David Oosterbaan is the founder of DCO Capital Management LLC in Chicago, IL, with 14 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and has been self-employed since 2009. Outside of his advisory work, he is a managing member of Jackson Partnership LLC, a private fund, and is involved in private real estate investing and consulting on recruiting and business development. DCO Capital Management provides discretionary portfolio management and financial planning to individuals, trusts, estates, foundations, endowments, pension and profit-sharing plans, and charitable organizations. The firm emphasizes a Buffett-style investment approach focused on fundamental research and long-term growth, constructing individualized portfolios based on client-specific factors.

Arthur Busby is the sole advisor at Stratford Investment Advisory Group, Inc., with 28 years of industry experience. He has been with the firm since 1990. Stratford Investment Advisory Group is a small, independent firm that provides customized portfolio management for individuals, high-net-worth clients, family trusts, and pension/profit-sharing accounts. The firm emphasizes a conservative, capital-preservation approach using fundamental, technical, and cyclical analysis, and focuses on maintaining personal contact to align asset allocation with clients’ cash-flow needs and risk tolerance.

John Couleur is the sole advisor at Couleur Investments in Wilmette, Illinois, holding a Series 65 designation with five years of industry experience. He has managed Couleur Investments since 2020 and previously operated under his own name from 2000 to 2022. Couleur Investments provides investment management and standalone financial planning services to individuals, families, trusts, estates, foundations, charitable organizations, and business entities. The firm employs a top-down investment approach focusing on high-quality growth and undervalued securities, incorporating fundamental, technical, cyclical, and event-driven analysis with a long-term holding strategy.

Veronica Cardenas is the principal of Cardenas Asset Management, LLC, an independent firm based in Chicago. She holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and has 25 years of industry experience. Since founding her firm in 2000, she has focused on providing investment management and financial planning services. Cardenas Asset Management serves individuals, high-net-worth clients, trusts, estates, charitable institutions, and corporate entities. The firm emphasizes publicly traded equities, ETFs, mutual funds, and fixed-income instruments, using a long-term, quality-focused investment approach with tax-aware strategies and supports in-kind donations of appreciated securities as part of its planning services.

Nathan Kirckof is a CFA® charterholder and principal at Honeyguide Capital Partners in Chicago, IL. He has experience at Fitch Ratings, where he serves as a director and analyst, as well as prior roles at Bixby Research and Analytics LLC and U.S. Bank. Kirckof’s work at Fitch Ratings involves credit ratings and data analytics. Honeyguide Capital Partners provides fee-based discretionary investment management to individuals, trusts, estates, charitable organizations, and corporate clients. The firm employs a tactical asset allocation strategy using a concentrated set of exchange-listed securities, ETFs, and options, managing client assets according to a proprietary model portfolio rather than tailored individual plans.

Richard Ford is a financial advisor at Lloyd Park, LLC in Wilmette, IL, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses with 11 years of industry experience. He has been with Lloyd Park since 2014. Lloyd Park, LLC is an independent firm providing discretionary asset and portfolio management primarily to individuals, high-net-worth clients, and related trusts and estates, with $167.3 million in assets under management. The firm tailors investment programs to client objectives and risk tolerance, employing a range of investment vehicles and quantitative analysis, and also serves charitable organizations within its account policies.

Melanie Hummer is a CFP® and CFA® with 27 years of experience in financial advisory services. She is the founder of Hummer Financial Advisory Services Inc, where she has worked since 1999. In addition to her advisory role, she is a self-employed CPA specializing in income tax return preparation and is the creator and president of costbasis.com, a website providing resources and calculators for investors to account for corporate reorganizations. Hummer Financial Advisory Services, Inc. provides discretionary investment supervisory services and a range of financial planning engagements for individuals, trusts, retirement accounts, corporations, and charitable organizations. The firm emphasizes tax-aware, buy-and-hold investment strategies with a focus on controlling taxable events and maintaining detailed tax records, supported by the firm’s integration of accounting and tax expertise.

