David Tolson is a financial advisor with Arete Advisors in Houston, TX, holding Series 63 and Series 66 licenses and bringing 22 years of industry experience. Prior to founding Arete Advisors, he operated as a sole proprietor and worked at LPL Financial LLC. In addition to his advisory role, he spends a significant portion of his time as an insurance agent at Arete Insurance Services, LLC. Arete Advisors offers discretionary and non-discretionary asset management, financial planning, and consulting services to individuals, high-net-worth clients, privately held businesses, and corporate retirement plans. The firm uses a combination of fundamental and technical analysis with customized portfolio management and serves clients through wrap fee programs and managed platforms provided by LPL Financial.

Charles Adi is a CFP® professional with 15 years of experience in financial advising. He is the principal of Blueprint 360 LLC, an independent firm he has led since 2018. Prior to founding Blueprint 360, he worked at Wealth Development Strategies Investment Advisory, Penn Mutual Life Insurance Co, and Hornor Townsend & Kent Inc. Outside of advising, he is involved in insurance brokerage and leads a digital platform focused on financial education. Blueprint 360 provides investment management, financial planning, and advisory services to individuals, high-net-worth clients, trusts, estates, corporations, and businesses. The firm emphasizes a customized, long-term investment approach using low-cost mutual funds and ETFs, supplemented by educational seminars and a paid digital education platform.

Benjamin Swan is a CFA® charterholder with 13 years of industry experience. He is the principal of Svane Capital, LLC, an independent advisory firm based in Sugar Land, TX, where he has worked since 2015. His prior work experience includes roles at Torch Securities, Winrose Surveying & Land Services, Exacta Land Surveyors, BSC Forensic Services, and Alpine Intel Commercial Solutions. Outside of his advisory work, he serves as treasurer of Swan Farms, LLC, a family farm. Svane Capital provides portfolio management services primarily to individual and high-net-worth clients, using personalized Investment Policy Statements to guide investment decisions. The firm employs a combination of technical, fundamental, and quantitative analysis methods and manages client assets internally with both long-term and short-term trading strategies.

Mamdouh Isak is a financial advisor at Optifolio with 22 years of industry experience. He holds a Series 63 designation and has worked with Stubbs Overbeck & Associates since 1988, as well as Global Leverage & Investments Inc since 1985. Optifolio provides portfolio management, investment advisory, and financial consulting services to individuals, trusts, estates, charitable organizations, and business clients. The firm employs a tailored investment process that incorporates multiple analysis methods and uses strategies such as derivatives, short sales, and leverage, with a particular focus on charitable and corporate clients alongside individual accounts.

Raymond Hawkins is a CFA® charterholder with 25 years of industry experience. He has been the principal advisor at RMH Capital Advisors, LLC since 2005 and previously worked at The Financial Advisory Group, LLC from 2001 to 2005. Based in Houston, TX, he operates an independent, fee-only advisory practice. RMH Capital Advisors provides personalized financial planning and discretionary investment management to individuals, pension and profit-sharing plans, trusts, estates, charitable organizations, and small businesses. The firm emphasizes strategic asset allocation through no-load and low-load mutual funds, ETFs, and other securities in globally diversified portfolios.

J. Pannell is a CFP® professional with 24 years of industry experience, currently serving as the sole advisor at DP Capital Management, Inc. in Houston, TX. He has been with the firm since 2008. DP Capital Management, Inc. provides discretionary investment management along with financial planning and consulting services to individuals, families, trusts, and retirement plans. The firm employs a long-term purchase strategy based on fundamental, technical, and cyclical analysis, managing diversified portfolios that may include stocks, bonds, mutual funds, ETFs, and other securities.

