Benjamin Bradford is a financial advisor with Creative Planning, holding a Series 66 designation and 23 years of industry experience. His prior roles include positions at Maxwell Wealth Strategies Inc. and various E*TRADE entities spanning from 2007 to 2023. Outside of advisory work, he manages a rental property in Pleasanton, California. Creative Planning serves a diverse client base, including individuals, corporations, foundations, trusts, and retirement plans, delivering investment advisory and financial planning services. The firm employs a financial planning–led investment process emphasizing low-cost indexing and buy-and-hold strategies, supported by a large advisory team and centralized investment infrastructure.

Oliver Orzal is a financial advisor with Equity Services, Inc. in Oakland, CA, holding Series 63 and Series 65 credentials and bringing 27 years of industry experience. His prior roles include positions at Ameritas Advisory Services, Ameritas Life Insurance Corp., and David White & Associates. He is involved in the marketing of wealth and insurance services under the names Falcon PG Wealth Management and Insurance Services and Nagomi Wealth Management and Insurance Services. 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 uses multiple advisory platforms, including third-party asset managers and model portfolios, and combines long-term strategies with options for shorter-term trading.

Keith Furuya is a financial advisor with Farther and holds a Series 66 designation. He has 23 years of industry experience, including 20 years at Black Walnut Advisors LLC and prior roles at Investors Resources Group, Inc. and MSI Financial Services, Inc. In addition to his advisory work, he serves as a board director for Filtrano Tapes and is a licensed independent insurance broker in California. Farther provides discretionary investment management and advisory services primarily to individual investors, trusts, and estates through a web and mobile platform complemented by in-person meetings. The firm uses a Modern Portfolio Theory-based approach with algorithmic rebalancing and incorporates AI tools alongside advisor judgment.

Michelle Le is a financial advisor at Sanctuary Advisors, LLC, holding a Series 66 designation. She has experience working at Sanctuary Securities, Inc. and Morling Financial Advisors. Michelle's background also includes an extended period of education spanning N. Torrance High School, El Camino College, and the University of California, Berkeley. Sanctuary Advisors, LLC provides investment advisory and financial planning services to a diverse range of clients, including individuals, corporations, pension plans, and charitable organizations, through a network of more than 400 independent investment adviser representatives. The firm offers portfolio management, retirement plan consulting, and uses various analytical approaches, acting as a fiduciary under written advisory agreements.

Eric Schulkin is a CFP® with 12 years of industry experience, currently serving as a financial advisor at Oppenheimer since 2018. He previously worked at Gerber Kawasaki, Inc. and LPL Financial. Schulkin serves as a trustee on the board of Drew School, a nonprofit educational institution in San Francisco. Oppenheimer is a registered investment adviser and broker-dealer that serves individuals, corporations, pension and profit-sharing plans, and charitable organizations. The firm offers a broad range of investment programs and consulting services, combining discretionary and non-discretionary approaches across various asset classes.

Cheng Yu Lee is a financial advisor with HSBC Securities (USA) Inc. in San Francisco, holding Series 63 and Series 66 licenses and nine years of industry experience. He has been with HSBC Securities USA Inc. and HSBC Bank USA National Association since 2017. Prior to that, he was involved in personal trading in the financial market for one year. HSBC Securities (USA) Inc. offers managed account programs to individuals, retirement accounts, charitable organizations, and corporations. The firm provides a range of client-directed and discretionary investment programs, using a structured investment process that incorporates multiple risk profiles and combines strategic and tactical asset allocation with ongoing fund due diligence and monitoring.

Zachary Schiller is a CFP® with 24 years of industry experience, currently serving as a financial advisor at Mercer Global Advisors Inc. He previously worked at Sanford C. Bernstein & Co. LLC, Jones, Schiller & Littman, LLP, and Morgan Stanley in various capacities. Outside of his advisory role, he is a co-founding member of a consumer packaged goods company and serves on the board and finance committee of a senior center in San Francisco, in addition to volunteering as a youth soccer referee. Mercer Global Advisors provides investment advisory and planning services to a diverse client base, including individuals, high-net-worth families, small business owners, corporate plan sponsors, and nonprofit organizations. The firm’s investment approach is based on Modern Portfolio Theory, emphasizing globally diversified, risk-appropriate portfolios with multi-factor tilts and tax management, using a range of investment vehicles and platforms.

