John Cultra is a CFA® charterholder with 28 years of industry experience. He has been with William Blair & Company L.L.C. since 1997. William Blair’s Private Wealth Management division offers investment management, financial planning, and wealth services to individuals, foundations, pension, and corporate clients, employing an active, research-driven approach across equities, fixed income, and alternative strategies.

Michael Biggus is a financial advisor with VOYA Financial Advisors, Inc. in Chicago, IL, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and having 29 years of industry experience. He has worked with VOYA Financial Advisors and its affiliated entities since 2002. Outside of advising, he is an independent insurance agent and engages in personal buying and selling of gold and silver on eBay. VOYA Financial Advisors, Inc. is an enterprise-scale advisory and broker-dealer affiliate of Voya Financial serving individuals, including high-net-worth clients, pension and profit-sharing plans, charitable organizations, and corporate clients. The firm offers financial planning, portfolio management, unified managed accounts, and retirement-plan advisory services through a network of representatives using a combination of in-house and external strategists, model portfolios, and technology-enabled tools.

Colleen Mccaffery is a financial advisor with Truist Advisory Services, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and bringing 31 years of industry experience. She has worked at Truist Advisory Services since 2022 and previously spent time at Wells Fargo Clearing and Wells Fargo Investments. Truist Advisory Services provides investment consulting and advisory services to individuals, corporate and business clients, retirement plan sponsors and participants, and charitable organizations, utilizing a combination of discretionary manager relationships and consulting supported by third-party platforms and AI-enabled research tools.

Ruth Goran is a financial advisor with Cetera Planning Partners and holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses. She has 25 years of industry experience, including 25 years at Avantax Planning Partners, Inc. Outside of her advisory role, she is president of Entertain2Educate, an organization involved in developing original scripts for continuing education programs, and serves as president of the not-for-profit Parks Earhart, which researches women breaking the glass ceiling in business. She also holds several voluntary board and treasurer roles with nonprofit organizations. Cetera Planning Partners serves individual and high-net-worth clients, focusing on pre-retirees and retirees by providing investment management, comprehensive financial planning, Social Security optimization, and retirement-related advice. The firm offers additional services such as tax planning and preparation, bookkeeping, payroll support, and estate-planning through a third-party provider, integrating a diversified investment approach with a formal planning process.

David Harrison is a CFP® professional with 35 years of experience in the financial services industry. He is currently with NewEdge Advisors and has held roles at North Star Investment Services, Mid Atlantic Capital Corporation, Mid Atlantic Financial Management, and Wells Fargo Clearing. Outside of advisory work, he serves as president of Wealth Capital Partners, a financial activity business, and also of a fixed annuities and life insurance company. NewEdge Advisors is an enterprise-scale registered investment adviser serving individuals, retirement plans, corporations, and nonprofit entities through a network of independent representatives. The firm offers a variety of portfolio management and consulting services and employs multiple program structures supported by centralized due diligence and advanced technology tools.

Carmen Cheung is a financial advisor at Citigroup Global Markets in Chicago, IL, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses with six years of industry experience. She has been with Citigroup since 2015. Outside of her advisory role, she works as a wedding emcee on an event basis. Citigroup Global Markets serves individual and institutional clients across a range of wealth segments, offering multi-asset, multi-manager investment strategies through discretionary and non-discretionary programs. The firm combines large institutional scale with unique market roles, including in-house research and derivatives services.

Alisa Ciccone is a financial advisor at William Blair with 27 years of industry experience. She holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and has been with William Blair & Company L.L.C. since 1999. William Blair’s Private Wealth Management division provides investment management, financial planning, and wealth services to individuals, foundations, pension, and corporate clients. The firm employs active, research-driven management across multiple asset classes and offers proprietary models and access to private funds and co-investment opportunities.

Kathryn Novak is a financial advisor at William Blair with two years of industry experience. She holds a Series 66 license and has worked at William Blair since 2024. Prior to entering the financial industry, she spent four years at Bucknell University and four years at Mattawan High School. William Blair’s Private Wealth Management division provides investment management, financial planning, and wealth services to individuals, foundations, pension, and corporate clients. The firm employs an active, research-driven approach across various asset classes and offers proprietary models and access to private funds through its MB Investments Program.

Abraham Jimenez is a financial advisor at Cerity Partners LLC in Chicago, holding a Series 66 designation with four years of industry experience. Prior to joining Cerity Partners, he worked at The Vanguard Group. Cerity Partners serves a broad range of clients including individuals, families, trusts, estates, business entities, charitable institutions, and institutional investors, managing approximately $166.2 billion in client assets. The firm offers customized wealth management services and employs an investment framework focused on client-specific profiles, asset allocation, and access to alternative and private market solutions.

Didier Thierry is a financial advisor with Hightower Advisors in Chicago, IL, holding a Series 66 designation and with six years of industry experience. Prior to joining HighTower Securities, LLC in 2019, he worked in the hospitality sector with Windy City Hospitality and Hospitality One Group from 2016 to 2019. Hightower Advisors provides investment advisory and planning services to a wide range of individual and institutional clients, utilizing a multi-manager approach that includes affiliated and third-party managers, proprietary research, and diversified investment options such as mutual funds, ETFs, and alternative investments.

