Lissette Strefner is a financial advisor with World Equity Group, Inc. in Schaumburg, IL, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and having 23 years of industry experience. She has been with World Equity Group since 2015 and has previously been associated with AIG American General Life Insurance Company since 2002. Outside of her advisory role, she operates a small hobby business reselling used clothing online. World Equity Group, Inc. provides fee-based investment advisory and financial planning services to a range of clients including individuals, pension plans, trusts, and charitable organizations. The firm offers managed portfolios through its wrap-fee program, combining discretionary portfolio management with access to third-party money managers and employs a risk-tolerance questionnaire to guide asset allocation.

Brent Newcomb is a financial advisor at Northern Trust Securities, Inc. with three years of industry experience. He holds the CFP® and ChFC® designations. Prior to joining Northern Trust Securities in 2025, he worked at JPMorgan Chase Bank, NA and JPMorgan Securities LLC from 2023 to 2025. Northern Trust Securities, Inc. is an SEC-registered investment adviser and FINRA-registered broker-dealer that serves high-net-worth individuals, retail investors, and institutional clients. The firm offers discretionary portfolio management through model-driven, periodically rebalanced portfolios combining proprietary and third-party investment products.

Chloe Fakhouri is a CFP® with five years of industry experience, currently serving as a financial advisor at JMG Financial Group Ltd in Downers Grove, IL. Prior to joining JMG Financial Group, she worked at Itasca Bank & Trust and was also employed by Depaul University. Outside of her financial advisory role, Chloe is a fitness instructor for Pike Lagree, a fitness center offering Lagree-style classes. JMG Financial Group provides comprehensive wealth management and consulting services to individuals, trusts, retirement plans, business entities, and charitable organizations. The firm employs a planning-based, long-term investment approach focused on strategic asset allocation and offers services including portfolio management, tax consulting, and access to private investment opportunities.

Patrick Crowley is a financial advisor with VestGen Advisors, LLC in Chicago, IL, holding Series 63 and Series 65 designations and bringing 27 years of industry experience. His previous experience includes roles at LPL Financial, LLC from 2005 to 2024 and Wealth Management Group, LLC since 2022. Outside of advisory services, he manages Crowley Family Farm LLC, a family business overseeing commercial property. VestGen Advisors provides investment management, financial planning, and retirement plan services to a diverse client base including individuals, high-net-worth clients, small businesses, trusts, and pooled investment vehicles. The firm combines advisor-level client work with centralized portfolio management, serving a wide variety of clients including other investment advisers and institutional investors.

Sherry Salamone is a financial advisor with CliftonLarsonAllen Wealth Advisors, LLC in Oak Brook, IL, holding a Series 66 designation and 19 years of industry experience. She has been with CliftonLarsonAllen Wealth Advisors since 2016. CliftonLarsonAllen Wealth Advisors serves individuals, including high-net-worth clients, as well as corporate and institutional clients, providing wealth advisory, asset management, financial and estate planning, and business succession consulting. The firm employs a strategic asset allocation approach through model portfolios overseen by an Investment Committee, integrating multidisciplinary planning in coordination with its parent firm, CliftonLarsonAllen LLP.

Joseph Fortunato is a financial advisor with HighPoint Planning Partners in Downers Grove, IL, holding the CFP® and ChFC® designations and securities licenses Series 63 and 66. He has 21 years of industry experience and previously worked at firms including Vantage Financial Partners Limited, HighTower Advisors LLC, and Guardian Life. HighPoint Planning Partners serves individuals, pension and profit-sharing plans, trusts, estates, charitable organizations, and corporate entities. The firm offers discretionary asset management, financial planning, retirement plan advisory, and uses a diversified investment approach including mutual funds, ETFs, equities, debt securities, REITs, options, and third-party platforms.

Zak Sandeman is a financial advisor at LaSalle St. Investment Advisors, L.L.C. He holds the Series 66 designation and has three years of industry experience, including prior roles at VillageMD and Oranj. His background includes multiple positions with LaSalle St. Securities, LLC. 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 management programs, utilizing a range of asset classes and third-party managers.

Michael Smith is a financial advisor with HighPoint Planning Partners in Downers Grove, IL, holding Series 63 and Series 66 registrations and bringing 26 years of industry experience. He has been with HighPoint Planning Partners since 2016 and has been affiliated with LPL Financial since 2015. HighPoint Planning Partners serves individuals, pension and profit-sharing plans, trusts, estates, charitable organizations, and corporate entities. The firm offers discretionary asset management and financial planning, implementing portfolios through personal consultations and fundamental analysis across various asset classes, while utilizing third-party and LPL-sponsored platforms to provide consolidated advisory services.

