Kristen Shope is a financial advisor at Creative Planning with 21 years of industry experience. She holds Series 63 and Series 65 designations and has been with Creative Planning since 2010. The firm provides investment advisory and financial planning services to a diverse client base, including individuals, corporations, foundations, trusts, and retirement plans. Creative Planning manages approximately $217 billion in client assets and employs a financial planning-led investment process emphasizing low-cost indexing and buy-and-hold strategies, supported by a broad range of supplemental portfolio options and affiliated legal, trust, and retirement plan services.

Christopher Rea is a financial advisor at First Citizens Investor Services, Inc. with 22 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and has worked at firms including BMO Bank, LPL Financial, BancWest Investment Services, and Bank of the West. His current role at First Citizens Investor Services began in 2026. First Citizens Investor Services, Inc. serves individuals, pension and profit-sharing plans, charitable organizations, and corporate entities through advisory and brokerage services. The firm offers portfolio management, wrap programs, model portfolios, and a Guided Investing platform, applying fundamental, quantitative, and technical analysis to a broad range of investment products.

Trent Evans is a CFP® and holds a Series 65 license, currently serving as a financial advisor at Creative Planning with three years of industry experience. Prior to joining Creative Planning in 2022, he worked at Ernst & Young, LLP from 2019 to 2022. 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 and buy-and-hold strategies, supplemented by specialized techniques such as direct indexing and tax-loss harvesting.

Sean Spencer is a financial advisor at Prime Capital Financial with 15 years of industry experience. He has previously worked at PKS Investments, Access Capital LLC, and TRUENORTH, INC./IMA Wealth, Inc. Outside of his advisory roles, Spencer serves as a board member on the Dean’s Advisory Board for the W. Frank Barton School of Business at Wichita State University. Prime Capital Financial is an SEC-registered enterprise advisory firm serving individuals, trusts, corporations, and retirement plans. The firm offers asset management, financial planning, retirement plan services, and family office solutions, employing a range of investment strategies and maintaining affiliated tax advisory and family office practices.

Jeffrey Maher is a senior wealth advisor with Mariner Wealth Advisors, based in Overland Park, KS, holding Series 63 and Series 65 designations and bringing 36 years of industry experience. He has been with Mariner since 2014 and is also involved with MSEC, LLC, an investment-related business. Mariner serves a broad range of clients, including high-net-worth individuals, pension plans, trusts, and charitable organizations, offering investment management, financial planning, retirement plan consulting, and tax services. The firm employs discretionary, customized portfolios supported by in-house research and third-party managers, with notable integration of tax and accounting services uncommon for an enterprise of its size.

Alexander Van Patten is a financial advisor at Prime Capital Financial with a Series 65 designation and one year of industry experience. His prior work includes roles at Adams Brown, Koch Minerals & Trading, and Swindoll, Janzen, Hawk & Lloyd. Prime Capital Financial is an SEC-registered enterprise advisory firm serving individuals, trusts, corporations, and retirement plans with services including asset management, financial planning, qualified retirement plan sponsor and trustee services, and third-party manager selection. The firm employs a range of investment strategies and offers family office services, tax planning through an affiliated accounting subsidiary, and continuity mechanisms for legacy client relationships.

Daniel Donegan Jr. is a financial advisor at Creative Planning with 17 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and has been with Creative Planning since 2015. 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 and buy-and-hold strategies, supplemented by specialized techniques such as direct indexing and tax-loss harvesting.

Ryan Lukasek is a financial advisor at Creative Planning with 3 years of industry experience. He holds Series 65 and Series 63 licenses and previously worked at American Century Investment Services and Summit Funding. Before transitioning to finance, Lukasek served in law enforcement with the Shrewsbury and Wentzville Police Departments. Creative Planning provides wealth management, financial planning, and retirement-plan advisory services to a diverse client base, including high-net-worth individuals, institutions, and corporations. The firm employs a financial-planning-led investment approach emphasizing low-cost indexing and buy-and-hold strategies alongside selective private market exposure.

James Stanziola is a ChFC®-designated financial advisor with 35 years of industry experience. He is affiliated with Commonwealth Financial Network and has been with the firm since 2012. Outside of his financial advisory work, he is the sole owner of Stanziola Law Practice, LLC, where he performs legal work in estate and business matters. Commonwealth Financial Network serves a national network of approximately 2,900 advisors and offers a broad platform including managed-account programs, third-party asset manager access, and custody services. The firm supports advisers with a range of investment options and back-office services for individual and institutional clients.

Kevin Kephart is a Series 65-licensed financial advisor with Creative Planning, where he has worked since 2018. He has nine years of industry experience, including two years at Waddell & Reed prior to joining Creative Planning. 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 process that emphasizes low-cost indexing and buy-and-hold strategies, supplemented by tax-loss harvesting, direct indexing, and other tactical approaches.