Melissa Wiss is a financial advisor at Creative Planning with 10 years of industry experience. She holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and previously worked at Lockton Investment Advisors, Lockton Financial Advisors, and Lockton Companies. Wiss is based in Chicago, IL. Creative Planning provides investment advisory and financial planning services to a diverse client base, including individuals, corporations, foundations, trusts, and retirement plans. The firm manages approximately $217 billion in client assets and employs a financial planning–led investment approach that emphasizes low-cost indexing, buy-and-hold strategies, and supplemental tactics such as direct indexing and tax-loss harvesting.

Matthew Alcorn is a financial advisor at TIAA-CREF with Series 66 and Series 63 licenses and 25 years of industry experience. His prior work includes positions at BMO Capital Markets Corp., B. Riley Securities, Inc., TradeStation Securities, Inc., and Yilmaz Advisors. TIAA-CREF Individual & Institutional Services, LLC offers financial planning and discretionary managed account programs primarily to individuals with existing TIAA retirement plan relationships, as well as to trusts, estates, and small retirement plans. The firm provides both point-in-time planning and ongoing portfolio management through model and customized strategies, and it acts as adviser to a donor-advised fund.

Patricia Luken is a financial advisor at Valic Financial Advisors with eight years of industry experience. She holds Series 63 and Series 66 licenses and previously worked at Barclays Bank plc. Valic Financial Advisors is an SEC-registered investment adviser and FINRA-member broker-dealer that serves primarily U.S. individuals, including high net worth clients, as well as employer-sponsored retirement participants. The firm uses a technology-driven approach, offering discretionary unified managed accounts and financial planning through a large network of advisors.

Cary Margolis is a financial advisor at Bankers Life Advisory Services, Inc. with 25 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 credentials and has worked previously at Western International Securities, Inc. and National Planning Corporation. Margolis is based in Chicago, IL. Bankers Life Advisory Services, Inc. is an SEC-registered investment adviser serving mass-affluent and high-net-worth individuals through discretionary portfolio management, investment consulting, and retirement plan consulting. The firm uses a combination of fundamental, technical, and cyclical analysis to create customized portfolios aligned with clients’ goals and risk tolerances.

Ross Ferrier is a financial advisor with CIBC Private Wealth Advisors, Inc. based in Chicago, IL. He holds a Series 65 designation and has 27 years of industry experience, having worked with CIBC Wood Gundy and CIBC Private Wealth since 1999. CIBC Private Wealth Advisors provides investment and wealth advisory services to a diverse client base including individuals, families, trusts, and investment companies. The firm combines internal investment teams, relationship managers, and governance committees to deliver customized portfolios, utilizing both proprietary and external strategies, with notable specialization in managing assets for investment company clients.

Kenny Garcia is a financial advisor at Citigroup Global Markets with six years of industry experience. He holds the Series 66 designation and has worked at Citigroup since 2019, following a three-year tenure at Wells Fargo Bank, N.A. Based in Chicago, IL, Garcia currently serves clients through Citigroup’s enterprise platform. Citigroup Global Markets serves individual and institutional clients across various wealth segments, offering a range of investment advisory programs, broker-dealer execution, and custody services. The firm employs multi-asset, multi-manager strategies with internal oversight and provides specialized solutions for high-net-worth and ultra-high-net-worth clients.

Caitlin Dahl is a financial advisor at Rockefeller Financial LLC with nine years of industry experience. She holds the Series 63 and Series 66 licenses and has worked previously at Morgan Stanley, RBC Capital Markets, and The Huntington Investment Company. Rockefeller Financial LLC serves high-net-worth and ultra-high-net-worth individuals, families, family offices, institutional clients, retirement plans, foundations, and corporations. The firm offers portfolio management, financial planning, and consulting services, operating as both a registered investment adviser and broker-dealer with a consolidated investment platform that includes discretionary and non-discretionary solutions across various asset classes.

Jennifer Vinovich is a financial advisor at Equity Services, Inc. with eight years of industry experience. She holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and has worked at firms including National Life Group and Truewealth Advising Group. Outside of her advisory work, she is involved in community activities such as facilitating youth golf camps through Birdie Time Golf, LLC, and serving as a board member for the Fellowship of Christian Athletes and local homeowners associations. Equity Services, Inc., doing business as ESI Financial Advisors, provides financial planning, consulting, and asset management to individuals, corporations, trusts, estates, charitable organizations, and employer retirement plans. The firm offers multiple advisory platforms and utilizes third-party asset managers and model portfolios, combining long-term investment strategies with options for shorter-term trading.

Steven Hollon is a Certified Financial Planner® (CFP®) with six years of industry experience. He is currently with Corient and has previously worked at Balasa Dinverno Foltz LLC and Crowe LLP. Corient provides investment advisory and financial planning services to a diverse client base, including individuals, high-net-worth clients, trusts, pension and profit-sharing plans, charitable organizations, and corporate entities. The firm uses a goals-based, team investment approach that integrates in-house strategies with third-party managers and employs risk management tools to align portfolios with client objectives.

Candace Vondra is a CFA® charterholder with 23 years of industry experience, currently serving at William Blair since 2006. She holds the Series 63 designation and is based in Des Plaines, IL. William Blair’s Private Wealth Management division provides investment management, financial planning, and wealth services to individuals, foundations, pension, and corporate clients. The firm employs an active, research-driven approach across multiple asset classes and offers proprietary models, third-party sub-advisers, and access to private funds and co-investment opportunities.