Barry Link is a Series 63 licensed advisor with 48 years of industry experience. He has been with World Equity Group, Inc. since 2001 and also operates Link Diversified Services, which he has owned since 1982. Outside of his advisory roles, he works as an independent contractor with Abacus Life Settlements, assisting seniors with policy evaluations and sales, and he is involved in the sale of fixed life insurance policies. World Equity Group provides investment advisory and brokerage services to individual and high-net-worth clients, business entities, non-profit organizations, and financial institutions. The firm employs a combination of model-based and customized investment approaches, offering portfolio management, financial planning, and access to third-party managers.

Paul Mangiardi is a financial advisor at Zacks Investment Management, Inc. in Chicago, IL, with 19 years of industry experience. His prior roles include positions at LBMZ Securities, IHT Wealth Management, and Charles Schwab. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 designations. Zacks Investment Management provides discretionary investment management to individuals, trusts, estates, retirement plans, and institutional clients. The firm combines proprietary quantitative models with qualitative portfolio management and offers a variety of strategies through its own and third-party wrap-fee and unified managed account programs.

Ben Petrie is a financial advisor at The Mather Group, LLC in Chicago, IL, with two years of industry experience. He holds a Series 65 designation and has been with The Mather Group since 2022. Prior to his current role, his work experience includes positions outside the financial industry. The Mather Group primarily serves high-net-worth individuals, family offices, trusts, corporations, and other entities by providing financial planning, investment management, tax and estate planning guidance, and family office services. The firm utilizes an evidence-based investment approach with risk-based allocation models and offers customizable portfolio options, including ESG portfolios and liability-matching bond ladders.

Marc Lawrence is a financial advisor at Fourstar Wealth Advisors, LLC in Chicago, IL, holding a Series 65 designation with three years of industry experience. His prior roles include positions at Merino Wealth Management, Mark Brown State Farm, Ryan Whitson State Farm, Rosen Harwood, Citizens Bank of Fayette, and the University of Alabama. Fourstar Wealth Advisors serves individuals, retirement and profit-sharing plans, trusts, estates, charitable organizations, and business entities by providing financial planning, discretionary portfolio management, and retirement-plan consulting. The firm uses a combination of fundamental and technical analysis to manage diversified portfolios tailored to clients’ risk tolerance and time horizon, operating both as an adviser and manager of private funds.

Ian Crowley is a financial advisor at IHT Wealth Management LLC with two years of industry experience. He holds the Series 66 designation and has previously worked at LPL Financial and PKF Mueller. IHT Wealth Management serves individuals, corporate and institutional clients, and retirement plan sponsors by providing discretionary asset management, financial planning, ERISA plan consulting, and outsourced CIO services. The firm’s investment approach combines fundamental value screening, quantitative optimization, and periodic rebalancing, with access to proprietary model portfolios, third-party managers, and discretionary mandates.

Jaclyn Garcia is a CFP® with 10 years of industry experience, currently serving at JMG Financial Group, Ltd. since 2015. She is a manager of Glass Pumpkin Vineyard, LLC, a vineyard business unrelated to investments. JMG Financial Group, Ltd. provides discretionary investment management, financial advisory, retirement plan consulting, and tax services to individuals, trusts, pension and profit-sharing plans, charitable organizations, and business entities. The firm manages approximately $6.36 billion in assets through a strategic asset allocation process overseen by an investment committee, utilizing ETFs, mutual funds, individual equities, fixed income, private funds, and sub-advisors.

James Lapera is a financial advisor with Forum Financial Management, LP, holding Series 63 and Series 66 licenses and 24 years of industry experience. He has worked at Forum Financial since 2012 and previously at Purshe Kaplan Sterling Investments, Inc. and Pinnacle Financial Solutions, PC. Outside of his advisory work, he is involved in insurance sales and owns a holding company. Forum Financial Management, LP provides fee-based wealth management, financial planning, and qualified plan services to individual and institutional clients, and serves as a sub-advisor and turnkey asset management platform for other independent RIAs. The firm emphasizes model portfolios based on Modern Portfolio Theory and manages over $9 billion in assets.

Jon Adams is a CFA® charterholder and holds a Series 63 license with three years of industry experience. He currently serves as an advisor at Calamos Wealth Management LLC and Calamos Financial Services LLC since 2023. Prior to this, he worked at Citigroup for one year and BMO Global Asset Management for seven years. Adams is a member of the Ares Advisory Board, where he participates in discussions on private markets and best practices. 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 idea sourcing, quantitative and qualitative evaluation, portfolio construction, and ongoing monitoring, often utilizing affiliated investment vehicles and maintaining governance controls.

Michael Rohrwasser is a CFP® with 39 years of industry experience. He is currently with HighPoint Planning Partners and has been associated with VANTAGE FINANCIAL PARTNERS Limited since 1989. HighPoint Advisor Group provides discretionary asset management, financial planning, and consulting services to a diverse client base, including individuals, pension plans, trusts, and charitable organizations. The firm manages approximately $4.0 billion in client assets and employs individualized investment policies using fundamental analysis across a range of securities and custodied program solutions.

Gregory Murphy is a financial advisor at Zacks Investment Management, Inc. with 25 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63, Series 65, and Series 66 licenses and has worked at both Zacks Investment Management since 2007 and LBMZ Securities, Inc. since 2009. Zacks Investment Management offers discretionary investment management to individuals, trusts, estates, retirement plans, pooled investment vehicles, and institutional clients, serving as portfolio manager to mutual funds and ETFs. The firm combines proprietary quantitative models with qualitative portfolio management across various strategies and distributes its offerings through wrap-fee and unified managed account programs.