Peigen Tao is the principal of Taos Investment Advisors, LLC in Chicago, IL, holding the CFA® designation along with Series 63 and Series 65 licenses, and has 28 years of industry experience. He has worked with Purshe Kaplan Sterling Investments and operates several affiliated businesses, including an accounting firm and an insurance agency, where he holds management roles. Tao’s other business activities include serving as president of an insurance agency and partner in an accounting firm. Taos Investment Advisors provides financial planning, consulting, and discretionary asset management primarily to individual and high-net-worth clients, as well as small business owners. The firm employs both fundamental and technical analysis and manages approximately $78.9 million in assets across about 116 client relationships.

Nino Lekarczyk is a financial advisor with WealthRidge Investments LLC and holds Series 63 and Series 66 designations. He has seven years of industry experience, including prior roles at JPMorgan Chase Bank and J.P. Morgan Securities. Outside of advisory work, he owns and leases residential real estate through Taylor and Lake Properties LLC. WealthRidge Investments LLC is an independent firm offering discretionary asset management, financial planning, and consulting services to individuals, high-net-worth clients, and business entities. The firm employs fundamental and cyclical analysis alongside Modern Portfolio Theory in its investment approach and may use sub-advisors while retaining overall client responsibility.

Scott Wentsel is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ with nine years of industry experience and the principal advisor at Wentsel Wealth Management, LLC. He has managed his independent advisory firm since 2016 and has been a professor at DePaul University since 2011. Outside of his advisory work, he serves as a trustee for an investment-related advisory firm. Wentsel Wealth Management provides investment management and financial planning to individuals, high-net-worth households, pension and profit-sharing plans, and charitable organizations. The firm uses a low-cost, globally diversified investment approach centered on asset allocation, combining index-oriented ETFs and mutual funds with selective active management and individual securities, and offers institutional services uncommon for a firm of its size.

James Krebec is a CFP® professional with 28 years of industry experience, currently serving as the sole advisor at CIC Investment Consultants, LLC since 2003. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and maintains an Arkansas insurance license, though he spends no meaningful time in the insurance business. CIC Investment Consultants provides investment management and financial planning services to individuals, pension and profit-sharing plans, charitable organizations, and corporate clients. The firm offers discretionary portfolio management, written financial plans, and advisory services on private securities and alternative investments, using a variety of analytical methods and strategies tailored to client goals and risk tolerance.

William Nedza is a CFP® professional with 34 years of industry experience, currently serving as the sole advisor at Ventoux Financial Advisors, LLC since 2018. His career includes leadership roles at Nedza Financial Advisors, LLC and Aos, Inc. Outside of advisory work, he holds active insurance licenses and engages in insurance sales. Ventoux Financial Advisors, LLC is an independent registered investment adviser that provides written financial planning and discretionary portfolio management to individuals, high-net-worth clients, trusts, estates, pension and profit-sharing plans, and other U.S. entities. The firm employs a combination of fundamental and technical analysis, risk management tools, and diversified investment strategies across various asset classes.

Thai Thomas Tran is a CFP® professional with seven years of industry experience, currently serving as the sole advisor at Petrarch Wealth Management in Chicago. His prior work includes roles at Ameriprise Financial Services and Ameriprise Financial. Outside of his advisory duties, he owns and operates Petrarch Insurance Services LLC, which provides online non-investment financial education and consulting. Petrarch Wealth Management offers both discretionary and non-discretionary asset management, financial planning, and retirement-plan consulting services to individual and retirement plan clients. The firm emphasizes capital preservation and risk management through behavioral economics, goal-based planning, and strategic asset allocation, managing approximately $11.9 million across about 40 client relationships.

Kevin Yu is a CFP® and CFA® charterholder with 20 years of experience in financial advisory. He has led Yunistone Investment Group, LLC since its founding in 2009. The firm provides investment advisory and management services to high-net-worth individuals and institutional clients, focusing on long-term, globally diversified, and tax-efficient portfolios using a core-satellite approach that combines passive index and ETF exposures with actively managed funds.

