Gary Shramuk is a financial advisor at Brookstone Capital Management LLC with 17 years of industry experience. He holds a Series 66 designation and has been associated with Gcg Financial Inc since 1999. In addition to his advisory role, he is a 50% owner of SAFE HARBOR FINANCIAL GROUP, where he sells life and health insurance. Brookstone Capital Management is an SEC-registered adviser providing fee-based asset management and financial planning through a turnkey asset management platform and wrap-fee program. The firm serves a diverse client base, including individuals, retirement plans, corporations, charitable organizations, other RIAs, sovereign wealth funds, and banking institutions, offering a range of discretionary investment strategies and support services.

Kyle Bakhshi is a financial advisor at William Blair with a Series 66 designation and six years of industry experience. He has worked at William Blair since 2021 and previously spent seven years at Nuveen. William Blair’s Private Wealth Management division offers discretionary and non-discretionary investment management, financial planning, and wealth services to individuals, foundations, pension, and corporate clients. The firm uses an active, research-driven investment approach across equities, fixed income, and alternative strategies, and provides proprietary models as well as access to private funds and co-investment opportunities.

Jeffrey Geel is a financial advisor at Brookstone Capital Management LLC with 13 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 designations and has worked at firms including Ocean Pacific Investments and J4 Investment Advisors. Outside of finance, Geel manages the family farm and serves as a high school football coach. Brookstone Capital Management provides fee-based asset management and financial planning to a diverse client base, utilizing strategic asset-allocation models, a range of investment products, and both internal and external sub-advisors to implement client portfolios.

Mary Mclean is a CFP® with 15 years of experience in the financial industry. She is currently with Integrated Wealth Concepts LLC and previously worked at HighTower Advisors LLC and Private Vista, LLC. Integrated Wealth Concepts LLC serves individuals, high-net-worth clients, families, trusts, estates, businesses, and retirement plans through a network of independent financial advisors. The firm offers discretionary investment management, financial planning, consulting, family office services, and wrap-fee programs, emphasizing customized portfolios and a primarily long-term investment approach.

Molly Powers is a CFP® professional at Creative Planning with five years of industry experience. She has worked previously at Sageview Advisory Group, Capital Strategies Investment Group, and Forum Financial Management. Creative Planning provides wealth management, financial planning, and retirement-plan advisory services to individuals, pension and profit-sharing plans, trusts, foundations, and corporations. The firm employs a financial-planning-led investment approach emphasizing low-cost indexing and buy-and-hold strategies for long-term goals, supplemented by direct indexing, tax-loss harvesting, and selective private market exposure.

Marzena Hanek is a financial advisor at Mercer Global Advisors Inc. with 21 years of industry experience. She holds Series 66 and Series 65 licenses and previously worked at T. Rowe Price Advisory Services, Inc. and Invest Financial Corporation. Hanek has been with Mercer Global Advisors since 2017 in various roles. Mercer Global Advisors serves individuals, families, small business owners, plan sponsors, foundations, non-profits, and endowments, providing a range of advisory and planning services. The firm’s investment approach is based on Modern Portfolio Theory, utilizing globally diversified portfolios with multi-factor tilts implemented through low-cost ETFs, index funds, and other investment vehicles.

Daniel Larson is a financial advisor at Citigroup Global Markets with 14 years of industry experience. He holds Series 65 and Series 63 licenses. His prior roles include positions at JPMorgan Securities LLC, LPL Financial, BMO Harris Bank, and RTS Financial. Citigroup Global Markets serves individual and institutional clients across various wealth segments, offering a range of investment advisory programs and broker-dealer services. The firm employs multi-asset, multi-manager strategies through discretionary and non-discretionary programs, combining large institutional scale with unique market roles.

Robert Wack is a CFP® and holds a Series 66 designation with eight years of industry experience. He is currently with Fifth Third Securities, Inc., having joined in 2026, and previously worked at Schwab Wealth Advisory, Inc., Charles Schwab & Co., Inc., Merrill (Bank of America), Scottrade, and TD Ameritrade. Fifth Third Securities, Inc. serves a diverse client base including individuals, high-net-worth clients, corporations, trusts, retirement accounts, and other business entities through both advisory and brokerage channels. The firm offers multiple investment programs and portfolio management options on its Passageway platform and operates as a broker-dealer, SEC-registered investment adviser, and municipal advisor.

Ryan Alvarez is a financial advisor at Integrity Alliance, LLC with 25 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and previously worked at Lion Street Advisors, Lion Street Financial, Wayne Hummer Investments, PNC Wealth Management, Natcity Investments, Inc., and Invest Financial Corporation. Outside of his advisory role, he owns Refined Strategies, a business involved in the sale of fixed annuities and life insurance products. Integrity Alliance, LLC serves a broad client base including individual investors, corporations, and qualified retirement plans. The firm operates as a large advisor network managing approximately $5.4 billion in assets and offers portfolio management, financial planning, and access to both discretionary and non-discretionary investment solutions through various platforms.

Robert Basile is a CFP® with 8 years of industry experience, currently serving at Mariner Wealth Advisors since 2021. He previously worked at Fifth Third Private Bank for nine years and The AYCO Company, L.P./Mercer Allied for seventeen years. Mariner Wealth Advisors serves individuals, pension plans, trusts, charitable organizations, corporations, and private funds with investment management, financial planning, retirement plan consulting, and access to pooled vehicles and third-party managers. The firm combines customized portfolio management with integrated tax, accounting, and financial wellness services.

