving individuals, high-net-worth clients, trusts, and estates through comprehensive financial planning and discretionary investment management. The firm employs a Modern Portfolio Theory-based approach, focusing on diversified, low-cost funds and personalized allocation strategies developed through client risk assessment.

Daniel Braddock is a financial advisor with Almega Wealth Management in Raleigh, NC, holding a Series 65 designation and three years of industry experience. He has worked at Almega Wealth Management since 2022 and also owns an insurance agency, Scott Braddock Financial. Almega Wealth Management advises individuals, families, small businesses, retirement plans, and charitable organizations using a primarily passive investment approach with index mutual funds and ETFs, while offering customized active strategies for complex situations. The firm operates multiple offices and includes affiliated tax services, educational content, and quarterly client reporting.

Joshua Stilley is a financial advisor at TrustStone Wealth Partners, LLC, holding a Series 65 designation with seven years of industry experience. He previously worked at Gordon Asset Management, LLC for six years and has experience at Coastal Carolina University. Stilley is the owner of JVS Financial L.L.C., a holding company, and is a licensed insurance agent. TrustStone Wealth Partners provides portfolio management, financial planning, and retirement plan consulting to individuals, trusts, charitable organizations, and business entities. The firm emphasizes tailored investment portfolios primarily using ETFs and incorporates multiple analysis methods and both long- and short-term strategies.

Benjamin Scarbrough is a financial advisor at Stone Legacy Capital LLC in Raleigh, NC. He holds a Series 66 designation and has been working in the industry since 2024, with prior experience at Equitable Advisors, LLC and George Pickett & Associates. He spent ten years as a full-time student before beginning his advisory career. Stone Legacy Capital LLC is an independent firm providing discretionary investment management and tailored financial planning to individual and high-net-worth clients. The firm operates as a solo practice, managing approximately $4.9 million in client assets, and offers financial planning in three tiers alongside investment management using various analytical methods.

Anessa Custovic is a financial advisor at Cardinal Retirement Planning, Inc. in Durham, NC, holding a Series 65 designation with six years of industry experience. She has held various roles within Cardinal Retirement Planning since 2020 and was self-employed as a dog trainer starting in 2018. Prior to her advisory career, she worked at Tower Street Associates and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Cardinal Retirement Planning primarily serves pre-retirees and retirees, high-net-worth individuals, businesses, and non-profits, offering a range of financial planning, portfolio management, and consulting services. The firm employs a top-down investment approach integrating quantitative models with fundamental, technical, and cyclical analysis, and features unique capabilities such as in-house econometric research and the use of borrowing within separately managed accounts.

Evan Mccormick is a financial advisor at Investors Mosaic with 12 years of industry experience. He holds a Series 65 designation and has been with Investors Mosaic since 2013. The firm provides fee-based wealth management, investment management, and financial planning services to individuals and families, primarily in the mass-affluent to high-net-worth spectrum. Investors Mosaic uses a blend of passive, low-cost asset-allocation strategies alongside an active Growth equity model for legacy clients, serving a small client base with approximately $148.4 million in assets under management.

Ryan Thomsen is a financial advisor with First Oak Wealth Management, LLC in Raleigh, NC. He holds Series 63 and Series 66 designations and has 15 years of industry experience. Thomsen previously worked at Great Lakes & Atlantic Wealth Management and Oak City Consulting, LLC. Outside of his advisory role, he has ownership in a rental property business. First Oak Wealth Management provides financial planning, investment management, and consulting services to individuals, retirement plans, corporations, charitable accounts, and trusts. The firm manages approximately $316 million in discretionary assets and employs a diversified investment approach supported by an outsourced chief investment officer and AI tools for operational support.

Taylor Holloway is a financial advisor at Ridgeline Wealth Advisors, LLC with 11 years of industry experience. He holds a Series 66 designation and has previously worked at Merrill, Jennifer Torrey, and Northwestern Mutual Investment Services LLC. Ridgeline Wealth Advisors provides discretionary asset management, financial planning, retirement-plan consulting, and IRA rollover advice to individuals and plan sponsors. The firm manages $189 million in assets for approximately 200 clients, emphasizing a long-term, diversification-focused investment approach grounded in efficient market principles and factor considerations.

