Laura Ward is a financial advisor at William Blair with Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and 40 years of industry experience. She has worked at First Republic in various capacities from 2005 to 2023 before joining William Blair. 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.

Eli Sakov is a Series 65-licensed financial advisor with PlanMember Securities Corporation, based in Berkeley, CA. He has no prior industry experience but has been involved in technology and insurance-related consulting and entrepreneurship since 2018. Sakov is the founder and operator of Better Leads, Inc., a software company focused on developing tools for insurance lead identification and data management. PlanMember Securities Corporation provides retirement-plan advisory services to employers and plan participants, acting as an ERISA Section 3(38) fiduciary for many plans. The firm uses a top-down strategic asset allocation approach to manage risk-based mutual fund portfolios and offers education, personalized retirement planning, and support services to plan sponsors and participants.

Cliff Duester is a financial advisor with Hornor, Townsend & Kent, LLC, holding a Series 66 license and 16 years of industry experience. He has previously worked with firms including MassMutual, Guardian Life, and MML Investors Services. Outside of his advisory role, Duester is the founder of Private Label Wealth Management, an insurance brokerage operation focused on insurance sales and service. Hornor, Townsend & Kent serves individuals, trusts, businesses, charitable organizations, and retirement plans, offering advisory programs, financial planning, and retirement plan consulting. The firm operates a dual-registered advisory platform with both discretionary and non-discretionary account options and reported approximately $8.37 billion in discretionary assets under management as of December 31, 2025.

Vernon Yu is a financial advisor with Hightower Advisors in Orinda, CA, holding a Series 65 credential and three years of industry experience. Prior to joining Hightower in 2023, he worked at Stoic Partners Consulting Ltd from 2020 to 2023. Hightower Advisors provides investment advisory and planning services to a diverse client base, including individual and institutional investors. The firm’s approach emphasizes manager selection and multi-manager solutions, utilizing both affiliated and third-party managers across various investment vehicles and strategies.

Ana Abraldes is a financial advisor with Ameritas Advisory Services, LLC, holding a Series 66 designation and six years of industry experience. She has been with Ameritas Advisory Services since 2021 and is also involved with Canvas Financial and Boom Planning, both financial planning firms, since 2019. Outside of finance, she is the proprietor of Studio Vidro, an artisan glass production and vending business. Ameritas Advisory Services, LLC provides investment advisory and planning services to a diverse client base, including individuals, high-net-worth investors, retirement plans, charitable organizations, and businesses. The firm employs a range of investment strategies and platforms, combining model portfolios, mutual funds, ETFs, and individual securities, supported by third-party technology and managers to customize client portfolios.

Shelby Stahr is a CFP® professional with seven years of experience in financial advisory. Shelby has worked at Cerity Partners LLC since 2021 and previously held roles at B|O|S, Private Ocean, and Mosaic Financial Partners. Based in San Francisco, CA, Shelby is part of a firm serving a diverse client base including individuals, families, trusts, business entities, and institutional investors. Cerity Partners advises on approximately $166.2 billion in client assets and offers customized wealth management services that incorporate proprietary quantitative screening and a combination of third-party and direct security selection strategies, alongside access to alternative and private market solutions for qualified clients.

Julio Barrientos is a financial advisor with Citigroup Global Markets in San Francisco, CA, holding a Series 66 designation and 11 years of industry experience. He has been with Citigroup Global Markets since 2014. Outside of his advisory role, he works as a merchandising associate at Total Wine and More in Pleasant Hill, CA. Citigroup Global Markets serves individual and institutional clients across various wealth segments, offering a broad range of investment advisory programs and broker-dealer services. The firm employs multi-asset, multi-manager strategies through discretionary and non-discretionary programs, supported by internal standards and oversight committees.

Benjamin Buck is a CFP® professional with 17 years of industry experience, currently serving as a financial advisor at Independent Financial Group, LLC since 2024. His prior roles include positions at J.P. Morgan Securities, Chase Investment Services Corp., and Wells Fargo, spanning over a decade. Outside of his advisory work, he serves as a board member for the Benicia Arsenal Futbol Club, where he assists with organizational activities such as hiring and scheduling. Independent Financial Group, LLC provides investment advisory and brokerage services to a diverse client base, including individuals, high-net-worth clients, trusts, and institutional plans. The firm employs a combination of firm- and third-party models to tailor investment strategies based on client risk tolerances, utilizing both passive and active portfolio exposures.

Harrison Kim is a financial advisor at Cerity Partners LLC with four years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 credentials. His prior experience includes roles at Charles Schwab & Co., Inc. and involvement with Devils Canyon Brewing Company. Cerity Partners advises a diverse client base, including high-net-worth individuals, families, trusts, and institutional investors, offering customized wealth management services such as investment management, financial planning, and retirement consulting. The firm utilizes a client-specific investment framework that incorporates quantitative screening, manager selection, and access to alternative and private market solutions.

Matthew Schmidt is a CFA® charterholder and holds a Series 65 license with seven years of industry experience. He is currently with Cerity Partners LLC and previously worked at Parallel Advisors, LLC and Violich Capital Management. He is based in San Francisco, CA. Cerity Partners serves a wide range of clients, including high-net-worth individuals, families, trusts, and institutional investors, managing approximately $166.2 billion in assets as of the end of 2025. The firm offers customized wealth management services with an investment approach that combines proprietary quantitative methods, manager selection, direct security selection, and access to alternative and private market solutions.