Gary Kinder is a financial advisor at Wealth Architects, LLC with 39 years of industry experience. He holds the ChFC® designation along with Series 63 and Series 65 licenses. Prior to founding Wealth Architects, he was involved with Gradient Wealth Management and Gradient Securities. In addition to his advisory work, Kinder owns CPA Advisory Network, which provides marketing services to CPA firms seeking to establish financial services divisions. Wealth Architects, LLC is a fee-based financial planning firm serving individual and high-net-worth clients through fixed-fee plans, educational seminars, and co-advisory arrangements with third-party money managers. The firm acts as an adviser and referral source, utilizing a third-party platform that employs modern-portfolio asset allocation and discretionary trading, while Wealth Architects supports client onboarding and periodic reviews.

John Gray is a financial advisor at Hamilton Gray Wealth Management LLC in Houston, TX, with 10 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and has been with his independent firm since 2016. Hamilton Gray Wealth Management provides wealth management, investment advisory, and financial planning services primarily for high-net-worth individuals, multi-generational families, and related entities. The firm acts as a family CFO, coordinating with attorneys, accountants, and insurance advisers, and uses a top-down, asset-allocation approach based on Modern Portfolio Theory.

Dean Alexander is the principal of Alexander, Dean D., an investment management firm based in Houston, TX. He holds the ChFC® designation and Series 63 license, with 8 years of experience in investment advising. Dean has an extensive background in financial services, including roles at American Express Financial Advisors Inc. and IDS Life Insurance Company, and he has been a CPA since 1982. In addition to his advisory work, he maintains a tax preparation and planning practice through Dean Alexander, CPA. Alexander, Dean D. provides equity-focused portfolio management and mutual fund selection for individuals, corporations, partnerships, trusts, and investment companies. The firm’s investment approach emphasizes diversification, valuation-driven stock selection, and sector-level asset allocation tailored to client preferences.

Biniam Keleta is the president of Westcenter Advisors Ltd in Houston, TX, with 25 years of experience in the financial industry. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 credentials and has worked at several firms, including Royal Fund Management, LLC, and Ims Financial Advisors, Inc. In addition to his advisory role, he owns and operates an insurance agency. Westcenter Advisors Ltd offers discretionary investment management, retirement-plan advisory services including ERISA 3(21) and 3(38) roles, financial planning, and public educational seminars. The firm serves individuals, high-net-worth clients, corporations, non-profits, and employer retirement plans, combining pension consulting with public workshops and flexible financial planning options.

Guang Li is a financial advisor at Southmore Financial Advisory LLC in Houston, TX, holding a Series 65 credential with two years of industry experience. Prior to founding his advisory firm in 2023, he worked at Shell Oil from 2012 to 2020. He is also a member of the Houston Tsinghua Alumni Association, a nonprofit alumni group. Southmore Financial Advisory LLC serves individual and high-net-worth clients with fee-only investment management and financial planning. The firm uses fundamental analysis and a combination of passive and active strategies to create tailored portfolios based on clients’ goals, risk tolerance, and tax considerations.

Michael Schellinger is a financial advisor at Synergy Wealth Management in Houston, TX, with eight years of industry experience. He holds a Series 65 credential and has previously worked at William Joseph Capital Management LLC. Outside of his advisory role, he co-founded Basket Brigade Houston, a nonprofit organization. Synergy Wealth Management provides investment advisory and financial planning services to individuals, high-net-worth clients, trusts, estates, and business entities. The firm manages approximately $12.5 million for nine clients, offering portfolio management, comprehensive financial planning, consulting, and selection and oversight of third-party managers and TAMP platforms through a financial-planning-driven approach that integrates fundamental, technical, cyclical, and economic analysis.

Sean Butler is the principal advisor at SKB Advisory, LLC in Houston, TX, with seven years of experience in the financial industry. He holds a Series 66 designation and previously worked at HD Vest Insurance Agency LLC and HD Vest Investment Services. Butler also owns and manages Sean K Butler CPA, LLC, an accounting and tax preparation firm. SKB Advisory provides investment supervisory services and financial planning to individuals, trusts, estates, charitable organizations, pension and profit-sharing plans, and corporations. The firm emphasizes a fundamental, value-driven investment approach and offers employer benefit plan services and educational seminars, implementing client portfolios in coordination with a third-party money manager.

