Brandon Kerndt is a financial advisor at Mesirow Financial Investment Management, Inc. with 29 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 66 credentials and has been with Mesirow since 2010. Mesirow Financial Investment Management’s Wealth Management division provides discretionary and non-discretionary investment management and financial planning services to a diverse client base, including individuals, pension plans, government entities, and institutions. The firm uses a combination of third-party managers and proprietary private investment products, applying both quantitative and qualitative due diligence across various asset classes.

Clayton Foster is a CFP® with five years of industry experience, currently serving at Focus Partners Wealth, LLC. His prior roles include positions at Mariner Wealth Advisors and Mooney Lyons. 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 using a combination of active and passive strategies within an enhanced open architecture framework.

Mary Claire Meehan is a financial advisor with Eagle Strategies (NY Life) in Deerfield, IL, holding Series 63 and Series 65 designations and five years of industry experience. She has worked with Eagle Strategies and NYLIFE Securities LLC since 2021 and has prior experience at Gary A Erickson dating back to 2009. Outside of her advisory role, she is a Notary Public in Illinois. Eagle Strategies serves a diverse client base including individuals, institutions, and retirement plans, offering financial planning, investment management, and advisory services primarily focused on fee-based and non-discretionary solutions tailored to client objectives.

Victoria Shadaia is a financial advisor at Beacon Pointe Advisors, LLC with the ChFC® designation and Series 63 license. She has two years of industry experience, including prior roles at Midwest Financial Advisors Group and Michigan State University. Beacon Pointe Advisors provides investment advisory and consulting services to a diverse client base, including individual and institutional investors such as charitable organizations, corporations, and retirement plans. The firm employs a manager-driven investment approach using proprietary due diligence, asset-allocation modeling, and third-party platforms to implement client strategies.

Maria Elena Danakou is a financial advisor with Goldman Sachs Wealth Services, holding a Series 66 credential and two years of industry experience. She has worked at Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC since 2021 and has prior experience with Meraki East, Puma Group, Manulife John Hancock, and London & Capital Group. Goldman Sachs Wealth Services provides financial planning and portfolio management to a diverse client base, including individual investors, executives, plan sponsors, and institutional clients. The firm integrates customized investment strategies with a wide range of services and leverages capabilities across the broader Goldman Sachs organization.

Phillip Porpora is a financial advisor at Sanctuary Advisors, LLC with 19 years of industry experience. He holds a Series 66 designation and previously worked at Merrill from 2006 to 2021 before joining Sanctuary Wealth in 2021. In addition to his advisory role, he operates Porpora Consulting LLC, focusing on recruiting financial advisors and teams exclusively for the Sanctuary Wealth platform. Sanctuary Advisors provides investment advisory and financial planning services to individuals, corporations, charitable organizations, trusts, estates, and retirement plans. The firm offers customized investment programs through various account types and utilizes a network of independent advisor representatives, sub-advisors, and third-party model platforms.

Anthony Scott is a financial advisor with Citigroup Global Markets, holding Series 63 and Series 66 licenses and bringing 17 years of industry experience. He has been with Citigroup Global Markets since 2008. Citigroup Global Markets serves individual and institutional clients across various wealth segments, offering a wide range of advisory programs and execution services. The firm combines large institutional scale with specialized market roles, including in-house research and derivative services, providing multi-asset, multi-manager strategies implemented through discretionary and non-discretionary programs.

Charles Lawless is a financial advisor at Creative Planning with 28 years of industry experience. He holds the Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and previously worked at Mesirow Financial for 27 years before joining Creative Planning in 2023. Outside of his advisory role, he is involved in developing a patent for personal finance record keeping, serves on the advisory board of Empower Retirement, and is an author of self-help and family history books. Creative Planning provides investment advisory and financial planning services to a diverse client base, including individuals, corporations, foundations, trusts, and retirement plans. The firm employs a financial planning–led investment approach focused on low-cost indexing and buy-and-hold strategies, supplemented by tax-loss harvesting and other active portfolio management techniques, supported by a large advisory team and integrated investment infrastructure.

Allen Berg is a CFP® professional with 11 years of industry experience. He currently works at Clearstead Advisory Solutions and has held prior roles at Waveland Family Office, Kovitz Investment Group Partners, Weiss & Company LLP, and North Star Investment Management Corp. He serves as Treasurer and Adviser to the Juliana Greenfield Family Foundation, a nonprofit focused on charitable medical research. Clearstead serves affluent private clients and institutional clients, providing investment management, financial planning, tax planning, family office administration, and institutional consulting services. The firm manages approximately $33.9 billion in assets and applies institutional disciplines through a combination of mutual funds, ETFs, separately managed accounts, alternative investments, and a proprietary Direct Indexing strategy.

Jonathan Chung is a financial advisor at Fifth Third Securities, Inc. with 13 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 66 licenses and has previously worked at J.P. Morgan Securities, Merrill, and Bank of America. Outside of his advisory role, he serves as an Assistant Pastor at Highland Presbyterian Church. Fifth Third Securities, Inc. serves individual and institutional clients through both investment advisory and brokerage channels. The firm offers a variety of investment programs via the Passageway Managed Account Platform and supports clients with multiple portfolio management options, including mutual fund and ETF models, SMA strategies, and direct indexing.