Jeffrey White is a financial advisor at Creative Planning with 10 years of industry experience. He holds the CFP® and CFA® designations and has worked at several firms, including Kera Capital Partners and Vista Wealth Management Group. He is based in San Francisco, CA. Creative Planning serves a diverse client base, including individuals, corporations, foundations, trusts, and retirement plans, providing investment advisory and financial planning services. The firm manages approximately $217 billion in assets and employs a financial planning–led investment process that emphasizes low-cost indexing and buy-and-hold strategies, supplemented by specialized approaches such as direct indexing and tax-loss harvesting.

Joshua Becker is a financial advisor with Farther in San Francisco, holding a Series 66 credential and one year of industry experience. Prior to joining Farther, he worked at Equitable Advisors, LLC and Stross Wess Cutcher and Levin. Outside of his advisory role, Becker serves as a direct support professional with A Broader Living Experience and as an AV technician for St. Paul's Episcopal Church. Farther provides discretionary investment management and related advisory services primarily to individual investors, trusts, and estates through a digital platform and in-person meetings. The firm employs a Modern Portfolio Theory-based approach using proprietary model portfolios, algorithmic rebalancing, and a range of investment vehicles, while incorporating AI tools alongside advisor judgment.

Kevin Choi is a financial advisor with Eagle Strategies (New York Life) based in San Francisco, CA. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and has 33 years of industry experience. He has been with Eagle Strategies since 2013 and has worked with New York Life and its affiliated entities since 1997. Eagle Strategies serves a diverse range of individual and institutional clients by providing financial planning, investment management, and retirement-plan advisory services. The firm emphasizes tailored advice delivered through multiple program types, with the majority of assets managed on a non-discretionary basis.

Steven Cutcliffe is a financial advisor at Cerity Partners LLC with 20 years of industry experience. He holds a Series 65 designation and previously worked at Abbrea Capital, LLC, GFO Advisory Services, LLC, and CSI Capital Management Inc. Cerity Partners advises a diverse client base including individuals, families, trusts, estates, charitable institutions, and institutional investors, managing approximately $166.2 billion in client assets as of December 31, 2025. The firm offers customized wealth management services and employs a client-specific investment framework that combines quantitative screening, manager selection, and access to alternative and private market solutions.

Arlie Green III is a financial advisor at Farther with 15 years of industry experience. He holds Series 65 and Series 66 credentials. Prior to joining Farther, he worked at Creative Planning Institutional Advisors, LLC, Fortress Wealth Management, Inc., and MJM401k, LLC. He serves as owner, president, and managing principal of Fortress Wealth Management, where he advises individual clients and manages firm operations. Additionally, he consults on individual 401(k) plans through Sageview Advisory Group. Farther provides discretionary investment management and advisory services primarily to individual investors, trusts, and estates using both digital platforms and in-person meetings. The firm employs a Modern Portfolio Theory-based approach implemented through proprietary models and algorithmic rebalancing, utilizing a mix of ETFs, mutual funds, equities, and fixed income.

Victor Cruz is a financial advisor at Citigroup Global Markets with 14 years of industry experience. He holds a Series 66 designation and has been with Citibank, N.A. and Citigroup Global Markets Inc. for the past 10 years. He is based in San Francisco, CA. Citigroup Global Markets Inc. serves individual and institutional clients across various wealth segments, offering investment advisory programs, broker-dealer execution, and custody services. The firm employs multi-asset, multi-manager strategies and operates with a large institutional scale, including roles as a swap dealer and futures commission merchant, providing a range of customized solutions for high-net-worth clients.

Michael Welch is a Series 65-licensed financial advisor with Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services, LLC, based in Oakland, CA. He has three years of industry experience, including roles at BTR Capital Management and The Van Allen Group. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services, LLC is an SEC-registered enterprise advisory firm serving a diverse client base, including individuals, trusts, charitable organizations, corporations, and retirement plans. The firm employs a strategic investment process that combines passive and active management, quantitative and fundamental research, and offers a range of financial planning and asset management services.

Andrew Hall is a CFP® with 17 years of industry experience, currently serving as a financial advisor at Farther. He previously worked at Bank of America and Merrill for 11 years. Outside of his advisory role, he is the owner of Gamma Crucis, LLC, a limited liability company. Farther serves individual investors, trusts, and estates through a technology-driven platform and direct client meetings. The firm offers discretionary investment management, retirement plan consulting, and non-discretionary recommendations, using a Modern Portfolio Theory-based approach with automated rebalancing and a focus on ETFs, mutual funds, equities, and fixed income.

Vanessa Stimac is a financial advisor with Ameritas Advisory Services, LLC, holding Series 63 and Series 66 licenses and bringing 27 years of industry experience. She has worked at Ameritas-related entities since 2006 and previously at Equitable Advisors from 2001 to 2006. Stimac is also the owner of VS Financial Planning, providing financial planning and brokerage services alongside her advisory role. Ameritas Advisory Services, LLC offers investment advisory and planning services to a diverse client base including individuals, high-net-worth investors, retirement plans, charitable organizations, and businesses. The firm employs a variety of investment strategies and platforms, utilizing model portfolios, mutual funds, ETFs, and individual securities, supported by both in-house and third-party managers.