Byron Ruby is a financial advisor at FIRN Advisors LLC with a Series 65 designation and two years of industry experience. His prior work includes roles at Katz Ruby & Carle LLP, Firn, Inc., the Federal Judiciary, and McKinsey & Co. He has experience in environmental law and clean technology. FIRN Advisors LLC provides discretionary portfolio management and advisory services primarily to individuals and families, employing a long-term, buy-and-hold investment approach focused on diversified, low-cost ETFs, blue-chip equities, and investment-grade fixed income, with selective use of alternatives. The firm offers tailored portfolios, periodic rebalancing, and optional tax-loss harvesting.

Cheryl Vesely is a CFP® professional with 11 years of industry experience, currently serving as the sole advisor at Balance Financial Planning, LLC since 2014. She holds a Series 65 license and operates her independent firm from Oakland, California. Balance Financial Planning, LLC provides fee-only financial planning, cash-flow and tax planning, and investment management primarily for individual clients, including high-net-worth individuals. The firm emphasizes diversification and low-cost, passive investment vehicles, using an interactive planning process to align asset allocation with clients’ goals, time horizons, and risk tolerance.

Ryan Bird is the sole advisor at Pioneer Advisory, an independent firm based in Moraga, CA. He holds a Series 66 designation and has 23 years of industry experience. Bird has been operating under his own firm since 2012. He is also a licensed insurance agent and conducts insurance transactions as part of his practice. Pioneer Advisory serves individual investors, trusts, estates, pension and profit-sharing plans, charitable organizations, and business entities. The firm provides portfolio management and comprehensive financial planning with a non-discretionary approach, primarily using traditional investment instruments and working with third-party managers who often have discretionary authority.

Frank Bonanni is a financial advisor based in San Leandro, CA, with six years of industry experience. He is self-employed and holds Series 65 and Series 63 designations. His firm provides fee-only personal financial planning and consulting services to individuals, high-net-worth clients, corporations, charities, and other registered investment advisers. The firm uses a collaborative, modular planning process that typically results in a written financial plan and can include implementation assistance and periodic reviews, applying Modern Portfolio Theory without managing client accounts or taking custody of assets.

Kristopher Van Stralen is a financial advisor at Evidencial Financial Consulting in Orinda, CA, with nine years of industry experience. He holds the ChFC® designation and a Series 63 license. His prior roles include positions at VR Advisors, Creekside Partners Financial Advisers, and the American College of Financial Services. Evidencial Financial Consulting provides personalized financial planning and non-discretionary asset management to individuals, trusts, estates, and charitable organizations. The firm uses fundamental analysis and a combination of long- and short-term strategies with a predominately non-discretionary management approach, allowing clients to retain trading authority.

Faruk Jaffer is a CFP® and ChFC® with nine years of industry experience, affiliated with Index Gurus, Inc. He has previously taught at UC Berkeley and UCSC Extension Silicon Valley. Index Gurus, Inc. is an independent, fee-only registered investment adviser serving individuals, small businesses, trusts, estates, charitable organizations, and certain institutional clients. The firm focuses on passive, asset-class investing using ETFs, index funds, and fixed income, offering comprehensive financial planning and portfolio management primarily on a non-discretionary basis.

James Audley is a financial advisor at Argent Wealth Advisors, LLC in Lafayette, CA, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses with 32 years of industry experience. He has been with Argent Wealth Advisors since 2014. Argent Wealth Advisors is an independent, fee-only investment adviser serving individuals, trusts, charitable organizations, and corporate clients. The firm applies academically grounded principles and Modern Portfolio Theory to develop diversified portfolios primarily using institutional no-load mutual funds and ETFs, focusing on non-discretionary management and client-approved transactions.

Sumit Sarkar is a financial advisor at Bent Creek Capital LLC with 9 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and has been with Bent Creek Capital since 2017, having previously worked as a self-employed advisor. Bent Creek Capital LLC provides discretionary investment supervisory services and portfolio management mainly to high-net-worth individuals and corporate clients. The firm employs a fundamental analysis approach focused on long-term thematic ideas, particularly in the energy sector and North American equities, using a proprietary hub-and-spoke trading model that aligns the manager’s personal accounts with client portfolios.

David Gold is a financial advisor at Newleaf Wealth Management, LLC in San Ramon, CA, with 11 years of industry experience. He holds the Series 63 designation and has been with Newleaf Wealth Management since 2013. Newleaf Wealth Management provides discretionary and non-discretionary investment management and consulting services for individuals, trusts, corporate and not-for-profit retirement plans, and charitable institutions. The firm emphasizes strategic asset allocation, global diversification, and tailored manager/fund selection, with a notable focus on retirement-plan and pension consulting as well as advisory services for charitable organizations.

Steven Willis is a CFP® and PFS™ credentialed financial advisor with 26 years of industry experience. He has operated Willis Financial Services, Inc. in Clayton, CA since 2010. Willis is also registered as an insurance agent, though he spends minimal time in this capacity. Willis Financial Services, Inc. provides investment management and comprehensive financial planning to individuals, trusts, small businesses, and certain retirement plans. The firm employs an asset-allocation-driven investment approach focused on passive index funds, cost control, and tax efficiency, while also integrating accounting, tax-preparation, and insurance services.