Byron Ramult is a CFP® professional with 24 years of experience in the financial services industry. He is currently an advisor at Stratos Wealth Partners, Ltd., having previously worked at LPL Financial, Wealth Enhancement Group, and National Life Group among other firms. His career includes roles at various financial institutions focusing on investment advisory services. Stratos Wealth Partners, Ltd. is an SEC-registered enterprise investment adviser with approximately 379 advisors and $18.6 billion in assets under management. The firm serves a diverse client base including individuals, retirement plans, corporations, nonprofits, and institutional clients through an open-architecture investment platform and customized portfolio management.

Matthew Neill is a financial advisor with Eagle Strategies (NY Life) based in Naperville, IL, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and totaling 30 years of industry experience. He worked at New York Life Investment Management LLC from 2005 to 2010. Outside of advisory work, he is involved in reselling NFL tickets from his season tickets and personal seat license. Eagle Strategies serves a broad mix of individual and institutional clients, providing financial planning, investment management, and retirement-plan advisory services through a large network of affiliated advisors. The firm emphasizes tailoring recommendations to client objectives and plan sponsor criteria, offering multiple program types including financial plans, fee-based hourly advice, and retirement plan consulting.

Ramesh Poola is a CFA charterholder and financial advisor at Creative Planning with two years of industry experience. He previously worked at IRON Financial, LLC for eleven years before joining Creative Planning in 2021. 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 assets and employs a financial planning-led investment approach that incorporates low-cost indexing, buy-and-hold strategies, and supplemental tactics such as direct indexing and tax-loss harvesting.

Robert Malek is a financial advisor with PlanMember Securities Corporation in Chicago, IL, holding Series 63 and Series 65 credentials and 43 years of industry experience. His career includes roles with Prosperity Wealth Advisors, Cambridge Investment Research, and operating his own firms, Malek Wealth Advisors and Robert Malek Insurance. He is also president of Priority Retirement Solutions, a banking and tax entity supporting financial advisory services. PlanMember Securities Corporation provides retirement-plan advisory services to employers and plan participants, serving as an ERISA Section 3(38) fiduciary for many plans. The firm uses a top-down strategic asset allocation framework to manage risk-based mutual fund portfolios, supplemented by education and support services for plan sponsors and participants.

Wesley Barnes is a CFP® with 15 years of industry experience, currently serving as a financial advisor at Mariner since 2025. He previously worked at Hightower Advisors and Hightower Securities, LLC from 2008 to 2022 and served in the United States Marine Corps Reserves from 2011 to 2017. Outside of his advisory role, Barnes is involved in managing a group of doughnut franchise locations and serves on the board of United Way Northwest Indiana. Mariner serves a diverse client base including individuals, pension plans, trusts, and charitable organizations through comprehensive investment management, financial planning, and retirement consulting. The firm emphasizes discretionary, customized portfolios overseen by an Investment Committee, integrating in-house research with third-party managers, and offers distinctive tax, accounting, and administrative CFO services.

Aaron Kim is a CFP® with 20 years of industry experience, currently serving as a financial advisor at VOYA Financial Advisors, Inc. since 2015. His prior roles include positions at J.P. Morgan Securities, Chase Investment Services Corp., Valic Financial Advisors, and Ameriprise. He also operates as an independent insurance agent for fixed insurance products. VOYA Financial Advisors, Inc. is a large advisory and broker-dealer affiliate of Voya Financial that provides financial planning, portfolio management, and retirement-plan advisory services to individuals, pension plans, and corporate clients. The firm integrates in-house and third-party strategies with technology-enabled tools to deliver both discretionary and non-discretionary investment management.

Maria Burger is a financial advisor with First Command Advisory Services in Oak Brook, IL, holding a Series 66 designation and eight years of industry experience. She has been affiliated with First Command and related entities since 2017 and is the business owner of MVB Financial Services, LLC. Burger also serves as president and board member of the West Point Society of Chicago, a nonprofit supporting the United States Military Academy, admissions, and alumni. Additionally, she provides consulting services to chemical and manufacturing companies through the Gerson Lehrman Group. First Command Advisory Services is an SEC-registered investment adviser serving individuals, corporate, and charitable clients, with a focus on active-duty service members and their families. The firm offers financial planning and multiple wrap-fee asset management programs managed centrally by an Investment Management Team and Wealth Portfolio Managers, using a disciplined manager selection process and established platforms for portfolio administration and custody.

Alexander Kapusta is a Series 65-licensed advisor with Mariner, bringing four years of industry experience. His prior roles include positions at Horizon Wealth Management and Kam's, as well as work with Butterfield Country Club and the United States Soccer Federation. Mariner serves a diverse client base including individuals, pension plans, trusts, and corporations through investment management, financial planning, and retirement consulting. The firm combines in-house research with third-party manager access and offers integrated tax, family office, and financial wellness services alongside traditional portfolio management.

James Hamman is a financial advisor with William Blair, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and bringing 29 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 plans, and corporate clients. The firm emphasizes active, research-driven management across multiple asset classes and provides proprietary models and access to private funds through its MB Investments Program.

Tessa Fornek is a financial advisor at PNC Wealth Management with seven years of industry experience. She holds a Series 66 designation and has previously worked at Regions Bank, Cetera Investment Services, and First Command Financial Planning. Outside of finance, she was involved in managing a coffee shop business for two years. PNC Wealth Management offers retail brokerage and advisory services through model-based programs, including a discretionary online investment platform currently available as an employee-only pilot. The firm uses algorithm-driven model selection and relies on third-party strategists and delegates for portfolio implementation.