Olabode Oniya is a financial advisor at OM Investments in Houston, TX, with eight years of industry experience. He holds the CFP® and ChFC® designations and has worked at firms including Edward Jones, Fidelity Investments, and Morgan Stanley. Outside of his advisory role, he is involved with a marketing services business and maintains an active insurance license. OM Investments provides discretionary asset management, financial planning, and retirement-plan advisory services, including an ERISA 3(21) fiduciary role for qualified plans. The firm manages accounts using a combination of fundamental, technical, charting, and cyclical analysis, offering services on fixed or hourly fees and conducting regular portfolio reviews.

Darvon Webb is a financial advisor at Retirement Solutions with 25 years at the firm and 11 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses. Webb also sells life, health, and variable insurance products, dedicating up to half of his time to insurance-related business. Retirement Solutions is an independent, fee-based advisory firm serving primarily individual clients with portfolio management and tailored financial plans. The firm employs both fundamental and technical analysis, manages approximately $12.6 million across about 45 clients, and integrates insurance-policy reviews into its financial planning.

John Thornton is a PFS™ with 33 years at Thornton Financial Management and Services and four years of industry experience as a financial advisor. He is also a CPA and owner of an individual income tax business. Thornton Financial Management provides discretionary, customized portfolio management primarily for individual investors and also serves pension and profit-sharing plans, trusts, estates, charitable organizations, corporations, and other business entities. The firm employs a mix of charting, technical and fundamental analysis with tailored long- and short-term strategies, managing approximately $53.3 million across 140 clients.

David Chow is a CFA® charterholder and the sole advisor at Dancourt Management, LLC, an independent firm based in Houston, TX. He has 13 years of industry experience and has managed Dancourt Management since 1998. Chow serves as a trustee for both Van Eck ETF Trust and New York Life MainStay Group of Mutual Funds. Dancourt Management provides discretionary portfolio management to high-net-worth individuals, small businesses, and institutional clients, including corporate pension plans and foundations. The firm employs a long-only, growth-oriented investment approach focused on large-cap and mid-cap equities with an emphasis on companies that pay consistent, growing dividends.

George Hensley is a financial advisor with PennLiton Management LLC in Houston, TX. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and has nine years of industry experience. His prior experience includes roles at Intrepid Partners, LLC, Milton Street Capital, and self-employment in financial advisory capacities. PennLiton Management LLC provides discretionary investment management to accredited investors, including individuals, trusts, small businesses, and institutional clients. The firm uses a single, long-only model portfolio focused on bottom-up fundamental analysis, maintaining concentrated positions without employing short sales or leverage.

Scott Orr is a CFP® professional with 22 years of industry experience. He is the sole advisor at SFO Capital, Inc., an independent registered investment adviser based in Houston, TX. His prior experience includes sixteen years at Founders Capital Management, Inc., and he also maintains a CPA practice. SFO Capital provides discretionary portfolio management and financial consulting to individuals, trusts, estates, charitable organizations, and business entities, offering tailored long-term investment plans and optional tax preparation services within the firm’s expertise. The firm focuses on a concentrated client base with relatively large account sizes, employing a range of investment instruments aligned with client objectives.

Parthesh Kalathia is a financial advisor at Samju Capital LLC in Houston, TX, holding a Series 65 designation. He has one year of experience in financial advisory services and previously worked in the energy sector, including roles at Portland General Electric Company and Samju Energy Services Corporation. In addition to his advisory role, he maintains a separate business as an electricity broker. Samju Capital LLC provides investment advisory and financial planning services to individual and high-net-worth clients, offering portfolio management, asset allocation, risk assessment, and financial plan preparation. The firm customizes advice based on client objectives and risk tolerance, employs various investment strategies, and conducts at least quarterly account reviews.