John Gough is the Managing Member of KTE Capital Management, LLC, an independent advisory firm based in Kensington, CA. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and has six years of industry experience, including prior roles at Wells Fargo Bank and leadership positions at True North Capital Management LLC and Inner City Advisors. In addition to his advisory work, he serves as Chief Investment Officer at ICA.Fund, a venture-capital community development financial institution supporting women and minority-owned businesses, and acts as a guest lecturer on impact investing at the University of California, Berkeley, Haas School of Business. KTE Capital Management provides discretionary investment portfolio management to individuals, families, and trusts, typically managing accounts of $100,000 or more. The firm follows an active, downside-focused investment approach emphasizing diversification and exposure to essential-service businesses, utilizing individual equities, ETFs, derivatives, and other strategies tailored to client preferences.

Frank Gavidia is a CFP® professional with 32 years of experience in financial advising. He currently leads Globe & Anchor Wealth Management & Financial Planning, LLC, an independent firm he has been with since 2021. His prior experience includes roles at Nissim & Gavidia Wealth Management & Financial Planning, LLC, Wells Fargo Clearing Services, LLC, and Wells Fargo Advisors LLC. Globe & Anchor Wealth Management & Financial Planning provides portfolio management and comprehensive financial planning services to individual and high-net-worth clients. The firm employs a fiduciary approach, tailoring portfolios to client goals and risk tolerance, and incorporates derivatives, primarily options, in client accounts—a practice that is relatively uncommon among peer firms.

John Callagy is the principal of Asage Financial LLC and holds a Series 65 designation with 19 years of industry experience. He has served as a CPA since 2009 and has operated Asage Financial since 2006. In addition to his advisory role, he maintains a sole practitioner CPA practice, dedicating a portion of his time to accounting and tax services. Asage Financial LLC provides investment management, financial planning, and consulting services to individuals and entities including irrevocable trusts and limited liability companies. The firm manages approximately $29.9 million on a discretionary basis and employs an efficient-market philosophy with diversified, asset-class-focused portfolios tailored to client objectives and risk tolerances.

Caedmon Bear is a financial advisor at On the Trail Financial Planning, LLC in Walnut Creek, CA, holding a Series 66 designation with 17 years of industry experience. Prior to founding his current firm in 2019, he worked at Honeycomb Financial and Charles Schwab, where he spent over two decades. On the Trail Financial Planning, LLC provides holistic financial planning and discretionary portfolio management primarily for individuals, high-net-worth clients, trusts, and charitable organizations. The firm employs a low-cost, passive investment approach using index mutual funds and ETFs and operates a fee-only, single-advisor model with about $83.8 million in discretionary assets under management.

Stoyan Panayotov is a CFA® charterholder with 10 years of experience in financial advisory services. He has worked at Dunston Financial Group and Individual Asset Management while serving as president of Babylon Wealth Management LLC, an independent firm based in Walnut Creek, CA. Panayotov provides financial planning and investment management to individuals and families. Babylon Wealth Management is a single-advisor independent registered investment adviser managing approximately $35.8 million across about 45 client relationships. The firm serves individuals, high-net-worth clients, 401(k) plans, and charitable foundations, employing fundamental analysis and modern portfolio theory within a long-term trading discipline.

Troy White is the sole advisor at Hoodoo and holds Series 63, 65, and 66 licenses with 10 years of industry experience. He concurrently works as a collateral analyst at the Federal Home Loan Bank of San Francisco, where he has been employed since 2012. Hoodoo Financial serves under-banked individuals, novice investors, and small businesses by providing financial education, comprehensive planning, retirement and portfolio management, as well as tax planning and preparation. The firm utilizes a virtual Educator/Advisor platform with interactive e-learning, videos, and live meetings, emphasizing Modern Portfolio Theory and allowing clients the choice between discretionary and advisory arrangements.

Eric Kho is the sole advisor at RO2 Wealth, an independent firm based in Berkeley, CA. He holds a Series 65 designation and has one year of industry experience, including roles at BlackRock and Takeoff Technologies, as well as periods of self-employment. RO2 Wealth provides portfolio management, financial planning, and consulting services to client households and related entities. The firm's investment approach is primarily long-term and guided by Modern Portfolio Theory, using index mutual funds and ETFs for diversification along with fundamental, technical, and macroeconomic analysis when appropriate.

Rory Vanderheyden is a CFP® with six years of industry experience, currently serving as the sole advisor at Intelligent Investing. He has been associated with Intelligent Investing since 1995. Intelligent Investing is a fee-only independent advisory firm that provides comprehensive financial planning and investment management to individuals, trusts, pension and profit-sharing plans, corporations, and charitable organizations. The firm employs a strategic asset allocation approach using a core-and-satellite framework with a combination of passive index funds and selective active funds, managing approximately $38 million in client assets across about 66 accounts.

Travis Kauzer is the sole advisor at Kauzer Capital Management, LLC, an independent firm based in Walnut Creek, CA. He holds a Series 65 designation and has nine years of industry experience, including prior roles at Fort Point Capital Partners and The Grupe Company. Kauzer Capital Management provides individualized portfolio management to individual and high-net-worth clients, employing a variety of analytical methods and trading strategies. The firm manages accounts on a discretionary basis, utilizing both traditional and higher-risk investment techniques.

John Friedman is a CFP® professional with 23 years of experience in the financial services industry. He has led John Friedman Financial since 2012, an independent advisory practice based in San Francisco. John Friedman Financial serves individuals, families, and businesses through project-based financial coaching, planning, and education. The firm operates an advice-only model focused on passive, match-the-market investment approaches and supervises third-party money managers without directly managing portfolios or charging percentage-based fees.