Nadezda Scharnell is a Series 66-licensed financial advisor with 14 years of industry experience, currently affiliated with Merit Financial Advisors in Chicago, IL. She previously worked at Morgan Stanley for ten years before joining Merit Financial Advisors and related firms in 2025. Merit Financial Group, LLC is an SEC-registered advisory firm managing approximately $10.6 billion for a diverse client base, including individuals, businesses, retirement plan sponsors, and charitable organizations. The firm employs a long-term, diversified investment strategy using model portfolios and customizable sleeves, supported by a centralized Investment Management team and Investment Committee.

Mike Angelopoulos is a financial advisor with B. Riley Wealth Advisors, Inc. in Chicago, IL, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and bringing 26 years of industry experience. He has been with B. Riley Wealth Advisors since 2016 and previously worked at National Securities Corp. Angelopoulos is president of Porchlight Real Estate PLLC, a real estate investment venture. B. Riley Wealth Advisors provides investment advice and portfolio management to a diverse client base, including individual investors, pension and profit-sharing plans, trusts, estates, charitable organizations, and businesses, managing approximately $4.21 billion in assets across a variety of programs and strategies.

Nicholas Ginnodo is a financial advisor at FourStar Wealth Advisors, LLC in Chicago, IL, holding the Series 66 designation with three years of industry experience. Prior to joining FourStar, he worked at Riverpoint Wealth Management and The Vanguard Group. 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 employs both fundamental and technical analysis and manages client portfolios primarily on a discretionary basis, tailoring investments to risk tolerance and time horizon.

Nicholas Rossetti is a CFP® professional with four years of industry experience, currently serving at Merit Financial Advisors in Deerfield, IL. His prior experience includes roles at Purshe Kaplan Sterling Investments, The Pinnacle Financial Group, Commonwealth Financial Network, and Northern Trust Corporation. Merit Financial Advisors is a multi-team registered investment adviser with over 260 advisors serving more than 20,000 clients across 66 offices. The firm offers coordinated wealth-management services utilizing a long-term, diversified investment approach supported by an internal Investment Management team and customizable portfolio models.

Eric Rosenbloom is a Senior Vice President at Alera Investment Advisors, LLC with 23 years of industry experience. He holds the ChFC® and Series 66 credentials. His prior experience includes roles at Securian Financial Services Inc., Minnesota Life, Triad Advisors, Inc., and GCG Financial, where he continues to serve as a financial advisor. Rosenbloom is also involved in life settlements through the Ashar Group. Alera Investment Advisors, LLC provides investment management, financial planning, and retirement plan advisory services to a diverse client base including individuals, families, trusts, businesses, and institutions. The firm employs a long-term, fundamental analysis-driven investment approach utilizing mutual funds, ETFs, equities, and fixed income, and offers ERISA-focused services for retirement plans.

Sarah Tims is a CFP® and Series 66 designated advisor with 23 years of industry experience. She is currently with Northern Trust Securities, Inc., having joined in 2026. Prior to that, she worked at RMB Capital Management, LLC for 16 years and Curi Capital, LLC for 21 years, as well as UBS Financial Services for two years. Northern Trust Securities, Inc. provides discretionary portfolio management through a wrap fee program serving high-net-worth individuals, retail investors, and institutional clients. The firm uses a model-driven approach to implement and oversee diversified portfolios that include proprietary and third-party investment products.

Emily Pattee is a financial advisor at Oxford Financial Group, Ltd with 14 years of industry experience. She holds Series 63 and Series 66 licenses and has worked previously at Morgan Stanley and Northwestern Mutual Investment Services LLC. Oxford Financial Group, Ltd. serves ultra high-net-worth individuals and families, as well as institutional clients, trusts, foundations, and closely held business owners. The firm offers family office and CIO services, financial and estate planning, fiduciary trust administration, and access to private market investments, utilizing a diversified investment approach across public and alternative asset classes.

Travis Bennett is a financial advisor with Northern Trust Securities, Inc. in Chicago, IL, holding a Series 66 designation and three years of industry experience. His prior work includes roles at Northern Trust Bank, Paylocity Inc., and Technical Source. Northern Trust Securities, Inc. serves high-net-worth individuals, retail investors, and institutional clients by providing discretionary portfolio management through model-driven investment programs that utilize a combination of proprietary and third-party products, with a focus on separately managed accounts and strategically managed portfolios.

Luis Pereda is a financial advisor at Chicago Capital, LLC with two years of industry experience and holds a Series 65 credential. His prior roles include positions at Corient Services LLC, CIPW Service Company, Gofen and Glossberg, L.L.C., and Northern Trust. Chicago Capital provides discretionary investment management, financial planning, and consulting services to individuals, families, corporations, foundations, and registered investment advisers. The firm employs an active management approach combining fundamental and technical research to construct diversified portfolios, and manages over $4.8 billion in client assets with a team of 11 advisors.

Nora Dudash is a financial advisor at IHT Wealth Management LLC with 12 years of industry experience. She holds the Series 66 designation and has been with IHT Wealth Management and LPL Financial since 2014. IHT Wealth Management serves individuals, pension and profit-sharing plans, charitable organizations, trusts, and corporate clients. The firm combines fundamental stock selection with quantitative tools and diversified model portfolios, offering discretionary asset management, financial planning, and ERISA fiduciary services through a network of approximately 153 advisors.

