Mark Conrad is a Series 65-licensed financial advisor with Investor Advisory Group in Charleston, SC, where he has worked since 2018. He has five years of industry experience, including prior roles at Invista SARL and The Lycra Company. Investor Advisory Group serves individuals, pension and profit-sharing plans, trusts, and estates by providing portfolio management, limited financial planning, and retirement plan advisory services. The firm manages assets on a non-discretionary basis, using a proprietary database to tailor long- and short-term investment strategies to each client’s profile.

John Rivers is a financial advisor at Southern Capital Management Corporation with one year of industry experience. He holds a Series 65 designation and has worked in various roles, including at Smart Renovations, City Lights Eastside, and the Historic Charleston Foundation. Outside of finance, he has been involved with small businesses such as Tidal Grounds Coffee and Lago Tacos. Southern Capital Management serves individual clients with retirement accounts, trusts, and private accounts, offering retirement income planning and wealth-management advice. The firm uses a growth-at-a-reasonable-price investment philosophy combined with top-down macroeconomic analysis and fundamental equity screening, operating on a strictly non-discretionary basis with client-directed trade decisions.

Nicholas Schilkey is a Series 65-licensed financial advisor with Oceanside Advisors LLC, where he has worked since 2024. He has one year of industry experience and previously held roles with IF Bjorkloven, Iserlohn Roosters, Willes-Barre/Scranton Penguins, Bridgeport Islanders, and Charlotte Checkers Hockey. Oceanside Advisors LLC is a fee-based advisory firm with a four-advisor team managing approximately $184 million for individual and high-net-worth households as well as retirement plans. The firm provides discretionary portfolio management, financial planning, ERISA 3(38) plan services, and 401(k) consulting, using tailored investment strategies reviewed quarterly.

Helen Cox is a financial advisor at Red Triangle, LLC with 24 years of industry experience. She holds Series 63 and Series 65 designations and previously worked at Infinite Asset Management for seven years. Outside of her advisory role, she owns Perfect Day Connect, a consulting business based in Charleston, SC. Red Triangle, LLC, through its Alphavest division, provides investment management and financial planning services to individuals, trusts, estates, charitable organizations, and business entities. The firm offers primarily online, simplified investment programs alongside comprehensive discretionary portfolio management combined with ongoing financial planning.

Steven Pickard is a CFP® professional with 14 years of experience in financial advisory services. He has been with Carswell Investments, LLC since 2011. Carswell Investments provides advisory services to individuals, families, and institutions, including high and ultra-high net worth clients, endowments, and foundations. The firm focuses on wealth management, institutional advisory, and qualified plan advisory, emphasizing strategic asset allocation through a blend of passive and active investments, with policies aimed at minimizing conflicts of interest.

Cyrus Amini is a CFA® charterholder with 11 years of industry experience. He is currently an advisor at Hyphen Wealth Management and has previously worked at Helium Advisors and Charlesworth & Rugg dba Highline Wealth Partners. Outside of his financial advisory role, he is also a practicing lawyer. Hyphen Wealth Management serves individual clients, including high-net-worth households, as well as pension and profit-sharing plans. The firm offers portfolio management, pension consulting, and financial planning, using a combination of fundamental, quantitative, and modern portfolio theory within a long-term trading framework.

Russell Renfrow is a financial advisor at Curran Financial Partners, LLC with three years of industry experience. He holds Series 65 and Series 66 designations and has worked in various roles including positions at Block Advisors and Odingard Capital Management. Outside of his advisory work, he is the owner and manager of Fe2O3 Petroleum, LLC, which holds oil and gas mineral, royalty, and working interests. Curran Financial Partners provides financial planning and discretionary portfolio management primarily to individual and high-net-worth clients. The firm employs both passive and active investment strategies, using technical analysis as a primary method, and offers sub-advisory services to an exchange-traded fund with a political-activity screen.

David Turner is a CFP® professional with 29 years of experience in the financial services industry. He is currently with Apollon Financial, LLC and has previously worked at LPL Financial, Good Life Advisors, and Waddell & Reed, Inc. Outside of his advisory roles, he is involved in a health and wellness business through Melaleuca, Inc. Apollon Financial, LLC is an SEC-registered advisory firm serving individuals, families, family offices, trusts, estates, businesses, and retirement plans. The firm manages approximately $1.45 billion through a team of 16 advisors, offering financial planning, portfolio management, retirement-plan advisory, and access to private and alternative investments using a combination of centralized model strategies and advisor-led portfolios.

