Carlos Padilla is a financial advisor at Guardian Life with 13 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and has worked at firms including Park Avenue Securities, Adair Financial PCG, LLC, and Farmers Financial Solutions. He is also involved in the sale and solicitation of insurance through his own business, Padilla Agency LLC. Park Avenue Securities LLC, operating as Park Avenue® Wealth Management and a subsidiary of Guardian Life, serves individuals, pension and profit-sharing plans, charitable organizations, and corporate clients. The firm offers brokerage services, financial planning, retirement plan consulting, and a range of investment advisory programs using both in-house and third-party models.

John Alexander is a financial advisor with \&PARTNERS, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and bringing 30 years of industry experience. His prior roles include positions at Wiley Bros. - Aintree Capital, LLC, Wells Fargo Clearing, and Wells Fargo Advisors LLC. He serves as a board member for Ampersand Partners LLC and \&Affiliates Capital LLC, participating in strategic and financial oversight of these wealth management and financial advisory holding companies. \&PARTNERS serves individual and institutional clients such as high-net-worth individuals, retirement plans, and nonprofit organizations, offering investment management, financial and tax planning, and retirement services. The firm employs a combination of fundamental, technical, and quantitative analysis across discretionary and non-discretionary accounts, supported by both proprietary and third-party strategies.

Robert Johnson is a financial advisor at CIBC Private Wealth Advisors, Inc. with 22 years of industry experience. He holds the Series 63 and Series 65 credentials and has previously worked at Thornhill Securities, WealthForge, Realized Holdings, Kestra Financial, and Infinex Investments. CIBC Private Wealth Advisors offers investment and wealth advisory services to a diverse client base, including high net worth individuals, families, trusts, employee benefit plans, corporations, and investment companies. The firm combines internal expertise and external managers to deliver customized portfolio management, financial planning, and specialized strategies such as options hedges and structured notes.

Ryan Gilchrist is a financial advisor with Valic Financial Advisors holding a Series 66 designation and five years of industry experience. He has worked at Valic Financial Advisors since 2020 and is also involved with Agia and owns Imperial Cashmere, a luxury cashmere apparel business selling handmade scarves, beanies, and gloves. Valic Financial Advisors serves primarily individual clients, including high net worth and ultra-high net worth investors, as well as employer-sponsored retirement participants. The firm offers portfolio management, financial planning, and unified managed accounts using Envestnet’s platform, operating at scale with more than 1,200 advisors and a focus on centralized technology and model-based investment solutions.

Clay Johnson is an Investment Advisor Representative at Kestra Advisory with 11 years of industry experience. He holds the Series 66 designation and has been with Kestra Advisory since 2016. Outside of his advisory role, he owns a small business that conducts program evaluation calls for grant participants on behalf of a consulting firm. Kestra Advisory Services provides investment advisory and retirement-plan consulting to plan sponsors and a broad mix of institutional and individual clients, including very large institutional investors. The firm offers services such as fiduciary consulting, plan design, investment advice, and manages approximately $79.8 billion in assets across multiple management platforms.

Michael Voltin is a CFP® professional with 13 years of industry experience, currently serving as an advisor at Concurrent Investment Advisors, LLC. Prior to joining Concurrent in 2024, he worked at Bank of America, Merrill, and Axa Advisors. He serves on the board of CoSource, Inc. and is involved with The Dan and Patricia Pickard Scholarship Foundation. 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 investment portfolios using ETFs, mutual funds, and other securities, supported by a network of approximately 286 advisors and over 13,000 clients.

John Knight is a financial advisor with Transamerica Financial Advisors in Austin, TX, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and having 42 years of industry experience. He has been with Transamerica Financial Advisors since 2012 and Allianz Life Insurance Co. Preferred since 2014. Outside of his advisory work, he is involved with the Georgetown Church of the Nazarene. Transamerica Financial Advisors serves a diverse client base including individual investors, pension and profit-sharing plans, trusts, and charitable organizations. The firm offers a range of advisory and broker-dealer services, leveraging proprietary and third-party investment models with both discretionary and non-discretionary program options.

Thomas Darilek is a financial advisor with D.A. Davidson & Co. in Austin, TX, holding a Series 63 designation and over 43 years of industry experience. Prior to joining D.A. Davidson in 2021, he worked at Southwest Securities Inc for eight years. Outside of his advisory role, he is involved in oil and gas property leasing for royalties and mineral interests. D.A. Davidson & Co. offers investment advisory and brokerage services to employer-sponsored retirement plans, individual and high-net-worth investors, charitable organizations, and corporate clients. The firm provides a range of services including ERISA retirement plan advisory, wrap fee programs, equity research, financial planning, and a private wealth program for clients with net worth above $20 million.

Erik Engh is a financial advisor with Eagle Strategies (New York Life) based in Austin, TX. He holds Series 63 and 66 designations and has 13 years of industry experience. Engh has worked with Cadence Wealth Management LLC since 2019 and has been affiliated with Eagle Strategies and New York Life-related entities since 2013. Outside of advising, he is involved in several business ventures including music production and restaurant operations in the Austin area. Eagle Strategies serves a diverse client base including individuals and institutional investors, providing financial planning, investment management, and retirement-plan advisory services. The firm emphasizes tailored advice delivered through multiple program types, with most assets managed on a non-discretionary basis and a focus on fiduciary responsibilities in retirement planning.

Vanessa Mcelwrath is a CFP® professional with 11 years of industry experience. She joined Creative Planning in 2024 after working at Ml&R Wealth Management, LLC from 2013 to 2024. Based in Austin, TX, she provides financial advisory services within a large enterprise firm. Creative Planning serves a diverse client base including individuals, corporations, foundations, trusts, and retirement plans. The firm employs a financial planning–led investment process focused on low-cost indexing and buy-and-hold strategies, supplemented by advanced portfolio management techniques and integrated retirement plan services.

