Mark Lessert is a financial advisor at Morgan Stanley with 16 years of industry experience. He holds a Series 66 designation and has been with Morgan Stanley since 2010. Outside of his advisory role, he is involved with NAPCO Inc., a manufacturing company in Naperville, Illinois, where he advises on manufacturing processes and coffee purchasing. Morgan Stanley Wealth Management is an SEC-registered investment adviser and broker-dealer serving individual and institutional clients with a range of advisory programs, including tailored financial planning. The firm manages approximately $2.74 trillion in client assets and employs a structured planning process supported by approved tools and modeling techniques.

Blake Hafferkamp is a financial advisor with Wells Fargo Advisors, holding a Series 66 designation and eight years of industry experience. His career includes roles at Wells Fargo Clearing Services LLC and Northwestern Mutual. Wells Fargo Advisors Financial Network serves individuals, trusts, and institutional clients by offering investment and fee-based financial planning services across a broad range of areas, including retirement, education, and specialized planning like business-owner transition and special-needs analysis. The firm uses proprietary research and planning tools to develop tailored recommendations, with clients deciding how to implement them through various brokerage or advisory programs.

Brianna Hook is a financial advisor at Robert Baird & Co. with 10 years of industry experience. She holds the Series 66 designation and previously worked at First Investments & Planning, First National Bank of Omaha, and Raymond James Financial Services. Brianna is part of The DDK Group within Baird’s Private Wealth Management team, which serves individuals, corporate clients, pensions, profit-sharing plans, and charitable organizations. The firm offers a broad range of financial planning and portfolio management services, utilizing manager-traded and model-traded SMA strategies, tax-management, and other investment approaches.

Derek Wichman is a CFP® with 11 years of experience and has been with Edward Jones since 2015. He works out of the Palatine, IL office. Edward Jones is a full-service wealth management firm serving individual and institutional clients, including high-net-worth households and corporate accounts. The firm manages approximately $1.01 trillion in assets and offers a range of advisory strategies, affiliated mutual funds, and tax-efficient services through a nationwide network of financial advisors and branch offices.

Ashton Rudd-Washington is a Financial Consultant at Fidelity Investments, a position he has held since 2023. He has progressed through various roles within Fidelity, including Investment Consultant, Planning Consultant, and Relationship Manager from 2021 to 2023. Prior to joining Fidelity, Ashton worked at JP Morgan Chase Bank from 2017 to 2020, where he served as Lead Teller Operation Specialist, Relationship Banker, and Private Client Banker. In his role as a Financial Consultant, Ashton focuses on helping clients accumulate wealth through tax-efficient investing while minimizing risk. He collaborates with clients to co-create financial plans that address important goals such as retirement and legacy planning, including generating income strategies for retirement. Outside of his professional work, Ashton has personal interests in cooking and baking, fitness, hiking, visiting museums, and traveling.

Mario Palacios is a financial advisor with Edward Jones in Arlington Heights, IL, holding the CFP® designation and Series 66 license. He has eight years of industry experience, including five years at Capital One prior to joining Edward Jones in 2018. Edward Jones is a full-service wealth management firm serving more than four million clients with a range of investment programs and fiduciary advisory services. The firm manages approximately $1.01 trillion in assets through a nationwide network of over 23,700 advisors and 15,000 branch offices.

David Olson is a financial advisor at Osaic with two years of industry experience. He holds Series 65 and Series 63 licenses and has previously worked at JPMorgan Distribution Services and Northwestern Mutual. His background also includes time in full-time education and a role at Seven Bridges Golf. Osaic Wealth serves a diverse range of retail and institutional clients through a multi-advisor platform offering brokerage and advisory services, including financial planning and retirement plan consulting. The firm utilizes a model-based investment approach with tools for asset allocation, portfolio optimization, and offers both discretionary and advisor-managed strategies.

Christina Chervenak is a financial advisor at Edward Jones in Des Plaines, IL, holding a Series 66 designation with five years of industry experience. Prior to joining Edward Jones in 2021, she worked for six years at TMC, a division of CH Robinson Worldwide. Edward Jones is a full-service wealth management firm serving individual and institutional clients with a wide range of advisory programs and investment options. The firm manages approximately $1.01 trillion in assets and operates through a large network of financial advisors and branch offices nationwide.

Gregory Wells is a financial advisor at Wells Fargo Advisors with 36 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and has worked at Wells Fargo Clearing and Wells Fargo Advisors since 2016. Wells Fargo Advisors Financial Network is a large broker-dealer and registered investment adviser affiliated with Wells Fargo that offers investment and fee-based financial planning services to individuals, trusts, and institutional clients. The firm provides a broad range of planning services tailored to clients meeting a net-worth threshold, utilizing proprietary research, planning tools, and simulation models.

Gregory Powell is a Series 63 licensed financial advisor with 42 years of industry experience. He is currently affiliated with Cetera and has held various roles within Cetera and its associated entities since 2012. He also serves as a compliance officer at Horizon Financial Group and Horizon Financial Network. Cetera Investment Advisers LLC is an SEC-registered adviser serving a wide range of clients including individuals, retirement plans, corporate and charitable clients, and institutional accounts. The firm offers discretionary and non-discretionary portfolio management, financial planning, and access to multiple investment managers through a multi-manager platform.