Elizabeth Haynes is a financial advisor with Kestra Advisory who holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and has 17 years of industry experience. She previously worked at Edward Jones and UMB Financial Services Inc before joining Kestra Advisory and Kestra Investment Services, LLC in 2022. Haynes serves as finance chairman for the Board of Trustees of BOTAR, where she helps oversee the organization’s fiscal budget. Kestra Advisory Services provides investment advisory and retirement-plan consulting to plan sponsors and a diverse range of institutional and individual clients. The firm offers a variety of services including fiduciary consulting, plan design, investment advice, and employee education, and manages approximately $79.8 billion in assets with access to multiple management platforms and third-party solutions.

James May is a financial advisor at Prime Capital Financial with 22 years of industry experience. He holds a Series 66 designation and has worked at firms including Raymond James Financial and First Bank and Trust Investment Services. In addition to his advisory role, he is involved in the sale and service of fixed insurance products through affiliated insurance entities. Prime Capital Financial is an SEC-registered enterprise advisory firm serving individuals, trusts, corporations, and retirement plans. The firm offers a range of services including asset management, financial planning, qualified retirement plan services, and family office offerings, utilizing diverse investment strategies and platforms to manage both discretionary and non-discretionary accounts.

Joshua Schmalz is a financial advisor with Commonwealth Financial Network in Overland Park, KS. He holds a Series 66 designation and has one year of industry experience. His prior roles include positions at Equitable Advisors, Primerica, and Northwestern Mutual, as well as work at Emporia State University and Jefferson County North schools. Commonwealth Financial Network serves a national network of approximately 2,950 advisors and their retail and institutional clients, providing a range of advisory programs and services along with operational, technology, investment management, compliance, and practice-management support. The firm offers discretionary model portfolios and a variety of program structures through its Investment Management and Research team.

Thomas Mancuso is a financial advisor with Prime Capital Financial in Overland Park, KS. He holds a Series 66 designation and has 11 years of industry experience. Mancuso has previously worked at Private Client Services and Cambridge Investment Research. He is also involved in managing Thematic Investments, LLC, an ETF fund, serving as its Chief Compliance Officer, President, and Owner. Prime Capital Financial is an SEC-registered enterprise advisory firm serving individuals, trusts, corporations, and retirement plans with a comprehensive range of services including asset management, financial planning, and family office offerings. The firm utilizes both discretionary and non-discretionary account management strategies and provides specialized tax and family office services through affiliated entities.

Sean Troupe is a Series 65-licensed financial advisor with Creative Planning in Overland Park, KS, with five years of industry experience. Prior to joining Creative Planning in 2021, he worked at Northwestern Mutual Investment Services LLC and Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance Company from 2020 to 2021 and at Burns and McDonnell from 2017 to 2020. Creative Planning provides wealth management, financial planning, and retirement-plan advisory services to a diverse client base including individuals, pension and profit-sharing plans, trusts, and corporations. The firm uses a financial-planning-led investment approach that incorporates low-cost indexing, buy-and-hold strategies, and selective private market exposure, managing approximately $295.6 billion in assets with over 1,100 advisors across 151 offices.

Jeffrey Barnthouse is a CFP® professional with eight years of experience in financial advising. He has been with Creative Planning since 2013. 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 process that emphasizes low-cost indexing and buy-and-hold strategies, supplemented by various tactical approaches and integrated retirement plan services.

Steven Dew is a financial advisor at Creative Planning with a Series 65 license and two years of industry experience. Prior to joining Creative Planning, he worked at State Farm Investment Management Corp and Chris Sutherland Insurance Agency. Outside of finance, he owns and directs DewVinci Productions, a photography and videography business, and Stop Motion Sensei, an online stop motion animation course provider. Creative Planning offers investment advisory and financial planning services to a diverse client base, including individuals, corporations, foundations, and retirement plans. The firm employs a financial planning–led investment approach emphasizing low-cost indexing and buy-and-hold strategies, supported by a large advisory team and integrated private market investment capabilities.

Michael Jensen is a financial advisor with Commonwealth Financial Network, holding a Series 65 designation and two years of industry experience. His prior work history includes roles at Grant Capital, Paychex, Sterling, and eScreen. Outside of advising, he is co-owner of JT Rental, LLC, a residential real estate management entity in Overland Park, KS. Commonwealth Financial Network serves a national network of approximately 2,950 advisors and their clients, offering a range of advisory programs and services. The firm provides operational, trading, technology, investment management, and compliance support while enabling advisors to construct portfolios from diverse securities and insurance products.

Gerhart Kloiber Jr. is a CFP® and holds a Series 66 license with 11 years of industry experience. He has been with Creative Planning since 2017 and previously worked at Mariner Wealth Advisors, FirstPoint Financial, and Montage Securities. Creative Planning provides investment advisory and financial planning services to 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 and buy-and-hold strategies, supplemented by advanced portfolio management techniques and a range of retirement plan services.

Eric Lynn is a Series 65 licensed financial advisor at Creative Planning with seven years of industry experience. He previously worked at Sterneck Capital Management for four years before joining Creative Planning in 2016. Creative Planning provides investment advisory and financial planning services to individuals, corporations, foundations, trusts, and retirement plans. The firm manages approximately $217 billion in client assets, offering a financial planning–led investment process with a focus on low-cost indexing and buy-and-hold strategies, supplemented by various advanced portfolio management techniques and a range of retirement plan fiduciary services.