Joseph Marques is a financial advisor at Bolin Creek Wealth Advisors LLC in Chapel Hill, NC, holding the CFP® and Series 66 designations with 14 years of industry experience. He previously worked at Woodward Financial Advisors, Inc. for eight years before joining his current firm in 2023. Bolin Creek Wealth Advisors is a fee-only firm serving individuals, high-net-worth clients, trusts, and estates with comprehensive financial planning, discretionary investment management, and consulting services. The firm’s investment approach is based on Modern Portfolio Theory, emphasizing diversified, low-cost mutual funds and ETFs with periodic rebalancing and personalized allocation targets.

Michael Ruffing is a financial advisor with Integrated WealthCare, LLC in Durham, NC, holding the ChFC® designation and Series 63 and 65 licenses. He has 28 years of industry experience, including nine years at Capital Wealth Management, Inc. and Triad Advisors, Inc. He hosts a financial podcast and serves on the industry advisory council for the Society for Academic Emergency Medicine. Integrated WealthCare is an SEC-registered wealth management firm that primarily serves physicians and medical professionals, as well as high-net-worth individuals, families, business owners, and retirement plans. The firm offers discretionary portfolio management and financial planning, utilizing documented risk assessments and globally diversified model portfolios with a combination of fundamental, technical, and cyclical analysis.

Caleb Griffith is a CFP® professional with 14 years of industry experience, currently serving at Townsend Asset Management Corp. in Raleigh, NC. He has been with Townsend since 2006, contributing to a firm that manages a range of clients including individuals, trusts, corporations, and non-profits. Townsend Asset Management Corp. provides investment management, financial planning, consulting, and tax preparation services, offering a bundled wealth management approach that integrates these under a single engagement. The firm employs a disciplined, goal-oriented process utilizing both fundamental and technical analysis to manage primarily long-term portfolios, with additional strategies including short-term positions and limited options.

Malachy Joyce is a financial advisor at Based Capital Wealth LLC in Durham, NC, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses with two years of industry experience. She is also the CEO of iBC Holdings LLC, a data analytics company operating as Stocklabs, which provides financial and technical data on companies. Additionally, Joyce creates monetized financial commentary on X (formerly Twitter), earning a small portion of her income from this activity. Based Capital Wealth LLC provides portfolio management services to individual and high-net-worth clients, offering both discretionary and non-discretionary account management. The firm focuses on equities, fixed-income securities, and ETFs, employing a range of analytical methods and strategies including charting, fundamental analysis, and options trading.

Jacob Doser is a CFP® with seven years of industry experience, currently serving as a financial advisor at Rosewood Wealth Management in Durham, NC. He has held roles at JN Financial LLC, JB Capital, LLC, Key Investment Services LLC, KeyBank, and Citizens Bank. Outside of his advisory practice, he is an insurance agent engaged in the sale of life insurance and fixed annuities through an affiliated insurance company. Rosewood Wealth Management serves individual clients and families with a focus on retirement planning and income needs. The firm combines financial planning, third-party portfolio management, insurance sales, and tax preparation services to address clients' comprehensive financial goals.

Brenton Smith is a financial advisor with Gibert Wealth Management in Chapel Hill, NC, holding Series 63, 65, and 66 licenses and bringing 22 years of industry experience. His prior roles include positions at Kestra Investment Services, Umergence LLC, Amazon Services, BB&T Securities, and Merrill. Gibert Wealth Management provides discretionary wealth management and retirement plan advisory services for retirement plan sponsors, business entities, and fiduciary clients such as trusts, estates, and non-profits. The firm manages approximately $316 million in discretionary assets and employs a diversified investment approach that integrates quantitative and qualitative analysis along with modern portfolio theory.

James Tarkenton is a CFA® charterholder with seven years of industry experience. He has worked at Townsend Asset Management Corp. since 2018 and previously spent nine years at Lateef Investment Management. Townsend Asset Management Corp. serves individuals, trusts, partnerships, corporations, non-profits, and retirement plans, offering investment management, financial planning, consulting, and tax preparation services. The firm employs a disciplined process combining fundamental and technical analysis to guide portfolio management and provides both standalone services and bundled wealth management engagements.

Troy Smith is a financial advisor with Wake Wealth Management Co. in Raleigh, NC, holding the CFP® designation and Series 63 and 65 licenses. He has 37 years of industry experience, including roles at LPL Financial, Grove Point Investments, and as an independent insurance agent. Outside of advising, Smith is active as an artist and musician. Wake Wealth Management Co. provides financial planning and investment advisory services to individuals, families, trusts, charitable organizations, foundations, endowments, and other institutional clients. The firm emphasizes written financial plans and primarily delivers advice on a non-discretionary basis, employing a variety of investment strategies tailored to client-specific plans.