Joel Hochman is a CFP® with 42 years of industry experience and is currently with MAI Capital Management, LLC, where he has worked since 2021. He previously held roles at Hochman Cole Investment Advisors, Inc. and Cetera Financial Specialists LLC. Outside of his advisory work, he also engages in independent consulting through the Gerson Lehrman Group and receives referral commissions related to a prior health insurance business. MAI Capital Management provides discretionary and non-discretionary investment management, wealth management, retirement plan consulting, and family-office services to a diverse client base including high-net-worth individuals, families, sports professionals, trusts, and institutional clients. The firm offers a range of portfolio strategies and integrates financial planning, tax, and bill-pay services, managing $72.3 billion in assets as of May 2026.

James Davis is a financial advisor with Commonwealth Financial Network in Skokie, IL, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and having 28 years of industry experience. He previously worked at LPL Financial, LLC for 13 years before joining Commonwealth in 2025. Outside of his advisory work, he serves as an assistant basketball coach at Christian Heritage Academy. Commonwealth Financial Network is a registered investment adviser that supports a national network of advisors and their clients by providing a range of advisory programs and operational services. The firm offers discretionary model portfolios and customizable investment solutions while serving as a platform provider with extensive clearing and custody relationships.

Evan Ferry is a financial advisor at NorthCoast Asset Management LLC with one year of industry experience. He holds a Series 65 license and has worked at Focus Partners Wealth, Kovitz Investment Group Partners, and Relative Value Partners. Outside of finance, his background includes several years of employment at country clubs. NorthCoast Asset Management provides investment advisory services to a diverse client base, including individuals, retirement plans, corporations, and charitable organizations. The firm uses a quantitative and systematic investment approach with proprietary models, managing most client relationships on a discretionary basis.

David Brown is a financial advisor with William Blair in Highland Park, IL, holding a Series 66 designation and over 22 years of industry experience. He has been with William Blair and Company, L.L.C. since 2003. William Blair’s Private Wealth Management division provides discretionary and non-discretionary investment management, financial planning, and wealth services to individuals, foundations, pension, and corporate clients. The firm emphasizes active, research-driven management across multiple asset classes and offers proprietary models alongside access to private funds and co-investment opportunities.

Lihua Zhu is a financial advisor with Transamerica Financial Advisors, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and bringing 10 years of industry experience. Her work history includes roles at Prime Planners Inc and HR-Block, along with her position as an IRS Enrolled Agent providing tax preparation services. She has also been involved with the Xilin Northwest Chinese School and co-owns a small business with Frank Liu. Transamerica Financial Advisors, LLC offers investment advisory, brokerage, and retirement-plan services to a diverse client base, utilizing model portfolios and third-party managers. The firm serves individual investors, employer-sponsored plans, trusts, estates, and charitable organizations through a large network and multiple advisory platforms.

Gabriel Korach is a financial advisor with Mesirow Financial Investment Management, Inc., holding a Series 66 designation and 15 years of industry experience. He has been with Mesirow Financial since 2010. Mesirow Financial Investment Management, Inc.’s Wealth Management division offers discretionary and non-discretionary investment management and financial planning services. The firm serves private individuals, institutional clients, and government entities, using both third-party managers and proprietary private investment products.

Peter Henkel is a financial advisor at Goldman Sachs Wealth Services with three years of industry experience and holds a Series 66 designation. Prior to joining Goldman Sachs, he was affiliated with Indiana University and has held roles at Ivy Hills Country Club and Mercy Health Plex. Goldman Sachs Wealth Services advises a wide range of clients, including individual investors, corporate participants, executives, and institutional clients. The firm offers financial planning, portfolio management, and specialized wealth programs, utilizing strategic allocation models and both discretionary and non-discretionary implementations within the broader Goldman Sachs ecosystem.

Deepen Modi is a financial advisor with Independent Financial Group, LLC, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and bringing 31 years of industry experience. He has been with Independent Financial Group since 2015. Outside of his advisory role, Modi is president and CEO of DKRS of Northbrook, a corporation managing office and business expenses, and is also an Illinois-licensed insurance agent. 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 brokerage, portfolio management, and financial planning services through a national network of Investment Adviser Representatives and provides advisory programs via its AccessPoint platform and third-party asset managers.

Anthony Jones is a CFP® professional with two years of experience at Corient. Prior to joining Corient, he worked at Industrial Federal Credit Union and Regions Bank, and he also spent six years at Purdue University. Corient provides investment advisory and financial planning services to individual and high-net-worth clients, trusts, pension and profit-sharing plans, charitable organizations, and corporate entities. The firm employs a goals-based, team investment approach combining in-house strategies with third-party manager solutions, supported by continuous portfolio monitoring and risk management tools.

Jeffery Coda is a Series 66-registered advisor with Goldman Sachs Wealth Services, based in Deerfield, IL, with four years of industry experience. He has worked with The Ayco Company, LP since 2016. Goldman Sachs Wealth Services advises a diverse client base including individual investors, corporate participants, executives, plan sponsors, and institutional clients, providing financial planning, portfolio management, and specialized wealth services. The firm utilizes strategic allocation models and proprietary research while integrating capabilities across Goldman Sachs affiliates to deliver tailored investment solutions.