Eric Walania is a CFA® charterholder with 27 years of industry experience. He has been with William Blair And Company, L.L.C. since 2004. He holds a Series 63 designation and is based in Western Springs, IL. William Blair’s Private Wealth Management division provides 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 as well as access to private funds and co-investment opportunities.

Samuel Awad is a CFP® professional with nine years of experience in financial advising. He has worked at Integrated Wealth Concepts LLC since 2026, following six years at HighTower Advisors LLC and four years at Private Vista, LLC. Outside of financial advising, he provides operational and IT consulting and executive coaching, assisting with strategic IT programs and coaching high-potential executives. Integrated Wealth Concepts LLC serves individuals, families, trusts, businesses, and retirement plans through a network of independent financial advisors. The firm offers discretionary investment management, financial planning, family office, and retirement plan advisory services, employing a primarily long-term investment approach with customized portfolios and a variety of model and wrap-fee program options.

Joseph Florina is a CFP® professional with six years of industry experience. He is currently with Brookstone Capital Management LLC and Wealth Financial Services & Tax Advisory, having previously worked at Interactive Brokers and First American Bank. Brookstone Capital Management is an SEC-registered adviser providing 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, other registered investment advisers, sovereign wealth funds, and banking institutions.

Jeffrey Wrobel is a financial advisor at Citigroup Global Markets with 37 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and has been with Citigroup since 2007. Citigroup Global Markets serves individual and institutional clients across various wealth segments, offering a range of investment advisory programs and execution services. The firm is notable for its combination of large institutional scale, market roles such as swap dealer and futures commission merchant, and its use of multi-asset, multi-manager investment strategies.

David Kohlmeyer is a CFP® professional with 34 years of industry experience. He has worked at Benjamin F. Edwards & Company, Inc. since 2018 and previously spent nine years at Stifel Nicolaus & Co Inc. Outside of his advisory work, he serves as the treasurer for the Wheaton Academy Foundation, a role involving quarterly evening meetings. Benjamin F. Edwards & Company, Inc. is an SEC-registered investment adviser and broker-dealer serving individuals, pension plans, charitable organizations, and institutions. The firm offers a range of fee-based wrap programs, financial planning, and investment management services, using strategies managed internally and by third parties, with oversight from an Investment Strategy Committee.

James Wilkins is a financial advisor at Stratos Wealth Partners, Ltd with 34 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 66 licenses and has previously been associated with firms including LPL Financial LLC, Securities America Advisors, and National Planning Corporation. Wilkins also works as a wealth advisor focused on variable annuities. Stratos Wealth Partners serves a diverse client base including high-net-worth individuals, retirement plans, and charitable organizations, offering financial planning, portfolio management, and retirement plan consulting. The firm integrates individualized asset allocation with access to proprietary and third-party strategies, leveraging a large network of investment adviser representatives to deliver tailored advice.

Nader Maalouf is a financial advisor at Citigroup Global Markets with three years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 66 licenses and has previously worked at Uber, J.P. Morgan Securities, and AXA Advisors. Citigroup Global Markets serves individual and institutional clients across various wealth segments, offering multi-asset, multi-manager investment strategies through discretionary and non-discretionary programs alongside broker-dealer execution and custody services.

Michael Krucek is a financial advisor at SPC with 34 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 designations and has been with SPC since 2011. Krucek also has a long tenure at Sigma Financial Corporation beginning in 2004. In addition to advisory work, he sells insurance products including life, health, disability, and long-term care insurance. SPC serves a diverse client base including individuals, charitable organizations, corporations, and employer-sponsored retirement plans, managing approximately $5.66 billion in assets. The firm offers portfolio management, financial planning, and ERISA-related retirement plan services, delivering both discretionary and nondiscretionary solutions tailored to client needs.

Trenton Grens is a financial advisor at Brookstone Capital Management LLC with 20 years of industry experience. He holds the Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and has worked previously at AssetMark Brokerage, Northern Lights Distributors, and Astor Investment Management. Brookstone Capital Management provides fee-based asset management and financial planning to a diverse client base including individuals, retirement plans, corporations, and trusts. The firm utilizes strategic and dynamic asset-allocation models, a range of investment vehicles, and serves as both an investment advisor and sub-advisor through its turnkey asset management platform.

Daniel Sommers is a Certified Financial Planner® with 26 years of experience in the financial services industry. He has been with Kestra Advisory since 2016 and has a long tenure at Kestra Investment Services, LLC, as well as Freiburger Financial Group. Outside of his advisory work, he serves as director of an education loan trust established by his family to assist grandchildren with secondary education funding and acts as a trustee for a 401(k) plan. Kestra Advisory Services provides investment advisory and retirement-plan consulting to plan sponsors and a diverse range of institutional and individual clients. The firm offers services including fiduciary consulting, plan design, employee education, and access to multiple management platforms, serving large institutional investors and specialized clients such as sovereign wealth funds.

Patricia Reilly is a financial advisor at William Blair with 29 years of industry experience. She holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and has worked at William Blair & Company L.L.C. since 1989. William Blair’s Private Wealth Management division offers discretionary and non-discretionary investment management, financial planning, and wealth services to individuals, foundations, pension plans, and corporate clients. The firm employs an active, research-driven approach across equities, fixed income, and alternative strategies, providing proprietary model portfolios and access to private funds and co-investment opportunities.

