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.

Andrew Doten is a CFP® and Series 66 credentialed financial advisor at William Blair with eight years of industry experience. Prior to joining William Blair in 2025, he worked at Fiducient Advisors, Brownson, Rehmus & Foxworth, Urban Financial Advisory, and Vivaldi Capital Management. William Blair’s Private Wealth Management division offers discretionary and non-discretionary investment management, financial planning, and wealth services to individuals, foundations, pension, and corporate clients. The firm employs active, research-driven management across multiple asset classes and provides proprietary models and access to private funds and co-investment opportunities.

Patricia Reilly is a financial advisor at William Blair with 30 years of industry experience. She has been with William Blair & Company L.L.C. since 1989. She holds Series 63 and Series 65 designations. William Blair’s Private Wealth Management division offers discretionary and non-discretionary investment management, financial planning, and wealth services to individuals, foundations, pension, and corporate clients. The firm uses active, research-driven management across equities, fixed income, and alternative strategies, providing proprietary models 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 one year of industry experience. Prior to his advisory roles, he worked at Lu's Sushi and Chinese and spent a decade at Wheaton College. Mariner serves a diverse client base including individuals, pension plans, trusts, and charitable organizations. The firm offers customized investment management alongside integrated tax and accounting services, retirement plan consulting, and a range of operational capabilities such as family office and financial wellness solutions.

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. He has worked at Guardian Life since 2023 and previously held roles at Prudential Insurance Company of America, Pruco Securities, LLC, and Axa Advisors, LLC. His outside business activities include licensed insurance work unrelated to Guardian Life. Guardian Life, through its subsidiary Park Avenue Securities LLC, offers brokerage and advisory services to individuals, corporate and retirement plan sponsors, charitable organizations, and businesses. The firm provides tailored client solutions combining advisor-led discretionary management with model-based strategies and access to proprietary and third-party advisory platforms.

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 with VOYA Financial Advisors, Inc., holding a Series 66 designation and nine years of industry experience. He has held roles at AK Wealth Advisors and Raj Wealth Management and is also a lecturer at Benedictine University and an adjunct instructor at Saint Xavier University. Outside of finance, he is active as a musician and has technology management responsibilities at Aon. VOYA Financial Advisors, Inc. is an enterprise-scale advisory and broker-dealer affiliate of Voya Financial, providing financial planning, portfolio management, and retirement services to individuals, pension plans, nonprofits, and corporate clients. The firm uses investment policy statements and model portfolios supported by in-house and external strategists, offering a mix of discretionary and non-discretionary management through a broad network of investment adviser representatives.

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.

Patrick Oconnor is a financial advisor at TIAA-CREF with 19 years of industry experience. He holds a Series 66 designation and has worked with TIAA-CREF and Tiaa since 2016, following eight years at Securian Financial Services, Inc. and CRI Securities, LLC. TIAA-CREF Individual & Institutional Services, LLC’s Advice & Planning Services division offers financial planning and discretionary managed account programs primarily for individuals with existing ties to TIAA through employer retirement plans, as well as for trusts, estates, and small retirement plans. The firm combines point-in-time planning with ongoing portfolio management using both model and customized strategies, and it serves as adviser to a donor-advised fund.

Noah Swift is a financial advisor at Brookstone Capital Management LLC with a Series 65 credential and one year of industry experience. Prior to joining Brookstone, he worked at Wealth Financial Services and Tax Advisory and has experience in design and self-employment. 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 employs strategic and dynamic asset-allocation models and offers discretionary portfolio management through both internal and external sub-advisors.

Edward Dunphy is a financial advisor at William Blair with 33 years of industry experience. He has been with William Blair & Company since 2013 and holds the Series 63 and Series 65 designations. William Blair’s Private Wealth Management division provides investment management, financial planning, and wealth services to individuals, foundations, pension, and corporate clients. The firm employs an active, research-driven investment approach across multiple asset classes and offers proprietary models and access to private funds and co-investment opportunities.

Paul Niemiec is a financial advisor with Lincoln Investment in Lombard, Illinois, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and four years of industry experience. His prior roles include positions at Valic Financial Advisors, Bank of America, Merrill, and Equitable Advisors. Outside of finance, Niemiec works as an assistant coordinator for Sarah Kathleen Events, a wedding and event planning company. Lincoln Investment Planning, LLC is an enterprise investment advisory and broker-dealer serving a diverse client base including individuals, high-net-worth investors, trusts, charities, and retirement plans. The firm offers financial planning, portfolio management, and advisor-led consulting supported by an in-house Investment Management & Research team that develops strategic model portfolios and adaptive strategies.

Robert Duwa is a CFA® charterholder with 28 years of industry experience. He has been with William Blair & Co LLC since 2010. 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 model portfolios along with access to private funds and co-investment opportunities.

Michael Greenen is a CFP® and PFS™ with 25 years of industry experience. He is currently an advisor at Cerity Partners LLC and previously worked at Edge Financial Advisors, Lantern Wealth Guardians, and operated his own CPA practice, Michael J. Greenen CPA PC. He continues to own this CPA firm, dedicating part of his time to it during trading hours. Cerity Partners advises a diverse client base including high-net-worth individuals, families, trusts, foundations, and institutional investors, managing approximately $166.2 billion in assets as of the end of 2025. The firm offers customized wealth management services with a client-specific investment approach that integrates quantitative screening, manager selection, and direct security investment alongside access to alternative private market solutions.

Valbona Ceci is a CFP® professional with nine years of industry experience, currently with Mariner in Oakbrook, IL. Her prior experience includes roles at BMO Private Bank and Mariner Wealth Advisors. Mariner serves a diverse client base including individuals, pension and profit-sharing plans, trusts, estates, charitable organizations, corporations, and private funds. The firm offers investment management, financial planning, retirement plan consulting, and coordinated tax and family office services, implementing customized portfolios overseen by an Investment Committee and supported by both in-house and third-party managers.