Jeffrey Cismoski is a CFP® professional with 12 years of industry experience, currently with Ascentis Independent Advisors, LLC. His prior roles include positions at ORG Partners LLC, WealthShield Partners, LLC, Cresset Asset Management, LLC, and Evanston Investments Inc DBA Evanston Advisors. Ascentis Independent Advisors provides investment advisory services to individuals, trusts, retirement plans, and businesses, offering tailored portfolio management and financial planning. The firm employs asset allocation, fundamental and technical analysis, and utilizes discretionary sub-advisory arrangements and co-advisory platforms, including a Private Direct Investments program for client access to private funds and alternative investments.

Joseph Esposito is a financial advisor at VestGen Advisors, LLC with 34 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and has worked previously at Commonwealth Financial Network and Private Client Services. Esposito also maintains a long-term affiliation with Ek&A. VestGen Advisors, LLC is a multi-team registered investment adviser managing approximately $3.47 billion for over 9,400 clients. The firm serves individual and high-net-worth clients through discretionary and non-discretionary investment management, financial planning, and retirement plan services, utilizing a combination of analytical methods and third-party managers.

Joseph Vogenthaler is a financial advisor at Forum Financial Management, LP in San Diego, CA, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses with five years of industry experience. Prior to joining Forum in 2020, he worked at Twitch, LLC for 14 years and was involved with several school districts in 2020. Outside of his advisory role, he operated a sole proprietorship in real estate management. Forum Financial Management, LP provides fee-based wealth management, financial planning, qualified plan services, and educational workshops to individual and institutional clients. The firm also serves as a sub-advisor and turnkey asset management platform for other independent RIAs, managing portfolios primarily with DFA mutual funds and ETFs within a Modern Portfolio Theory framework.

James Geake is a financial advisor at Madison Avenue Securities, LLC with 30 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and has been with Madison Avenue Securities since 2006. Geake is also a 50% owner of Wayne Messmer & Associates, LLC, which provides sales and service of life and health insurance and annuities. Additionally, he serves as a board member of Voyageur Crossings Condominium. Madison Avenue Securities, LLC provides investment advisory and related services to individual clients, charitable institutions, foundations, trusts, and employer-sponsored retirement plans, managing approximately $2.0 billion in assets. The firm offers a variety of account platforms and investment strategies, delivering portfolio management, financial planning, pension consulting, and college-savings services through its network of investment adviser representatives.

James Hagedorn is a CFA® charterholder with 22 years of experience in the financial industry. He has been with Chicago Partners Investment Group LLC since 2009 and also works with The Mosaic Financial Group LLC. Chicago Partners Investment Group LLC advises a diverse range of clients, including individuals, trusts, nonprofits, and corporations, offering portfolio management, financial planning, retirement services, and family-office reporting. The firm employs a long-term, diversified investment approach that incorporates fundamental analysis, customized portfolios, and strategies such as direct indexing and tax-loss harvesting.

Jacob Stanczyk is a CFP® certificant with six years of experience in the financial advisory industry. He currently works at JMG Financial Group LTD and has previously held roles at The Advocate Group, LLC, Carlson Holdings Inc., and Accredited Investors Inc. JMG Financial Group advises individuals, trusts, retirement plans, business entities, and charitable organizations with comprehensive wealth and portfolio management services. The firm employs a planning-based, long-term investment approach featuring strategic asset allocation and tactical committee-approved shifts, utilizing a diverse range of investment options and tax-aware techniques.

Robert Devita is a financial advisor with Ausdal Financial Partners, Inc., holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and bringing 37 years of industry experience. He has been with Ausdal Financial Partners since 2010. Outside of his advisory role, he is involved in an outside insurance brokerage focusing on fixed annuities and fixed life insurance. 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 about 152 advisors. The firm offers investment advisory programs, retirement plan services, and financial planning to individuals, trusts, corporations, pension plans, and charitable organizations, employing a range of discretionary and non-discretionary investment strategies.

Edward Kollada Jr. is a CFP® with 29 years of industry experience, currently serving at Fourstar Wealth Advisors, LLC since 2024. His previous roles include positions at LPL Financial, Global Retirement Partners, Kestra Financial Services, Strategic Retirement Partners, and The Bensman Group. He is also the owner and president of Elite Wealth Partners, Inc., a tax preparation and CPA business. Fourstar Wealth Advisors serves individuals, retirement and profit-sharing plans, trusts, estates, charitable organizations, and business entities by providing financial planning, discretionary portfolio management, and retirement-plan consulting. The firm combines fundamental and technical analysis to tailor portfolios across various asset classes, managing them primarily on a discretionary basis.

Kyle Schneider is a financial advisor at SpiderRock Advisors, LLC with nine years of industry experience. He holds Series 66 and Series 63 licenses and has worked at BlackRock Investments LLC, Harris Associates, and Harbor Capital Advisors. Schneider is currently based in Chicago, IL. SpiderRock Advisors provides discretionary investment advisory and sub-advisory services to institutional and individual clients, utilizing portfolio overlay and strategy management services that combine listed derivatives with traditional securities. The firm employs systematic and quantitative approaches through proprietary software and real-time risk monitoring to construct option-based hedges and yield-enhancing overlays.

John Davila is a financial advisor with LPL Financial based in Peoria, IL, holding Series 63 and Series 66 credentials and bringing 24 years of industry experience. He has been affiliated with LPL Financial since 2009 and also provides investment advisory services through HighPoint Advisor Group, LLC. LPL Financial offers advisory and brokerage services to a diverse client base including individual investors, retirement plan sponsors, institutions, and high-net-worth households. The firm supports its advisors with in-house research and a range of investment delivery options, combining large-scale advisory operations with insurance and lending products.