Kaylee Urbanek is a financial advisor at Curran Financial Partners, LLC with two years of industry experience. She holds a Series 65 designation and has previously worked at Annex Wealth Management, Charter Capital Management, and Altar'd State. Curran Financial Partners provides investment management and financial planning services to individuals and high-net-worth clients, offering both passive and active discretionary portfolio management alongside written financial plans and access to accounting services through referrals. The firm also serves as a sub-adviser to an exchange-traded fund and employs investment strategies that include client-specific policies and active technical analysis.

Anthony Seifert is a financial advisor at Alden Investment Group with 10 years of industry experience. He holds a Series 66 designation and has previously worked at Kestra Advisory Services, Kestra Investment Services, Bank of America, and Merrill Lynch Pierce Fenner & Smith. Alden Investment Advisors offers discretionary and non-discretionary portfolio management and fee-based financial planning to individuals, other advisors, retirement plans, and institutional clients. The firm emphasizes customized asset allocations using proprietary strategies and third-party managers, along with a proprietary platform that provides integrated management of held-away assets and fiduciary services for employer plans.

Frank Passalaqua is a financial advisor at Curran Financial Partners, LLC with 26 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and has worked at several firms including Guaranteed Rate, Parker Lending, and Buckman. Outside of advising, he is a silent investor in hospitality businesses. Curran Financial Partners provides investment management and financial planning services to individuals and high-net-worth clients. The firm offers both passive and active discretionary portfolio management and serves as a sub-adviser to an exchange-traded fund that applies specific social and political screens in its portfolio selection.

John Vansant is a financial advisor at Fidelis Wealth Advisors with 22 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and has previously worked at Cascade Financial Management, Apollon Wealth Management, and LPL Financial, among others. Fidelis Wealth Advisors serves individual and high-net-worth clients, as well as pension plans, trusts, charitable organizations, and corporations, offering investment management, financial planning, retirement-plan consulting, and estate-planning facilitation. The firm’s investment approach emphasizes tailored asset allocation using modern portfolio theory and a variety of analytical tools, implementing strategies across multiple account types and utilizing third-party platforms and sub-advisors.

Claudia Bellars is a CFP® with 34 years of experience in the financial services industry. She is currently with Bellars Harris Wealth Management, a team-based firm where she has worked since 2026. Her prior experience includes roles at Consolidated Planning Corporation, Raymond James Financial Services, Bank of America, and Merrill Lynch. Bellars Harris Wealth Management provides personalized financial planning and investment management services to individuals, trusts, estates, and qualified retirement plans. The firm employs a fundamentally driven, long-term investment approach tailored to each client’s objectives and offers a range of services including retirement plan advisory and family-office style coordination.

John Dugan is a financial advisor at Ellsworth Advisors, LLC in Charleston, SC, holding Series 63 and Series 66 licenses with 11 years of industry experience. He has been with Ellsworth Advisors since 2019 and previously worked at Samco Capital Markets, Inc. from 2014 to 2019. Ellsworth Advisors provides investment advisory and financial planning services to individual clients, corporations, trusts, and retirement plans. The firm employs a variety of analytic approaches and offers customized portfolio management, pension consulting, and family office support, combining private fund and alternative investment access with traditional advisory services.

Brandon Vincent is a financial advisor at Apollon Financial, LLC with six years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 credentials and has worked at firms including LPL Financial, Good Life Advisors, and Oakwood Capital. Vincent is also the owner of Vincent Enterprises LLC, a non-investment-related business. Apollon Financial, LLC serves individuals, high-net-worth clients, families, family offices, trusts, estates, businesses, and retirement plans, managing approximately $1.45 billion. The firm combines centrally managed model strategies with advisor-led portfolios, offers ESG risk-based models, tax-aware techniques, and access to private and alternative investments through a multi-office, affiliated advisor platform.