Alison Cassorla is a financial advisor at Cerity Partners LLC with a Series 65 designation and four years of industry experience. She previously worked at Austin Private Wealth, LLC for five years and was self-employed for one year. Before her advisory career, she spent two decades with Shalom Austin, a community organization. Cerity Partners is an SEC-registered investment adviser serving a diverse client base, including high- and ultra-high-net-worth individuals, families, trusts, corporations, and institutional investors, managing approximately $126.9 billion in assets. The firm offers a wide range of services such as discretionary and non-discretionary investment management, financial planning, and access to alternative investments, emphasizing diversified asset allocation and customized portfolios.

Nicholas Parnell is a financial advisor with Goldman Sachs Wealth Services and holds a Series 66 credential. He has one year of industry experience and has worked at Goldman Sachs since 2021. Outside of his advisory role, he works part-time as a high school basketball referee in Central Texas. Goldman Sachs Wealth Services advises a diverse client base including individual investors, corporate participants, executives, and institutional clients. The firm offers a range of financial planning and portfolio management services, utilizing strategic allocation models and proprietary analytics within the broader Goldman Sachs ecosystem.

Daniel Schwartz is a CFP® with 15 years of industry experience, currently serving as a financial advisor at Hightower Advisors since 2021. Prior to joining Hightower, he worked at Bank of America and Merrill, where he held advisory roles from 2011 through 2021. Hightower Advisors provides investment advisory and planning services to a diverse range of individual and institutional clients, offering strategies that emphasize manager selection and multi-manager solutions across mutual funds, ETFs, alternative investments, and custom indexing.

Hani Farid is a financial advisor with Empower Advisory Group in Austin, TX, holding Series 63 and Series 65 credentials and 17 years of industry experience. His prior roles include positions at GWFS Equities Inc, FCS Group, LLC, David Lerner Associates Inc, and Vantage Consulting Group. Farid serves as Vice President of the Board for Keep Austin Fed, an organization addressing food insecurity. Empower Advisory Group provides financial planning and investment management primarily to employer-sponsored retirement plan sponsors and their participants, as well as to Empower Premier IRA and select retail brokerage account holders. The firm’s integrated approach leverages proprietary and third-party methodologies focusing on long-term portfolio returns and savings rates, operating within plan lineups selected by plan sponsors.

Kip Reagor is a financial advisor with Oppenheimer, holding Series 63, 65, and 66 designations and 34 years of industry experience. He has been with Oppenheimer & Co since 2002. Outside of his advisory role, he owns and manages a water cooler rental business. Oppenheimer serves a broad client base, including individuals, corporations, pension plans, and charitable organizations, offering a range of investment programs and advisory services that include discretionary and non-discretionary management, strategic asset allocation, and retirement consulting.

Ramona Dalton is a financial advisor at Valic Financial Advisors with 14 years of industry experience. She holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and has been with Valic Financial Advisors since 2014. Additionally, she holds a position as an agent at Agia, where she is involved with non-securities insurance products. Valic Financial Advisors serves primarily U.S. individuals, including high net worth and ultra-high net worth clients, as well as employer-sponsored retirement participants. The firm offers portfolio management, financial planning, and multiple wrap programs, utilizing a centralized technology platform and model solutions to manage assets for a large client base.

James Mc Kinley is a financial advisor at Savant Wealth Management in Austin, TX. He holds a Series 65 designation and has one year of industry experience. Prior to joining Savant, he worked at Exencial Wealth Advisors and has experience at Spirit Ice Arena. Savant Wealth Management serves individuals, families, pension and profit-sharing plans, charitable organizations, corporations, and high-net-worth clients with comprehensive wealth management and related services. The firm combines evidence-based, model-driven asset allocation with actively managed strategies and offers integrated accounting, legal, and trust services through affiliated entities.

Hayley Swaim is a CFP® with four years of industry experience, currently serving as a financial advisor at Cerity Partners LLC. Her prior experience includes roles at Austin Private Wealth, Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance Company, and United Capital Financial Life Management. Cerity Partners is an SEC-registered investment adviser managing approximately $126.9 billion in client assets as of December 31, 2024. The firm serves a diverse client base including individuals, families, trusts, corporations, and institutional investors, offering a range of services such as investment management, financial planning, and access to alternative and private-market investments.

Bradley Hubbard is a financial advisor with Hornor, Townsend & Kent, LLC in Austin, TX, holding Series 63 and Series 66 credentials and bringing 23 years of industry experience. He has been with Hornor, Townsend & Kent since 2017 and is also associated with Penn Mutual Life Insurance Company since 2016, where he works in life insurance brokerage and agent recruiting. Hornor, Townsend & Kent serves individuals, trusts, businesses, charitable organizations, and retirement plans through a network of advisers offering advisory programs, financial planning, and retirement plan consulting. The firm provides both advisory and broker-dealer services with discretionary and non-discretionary investment options, managing over $8 billion in discretionary assets as of late 2025.

Jaeson Lister is a financial advisor at Steward Partners Investment Advisory, LLC with 12 years of industry experience. He holds the Series 66 designation and has previously worked at Kestra Advisory and Kestra Investment Services, LLC. Steward Partners Investment Advisory, LLC is an SEC-registered enterprise-scale RIA managing approximately $36.7 billion in regulatory assets. The firm serves individuals, pension plans, corporations, trusts, estates, and charitable organizations through a range of investment advisory, financial planning, and managed account programs.