Christopher Genzler is a CFP® professional with 41 years of industry experience, currently serving as an advisor at Forum Financial Management, LP since 2012. His prior experience includes work at Purshe Kaplan Sterling Investments, Inc. from 2012 to 2020. Outside of his advisory role, he is involved in nonprofit organizations focused on healthcare and medical education, holding leadership positions such as President of the Western Cook Chapter of the Illinois Continuity of Care Association and Treasurer and Director of the Board at BodyInsight. Forum Financial Management, LP provides fee-based wealth management, financial planning, and qualified plan services to individual and institutional clients. The firm also serves as a sub-advisor and turnkey asset management platform for other independent RIAs, employing a Modern Portfolio Theory approach primarily with DFA institutional mutual funds and ETFs.

Shawn Wears is a financial advisor with Capital Analysts, holding the CFP® designation and Series 63 and 66 licenses, and has 19 years of industry experience. He has worked at Lincoln Investment since 2014, with prior roles at Cambridge Investment Research Advisors, Guggenheim Investments, and Rydex Advisory Services. Outside of his advisory work, he is the president of Wears Financial Corp and serves as financial secretary for the McWhinney Benevolent Association. Capital Analysts provides portfolio management and retirement-plan advice to a diverse client base including individual and high-net-worth investors, trusts, foundations, businesses, and charitable organizations. The firm employs both discretionary and non-discretionary investment management strategies and offers access to third-party managers through a nationwide network of independent advisors.

Seamus Kelly is a financial advisor with Chicago Partners Investment Group LLC, holding a Series 65 designation and beginning his industry career in 2024. Prior to joining Chicago Partners in 2025, he worked at UBS and has academic experience from the University of Chicago. Chicago Partners Investment Group serves a diverse client base, including individuals, trusts, endowments, corporations, and nonprofit plans. The firm employs a long-term, diversified investment approach with customized portfolios, utilizing fundamental analysis and strategies such as direct indexing and tax-loss harvesting.

Robert Mortimer is a CFP® with 49 years of industry experience, currently serving as a financial advisor at B. Riley Wealth Advisors, Inc. since 2022 and with B. Riley Wealth Management since 2010. He is based in Chicago, IL. Outside of his advisory role, he serves as Treasurer for a family-owned nonprofit corporation that manages a vacation property. B. Riley Wealth Advisors, Inc. is an SEC-registered firm managing approximately $7.03 billion in client assets through 274 advisors. The firm provides a range of services including advisory programs, financial planning, and retirement solutions to individuals, high-net-worth clients, charitable organizations, corporations, and retirement plans.

Barry Link is a financial advisor with World Equity Group, Inc. in Schaumburg, IL, holding a Series 63 designation and 48 years of industry experience. He has worked at World Equity Group since 2001 and operates Link Diversified Services, which he started in 1982. Outside of advising, he is involved as an independent contractor with Abacus Life Settlements, assisting with policy evaluations and transactions for senior clients. World Equity Group, Inc. provides fee-based investment advisory and financial planning services to a range of clients, including individuals, pension plans, trusts, and charitable organizations. The firm offers managed portfolios through its Adhesion Money Management wrap-fee program and utilizes third-party managers to implement asset allocation models based on client risk tolerance.

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 Series 65-registered financial advisor with three years of industry experience. He currently works at FourStar Wealth Advisors, LLC in Chicago, IL. His prior experience includes roles at Merino Wealth Management, State Farm agencies, Rosen Harwood, Citizens Bank of Fayette, and the University of Alabama. FourStar Wealth Advisors serves a diverse client base, including individuals, high-net-worth clients, pension and profit-sharing plans, trusts, estates, charitable organizations, corporations, and other business entities. The firm offers financial planning, investment management, and retirement plan consulting, employing both fundamental and technical analysis to tailor portfolios across various asset classes.

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 and has been with JMG Financial Group Ltd since 2015. She serves as a manager of Glass Pumpkin Vineyard, LLC, a vineyard business unrelated to investments. JMG Financial Group Ltd provides comprehensive wealth and portfolio management to individuals, trusts, retirement plans, business entities, and charitable organizations. The firm employs a planning-based, long-term approach with strategic asset allocation and offers tax consulting and access to private investment funds.

James Lapera is a financial advisor at Forum Financial Management, LP with 25 years of industry experience. He holds the Series 63 and Series 66 designations and has worked with firms including Purshe Kaplan Sterling Investments, Inc., Pinnacle Financial Solutions, PC, and Forum Tax & Accounting LLC. Outside of advisory roles, he is involved in insurance sales and owns a holding company. Forum Financial Management, LP provides investment advisory and related services to individuals, retirement plan sponsors, charitable organizations, and institutional clients. The firm employs model asset-allocation portfolios based on Modern Portfolio Theory, using institutional mutual funds and ETFs, and offers a turn-key asset-management platform with back-office and sub-advisory services to other RIAs.

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.