Mark Hofstetter is a Certified Financial Planner (CFP®) with 36 years of industry experience. He is currently with Concurrent Investment Advisors, LLC and has previously worked at firms including Purshe Kaplan Sterling Investments, Next Retirement Solutions, Raymond James Financial Services, Wells Fargo Advisors, and A. G. Edwards & Sons. Outside of his advisory work, he is a paid performing musician through his part-time involvement with And Beyond LLC. Concurrent Investment Advisors, LLC is a multi-team SEC-registered advisory firm serving individuals, families, businesses, and retirement plans. The firm focuses on customized, primarily long-term portfolios using ETFs, mutual funds, and other investment vehicles, supported by a broad network of approximately 286 advisors.

Loren Piotrowski is a financial advisor with Associated Investment Services, Inc. in Chicago, IL, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and 27 years of industry experience. His prior roles include positions at TD Ameritrade and U.S. Bancorp Investments. Associated Investment Services, Inc. provides advisory and brokerage services primarily to individual investors, as well as to small corporations, trusts, estates, and charitable institutions. The firm offers model portfolio and separately managed account programs through third-party managers and its affiliate Kellogg Asset Management, delivering services via the Envestnet/NFS platform with a predominantly non-discretionary investment approach.

Edward Constance is a financial advisor at Northern Trust Securities, Inc. in Chicago, IL, holding Series 63 and Series 66 credentials with two years of industry experience. Prior to joining Northern Trust Securities, he worked at Morgan Stanley for one year. Northern Trust Securities, Inc. is a registered investment adviser and broker-dealer serving high-net-worth individuals, retail investors, and institutional clients. The firm offers model-driven discretionary portfolio management, including Separately Managed Accounts and Fund Strategist Portfolios, utilizing a mix of proprietary and third-party investment products.

Ryan Emerson is a financial advisor at Curi Capital, LLC with 13 years of industry experience. He previously worked at RMB Capital and Personal Capital Advisors Corporation, where he spent seven years. Outside of his advisory role, Emerson is a 10% partner and CFO of Creek Side Partners LLC, a company that sells non-FDA regulated medical devices. Curi Capital is an SEC-registered investment adviser managing approximately $11.6 billion in assets, serving individuals, employer retirement plans, institutions, and family offices. The firm follows a long-term, fundamental investment approach across equities and fixed income, utilizing proprietary strategies, third-party managers, and private funds.

Robert Bondiman is a financial advisor with VestGen Advisors, LLC, holding a Series 66 credential and 18 years of industry experience. He has worked at J.P. Morgan Securities, Fidelity Investments, and Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Co. His current role includes Private Client Services in Chicago. VestGen Advisors is an SEC-registered investment adviser managing approximately $6.66 billion for nearly 22,790 clients. The firm offers a range of investment management and retirement plan services, utilizing a combination of fundamental, technical, and quantitative analysis tailored to client goals and risk tolerance.

Michael Lynch is a Series 65 licensed advisor at McAdam LLC with five years of industry experience. He has been with McAdam since 2020 and previously worked at the University of Iowa and Lynch Roofing. McAdam LLC serves individuals, trusts, estates, charitable organizations, corporations, and government entities with financial planning, investment management, and retirement plan consulting. The firm manages discretionary client portfolios using a range of investment vehicles and incorporates specialized exposures such as direct indexing and private investment funds.

Robert Cheney is a financial advisor at Diversify Advisory Services, LLC with 27 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 credentials and has worked at DFPG Investments, Inc. since 2019 and First Allied Advisory Services, Inc. from 2006 to 2019. Cheney serves on the Board of Governors for the Lowe Institute of Political Economy, a nonprofit research organization. Diversify Advisory Services provides investment advisory and financial planning to a diverse client base, including individuals, corporations, pension and profit-sharing plans, trusts, medical professionals, and small business owners. The firm employs a tactical diversification approach using a variety of investment platforms and strategies while maintaining documented client objectives and the ability to engage sub-advisors.

Matthew Schilling is a financial advisor at Northern Trust Securities, Inc. with nine years of industry experience. He has previously worked at Morgan Stanley, Bank of America, Merrill, and TD Ameritrade. Northern Trust Securities, Inc. is a subsidiary of Northern Trust Corporation that offers discretionary portfolio management through a model-driven wrap fee program. The firm serves high-net-worth individuals, retail investors, and institutional clients, providing Separately Managed Accounts, Fund Strategist Portfolios, and Strategist UMAs via the Fidelity Managed Account Xchange platform.

Laura Cuber is a CFP® professional with eight years of industry experience. She currently works at Bartlett & Co. Wealth Management LLC and previously held positions at Mercer Global Advisors and Kanaly Trust Services. Bartlett & Co. Wealth Management LLC serves high-net-worth individuals, families, and a variety of institutional clients, providing discretionary wealth management and comprehensive financial planning. The firm emphasizes diversified asset allocation and relative-value analysis for fixed income, utilizing mutual funds, ETFs, and third-party platforms while offering access to affiliate and intermediary services through its integration with the Focus Financial Partners network.

Katherine Ozog is a CFP® with 18 years of industry experience, currently serving at Curi Capital, LLC. She has been with RMB Capital Management, LLC since 2010. Curi Capital serves individuals, families, institutional and corporate clients, retirement plan sponsors, charitable organizations, and pooled investment vehicles. The firm employs a long-term, fundamental investment approach and manages approximately $9.83 billion across various account types, combining in-house strategies with external managers and proprietary risk analysis tools.