Gerard Downey is a financial advisor at Linden Wealth Management LLC with 10 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and has worked at RBC Capital Markets since 2011. Linden Wealth Management LLC provides investment management and financial planning services to individuals, high-net-worth clients, trusts, estates, charitable organizations, and small to medium-sized businesses. The firm emphasizes modern portfolio theory, using low-cost, index-based ETFs and mutual funds, while also incorporating individualized securities and alternative investments as appropriate.

We guide First Gen Wealth Builders to align money with purpose. When you’re a First Gen, the financial safety net didn’t exist. You built your own. We partner with individuals, families, and entrepreneurs who’ve built success from the ground up. Does this sound like you? You’re ready for guidance that feels aligned, not intimidating. Advice that honors where you came from and helps you build what’s next. Hiring a financial planner? That’s new territory. No one in your family has done this before. Success has evolved. The questions are bigger now — more strategic, more intentional. -How do I balance saving and investing for my family with still having the freedom to travel, be present and enjoy life? -How do we protect what we’ve built, legally, financially, and emotionally, in a system that wasn’t built for us? -How do I make smarter decisions around taxes, equity comp, and investments, without second-guessing every move? Enter FirstGen Wealth: A Financial Life Planning Practice - Independent - Fee-Only (one flat fee for financial planning and Investment Management) -Fiduciary 100% of the time - Virtual - Based in Chicago and work with clients nationwide (most clients are in CA, NY, NJ, WA, VA, GA, and TX) Meet Valerie Rivera, CFP®, Founder & Financial Planner: -CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ professional with nearly 20 years of experience advising clients with $10–$20 million portfolios. Now using that same expertise to empower First Gen Wealth Builders. -Wife, mother, homeowner, and business owner bringing real-world perspective to every financial plan. - A proud First Gen who built her own financial safety net and reached Coast FI by 40. Passionate about tax planning, travel, and helping others design lives of freedom and purpose. Her six-year-old has already visited more than 15 countries, and I’m always planning the next four. -Culturally competent, inclusive, and a proud LGBTQ+ ally committed to financial equity and social justice.

Sam Bakou is a CFP® with 20 years of industry experience, currently serving as the sole advisor at Sora Wealth, LLC. He previously worked at Vantage Financial Partners Limited for 18 years before founding his independent firm in 2021. Sora Wealth provides wealth management and financial planning services to individuals, high-net-worth clients, trusts, estates, charitable organizations, and business entities. The firm combines client-specific financial planning with tailored asset allocations, employing both fundamental and technical analysis, and uses an external sub-adviser for trade execution and back-office functions while retaining supervisory responsibility.

Sam Macaluso is the founder and principal of Ripple Ridge Enterprises LLC, an independent advisory firm. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and has 14 years of industry experience. In addition to his advisory work, he operates an independent insurance agency and a CPA firm, SAM D. Macaluso & Associates, which provides accounting and tax-preparation services. Ripple Ridge Enterprises serves individual and high-net-worth clients with financial planning, portfolio management, and retirement plan consulting. The firm employs an asset-allocation approach and utilizes a range of investments, including mutual funds, ETFs, private placements, and non-traded real estate investment trusts.

Edwin Cogan is a financial advisor at Steeplechase Investments with 28 years of industry experience. He has been with Steeplechase Investments since 1994. Steeplechase Investments provides discretionary portfolio management primarily to individual clients, focusing on direct investments in stocks, bonds, and exchange-traded funds. The firm employs an active, tactical approach that adjusts between capital appreciation and preservation based on macroeconomic analysis and technical chart patterns, tailoring portfolios to clients’ age and income needs.

William Alt is a financial advisor at MWS Capital Consultants LLC with five years of industry experience. He holds a Series 65 designation and has worked at MWS Capital Consultants since 2020. Prior to his current role, he was affiliated with UW-Madison and the Camp Randall Rowing Club, and he has over two decades of experience in public schools. MWS Capital Consultants LLC offers personalized investment management, wealth-planning, and consulting services to individuals, high-net-worth clients, trusts, pension and profit-sharing plans, and corporate clients. The firm emphasizes a Classic Portfolio Management strategy focused on fundamental, technical, and cyclical analysis, managing mostly discretionary portfolios while supporting interactive financial planning through the eMoney Advisor platform.