Drew Mullarkey is a financial advisor at Mariner with five years of industry experience. He holds a Series 66 designation and has worked previously at Capital Group Companies - American Funds, DoorDash, Morgan Stanley, and Valeo Financial Advisors. Mariner serves a broad range of clients including individuals, pension plans, trusts, estates, charitable organizations, corporations, and private funds, offering investment management, financial planning, retirement plan consulting, and coordinated tax and family office services. The firm employs discretionary, customized portfolios that combine in-house research with third-party managers and provides specialized tax integration and financial wellness solutions.

Steven Cole is a financial advisor at Brookstone Capital Management LLC with a Series 65 credential. He has not yet accumulated industry experience in financial advising but has worked in various roles across multiple companies including WilSave Financial, Sweetgreen, and Inland Securities Corporation. Brookstone Capital Management provides fee-based asset management and financial planning services to individuals, retirement plans, corporations, trusts, and other entities. The firm utilizes strategic and dynamic asset-allocation models and offers discretionary portfolio management through multiple channels, including serving as a sub-advisor to other advisory programs.

James Flanagan is a financial advisor with Independent Financial Group, LLC, holding Series 63 and Series 65 credentials and bringing 38 years of industry experience. His career includes roles at FSC Securities Corporation, Waterstone Financial Group, Inc., and Re-Direct Securities Corp prior to joining Independent Financial Group in 2010. Outside of his advisory work, he is an author of a retirement planning book, provides pro bono financial advice to cancer patients, and serves as an adjunct professor of gerontology at Concordia University. Independent Financial Group, LLC serves a diverse client base including individuals, high-net-worth clients, trusts, corporate and pension plans, and charitable organizations. The firm offers financial planning and portfolio management through various platforms, utilizing a combination of strategic asset allocation, multi-manager portfolios, and ongoing due diligence with both active and passive investment exposures.

Nathaniel Chan is a financial advisor at Mariner with a Series 66 designation and no prior industry experience. Before entering the financial sector, he worked at Lu's Sushi and Chinese and spent ten years at Wheaton College. Mariner serves a diverse client base including individuals, pension plans, trusts, and charitable organizations through investment management, financial planning, and retirement consulting. The firm offers customized discretionary portfolios supported by in-house research and third-party managers, with notable capabilities in tax and accounting integration and administrative family office services.

Michael Wapner is a financial advisor with Kestra Advisory Services, holding a Series 66 designation and eight years of industry experience. He has worked at Kestra Advisory and Kestra Investment Services since 2017 and previously was with Utopia Green Consulting from 2011 to 2017. Outside of his advisory role, he serves as a member of the Board of Trustees and Board Secretary for Park Ridge Friends of the Parks. Kestra Advisory Services provides investment advisory and retirement plan consulting to a diverse client base including institutional and individual investors. The firm offers services ranging from fiduciary consulting and plan design to advisor-managed accounts and acts as an ERISA fiduciary where applicable.

Jacob Lee is a financial advisor with Guardian Life, holding a Series 66 designation and eight years of industry experience. His career includes roles at Guardian Life Insurance Company, Prudential Insurance Company of America, Pruco Securities, LLC, and Axa Advisors, LLC. Lee also engages in insurance activities outside of Guardian. Guardian Life’s subsidiary, Park Avenue Securities LLC, operates as a dually registered broker-dealer and SEC-registered investment adviser serving individuals, pension plans, charitable organizations, and corporate clients. The firm offers brokerage services, financial planning, retirement consulting, and a variety of advisory programs that include proprietary and third-party model portfolios.

Vincent Allegra is a financial advisor with Creative Planning, LLC, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and bringing 22 years of industry experience. Prior to joining Creative Planning in 2023, he worked for Mesirow Financial, Inc. for 19 years. Outside of his advisory role, Allegra serves on the boards of Choose DuPage and Hinsdale Swim Club, contributing to community development and local recreational activities. Creative Planning provides investment advisory and financial planning services to a diverse client base including individuals, corporations, and retirement plans. The firm employs a financial planning-led investment process emphasizing low-cost indexing and buy-and-hold strategies, supported by a broad range of supplemental portfolio management techniques and integrated retirement plan services.

Amit Kumar is a financial advisor at Voya Financial Advisors, Inc. with nine years of industry experience. He holds a Series 66 designation and has taught graduate-level courses at Benedictine University and Saint Xavier University for over a decade. Outside of his advisory role, he is also a musician who plays musical instruments for compensation. Voya Financial Advisors, Inc. serves a diverse client base, including individual and institutional investors such as retirement plan sponsors, charitable organizations, and high-net-worth individuals. The firm offers a wide range of services, including financial planning and portfolio management, with a focus on recommendation-based, non-discretionary advice through various program structures.

Luis Markin is a financial advisor at Fifth Third Securities, Inc. with 18 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 66 credentials and has worked at Fifth Third Securities and Fifth Third Bank since 2018. His prior experience includes roles at Merrill, Bank of America, and JP Morgan. Fifth Third Securities serves a diverse range of individual and institutional clients through investment advisory and brokerage services. The firm offers multiple program types, including mutual fund and ETF models, separately managed accounts, and direct indexing, delivering its investment solutions via the Passageway Managed Account Platform.