Susan Dixson is a CFP® certificant with 30 years of industry experience, currently serving as an advisor at Headland Capital. Her prior roles include positions at LPL Financial, Maryland Financial Group dba Coastal Wealth Management, Bank of America, and Merrill. Outside of her advisory work, she volunteers with Hospice Interim Healthcare providing respite care and serves as executrix for a family estate. Headland Capital is a registered investment adviser with a team of ten advisors that serves individuals—including high-net-worth clients—and various entities such as family offices, trusts, and corporate clients. The firm offers personalized financial planning, portfolio management, and retirement plan advisory services, managing approximately $559 million with an investment process focused on fundamental analysis and a predominately long-term orientation.

Alexander Day is a financial advisor at Headland Capital with Series 65 and Series 63 licenses and one year of industry experience. His prior roles include positions at LPL Financial LLC and Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Company. Outside of advisory work, he has ongoing employment with Uber Eats. Headland Capital is a registered investment adviser team of ten advisors serving individuals, including high-net-worth clients, as well as various entities such as family offices and private foundations. The firm offers personalized financial planning and portfolio management with a client-driven investment approach focused on fundamental analysis and a predominantly long-term orientation.

After graduating from the University of Dayton, Michael was like many other millennials (easy targets!); unsure of his career path and a lack of confidence in managing his own finances. Early in his career while working for one of the largest investment management firms in the country he attended the National Personal Financial Planner(NAPFA) conference. After hearing a few of the speakers(s/o Michael Kitces!), and meeting some of the attendees he knew financial planning was the field he wanted to pursue. He always had a passion for educating himself and others, and helping people along their financial journey quickly became his goal. Michael earned the CFP® (Certified Financial Planner™) designation in 2018 to learn fundamentals of comprehensive financial planning. The education covers Investments, Estate Planning, Insurance, Education Planning, Retirement Planning, and Cash Flow Management. In early 2020, Michael created Black Dog Financial Planning to help professionals and families in their 30s and 40s with their finances. After working at a few firms, he realized the majority of investment advisors primarily focus on pre-retirees and retirees. Meanwhile his peer group was significantly under-served. He launched the firm to make high quality financial advice more affordable and accessible for his peer group, and to help individuals and families live great lives by making smarter financial decisions. When Michael isn’t helping his clients, he’s spending time with his own family. He and his wife, Katie, were married in May of 2018 after relocating to Charleston from Chicago, IL. They welcomed their first child, daughter Annie Rose, on February 6, 2020. Annie joins big “fur-brother”, Barkley, to which the firm, Black Dog Financial Planning, gets its name. Barkley is a rescue from PAWS Chicago, a no kill animal shelter. Barkley was 3 months old and 25 pounds when Mike and Katie adopted him. He’s now 3 years old and 80 pounds and his favorite pastime is watching squirrels from the window and chasing them out of the backyard. Mike and Katie enjoy low-country living, especially golf, the beach, and oyster roasts, but also love to travel. They got engaged in Paris in 2017 and have traveled around Europe and Asia together. Next up, they hope to visit South America, Australia and Africa. They look forward to raising their family in the low-country and traveling together whenever they can. Read Michael's blog here: https://blackdogfp.com/blog

Matthew Ritt is a CFP® and holds a Series 66 license, with 14 years of industry experience. He has worked at Ironview Capital Management, LLC since 2026 and previously spent nine years at Kinwell LLC and three years at Questis Advisor Partners, LLC. Ironview Capital Management, LLC serves individuals, pension and profit-sharing plans, trusts, estates, and business entities by providing discretionary portfolio management, pension consulting, and financial planning. The firm uses a mix of fundamental, technical, and quantitative analysis to tailor asset allocations, employing various strategies including options and alternative investments.

Robert Gorman is a CFP® and ChFC® affiliated with Apollon Financial, LLC in Mount Pleasant, SC, with 21 years of industry experience. He has worked at Apollon Financial since 2022 and previously spent over a decade with Northwestern Mutual in various roles. Outside of his advisory work, Gorman maintains membership in the Screen Actors Guild. Apollon Financial is an SEC-registered firm serving individuals, high-net-worth clients, families, family offices, trusts, estates, businesses, and retirement plans. The firm manages approximately $1.45 billion and combines centrally managed models with advisor-led portfolios, offering a range of investment strategies including ESG models, Direct Indexing, and tax-aware techniques.