Karen White is a financial advisor with Cetera in Schaumburg, IL, holding Series 63 and Series 66 registrations and possessing 16 years of industry experience. Her prior work includes roles at First Allied Securities LLC and LPL Financial, LLC. She is also a partner in a family business distributing health products through Shaklee.Com/Teamknopp LLC. Cetera Investment Advisers LLC serves a diverse client base including individuals, employer-sponsored retirement plans, corporate, charitable, and institutional clients. The firm offers a wide range of portfolio management and financial planning services through a multi-manager platform with over 10,000 advisors and more than $256 billion in assets under management.

Artiz Stroud is a financial advisor at Cetera with 14 years of industry experience and holds Series 63 and Series 66 registrations. His background includes a long tenure at Fidelity Investments and roles at multiple Cetera entities. Outside of his advisory work, Stroud is engaged as a professional life coach and co-owns Shepherd Effect, an organization focused on fatherhood and family education. He also operates businesses providing estate planning preparation coaching, budget coaching, and tax preparation services. Cetera Investment Advisers LLC is a nationwide SEC-registered advisory firm that serves individual, retirement plan, corporate, charitable, and institutional clients. The firm offers a multi-manager platform with a range of portfolio management programs, including model portfolios, third-party managers, and bespoke strategies, managing over $256 billion in assets through more than 10,000 advisors.

Andrew Martin is a financial advisor at Wells Fargo Advisors with 35 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 credentials and has worked at Wells Fargo Clearing and Prudential Equity Group in prior roles. Outside of his advisory work, Martin serves as a youth hockey referee for the Illinois Hockey Officials Association. Wells Fargo Advisors Financial Network provides investment and fee-based financial planning services to individuals, trusts, and institutional clients, offering a broad range of planning options including retirement, education, and niche services like business-owner transition and special-needs analysis. The firm’s advisors use proprietary research and planning tools to develop tailored recommendations delivered through meetings and written summaries.

Robert Gauthier is a CFP® professional with 41 years of industry experience. He is currently affiliated with Cetera and has held positions there since 2013. He is also the owner of RMG Financial Services, an S-Corp financial services entity, and operates a DBA under Gauthier Wealth Partners. Cetera Investment Advisers LLC serves a broad range of clients including individuals, retirement plans, corporate and charitable organizations, and institutional accounts. The firm offers a multi-manager platform featuring discretionary and non-discretionary portfolio management, financial planning, and access to third-party money managers.

Sharon Schwager is a financial advisor at Edward Jones with a Series 66 designation and seven years of industry experience. She has held prior roles at Creekview Wealth Management and previously worked at Edward Jones. Edward Jones is a full-service wealth management firm serving individual and institutional clients with a wide range of investment strategies and advisory services. The firm manages approximately $1.01 trillion in assets and operates a large nationwide network of financial advisors and branch offices.

Curtis Whitehouse is a financial advisor at Wells Fargo Clearing with 35 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and has worked at Wells Fargo Clearing since 2016, following a 12-year tenure at Citigroup Global Markets. Wells Fargo Advisors is a national securities firm serving individual, corporate, and institutional clients, including pension and charitable organizations. The firm provides investment advisory services, financial planning, wrap-fee programs, and retirement plan consulting, utilizing research and analytics from Wells Fargo Investment Institute and third-party sources.

Eric De Novo is a Series 66-licensed financial advisor at Merrill with three years of industry experience. He has worked at Bank of America and Merrill Edge, alongside roles in various other sectors including retail and community services. Merrill, together with its affiliate Managed Account Advisors LLC, provides managed account services through the Select Portfolio Solutions Program, serving a diverse client base that includes individuals, high-net-worth clients, pension and profit-sharing plans, corporations, and charitable organizations. The firm offers a range of model-based and discretionary investment strategies developed by internal teams and third-party managers.

Christine Messerschmidt is a financial advisor with Thrivent Investment Management in Barrington, IL, holding a Series 66 designation and 16 years of industry experience. She has worked at Thrivent Financial for Lutherans and its investment management division since 2010. Messerschmidt serves as a board member of the We Raise Foundation, which supports Christian nonprofit organizations addressing poverty, violence, and inequality. Thrivent Investment Management provides Dedicated Planning Services to individuals, families, businesses, and nonprofit clients through a network of financial advisors. The firm offers holistic, goal-based planning analyses that cover a wide range of financial topics, delivered as either one-time or ongoing engagements separate from portfolio management.

Paul Maurin is a financial advisor at OSAIC with 34 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and has worked at Royal Alliance Associates, Inc. since 2015. In addition to his advisory role, he is involved in general tax and accounting activities through his ownership of Accountants & Financial Planning Associates and serves as CFO of DLS Computer Services, Inc. OSAIC Wealth serves a broad range of retail and institutional clients through a multi-advisor platform, offering brokerage and advisory services including financial planning, managed portfolios, and retirement plan consulting. The firm emphasizes model-based asset allocation and portfolio optimization, supporting discretionary and advisor-managed strategies across various custodial and legacy program arrangements.

Robert Paneral is a financial advisor with LPL Financial in Mt. Prospect, Illinois, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and possessing 33 years of industry experience. His prior roles include positions at Wayne Hummer Investments, Citigroup Global Markets, and Citicorp Investment Services. LPL Financial is a national broker-dealer and SEC-registered investment adviser serving individuals, retirement plan participants, banks, trust companies, and other institutions. The firm offers a range of services including financial planning, model portfolio programs, third-party asset management access, and institutional platforms, supported by a large network of investment adviser representatives.