Michael Paganucci is a financial advisor at Oppenheimer with 17 years of industry experience. He holds a Series 66 designation and has worked at notable firms including Ameriprise Financial Services, Morgan Stanley, and Citigroup Global Markets. Based in San Francisco, CA, he has been with Oppenheimer since 2020. Oppenheimer is a registered investment adviser and broker-dealer serving individuals, corporations, pension plans, charitable organizations, and IRAs. The firm offers a variety of programs with both discretionary and non-discretionary advisory services, focusing on strategic and tactical asset allocation, manager selection, and customized retirement and consulting engagements.

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.

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.

Nelson Tan is a financial advisor with Transamerica Financial Advisors, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and bringing 22 years of industry experience. He has been with Transamerica Financial Advisors since 2012 and also has roles in software development and martial arts coaching. Outside of advising, he is involved in software development and teaches martial arts. Transamerica Financial Advisors provides investment advisory, brokerage, and retirement-plan services to a wide range of clients, including individuals, retirement plans, trusts, and charitable organizations. The firm employs a model portfolio approach and third-party managers to implement its advisory services through multiple platforms.

Jessica Gardner is a financial advisor at IEQ Capital, LLC with five years of industry experience. She holds a Series 66 designation and has worked previously at City National Rochdale and Whittier Trust Company. IEQ Capital provides discretionary and non-discretionary portfolio management and advisory services primarily to high-net-worth individuals, families, and institutional clients. The firm focuses on separately managed accounts and integrates alternative investments through an extensive private-investment platform.

Scott Sprague is a CFP® professional with 37 years of industry experience, currently associated with Private Advisor Group, LLC. His prior roles include tenures at LPL Financial and Mariner Independent Advisor Network, among others. He is also involved in managing Sprague Wealth Solutions and New West Insurance, which provide non-variable insurance products. Private Advisor Group serves individuals, trusts, estates, charitable organizations, businesses, and retirement plans by offering discretionary and non-discretionary portfolio management, financial planning, and retirement plan consulting. The firm employs a fiduciary-based advisory model, combining in-house portfolio management and third-party strategist selections, supported by technology platforms and a variety of investment strategies.

Eric Lau is a financial advisor with HSBC Securities (USA) Inc. in Fremont, CA, holding Series 63 and Series 66 licenses and 15 years of industry experience. His prior roles include positions at LPL Financial, BMO Bank NA, and The Prudential Insurance Company of America. Outside of his advisory work, Lau serves as a board member of the Chinese Realtor Association of America and the SF BARE Lions Club, and he is co-chair of the Business Leadership Council at Asian Health Services, engaging in community advocacy and event planning. HSBC Securities (USA) Inc. offers managed account programs serving individuals, retirement accounts, charitable organizations, and corporations, with investment approaches that combine strategic and tactical asset allocation across various risk profiles. The firm manages both discretionary and non-discretionary portfolios and distinguishes itself through a range of program options and operational registrations.

Alexandra Leahy is a financial advisor at IEQ Capital, LLC with a Series 65 credential and one year of industry experience. Prior to joining IEQ Capital, she held roles at Third Bridge, Amazon/Shopbop, and several other organizations. IEQ Capital provides portfolio management and investment advisory services primarily to high-net-worth individuals and families, as well as trusts, foundations, endowments, and nonprofit organizations. The firm’s investment approach combines centralized macroeconomic research with client-specific Investment Policy Statements and includes a mix of liquid strategies, third-party independent managers, and private alternative investments.

Shelby Stahr is a CFP® professional with seven years of industry experience, currently serving at Cerity Partners LLC since 2021. Prior to joining Cerity Partners, Shelby worked at B|O|S, Private Ocean, and Mosaic Financial Partners. Cerity Partners provides customized wealth management and related services to a diverse national clientele, including high-net-worth individuals, families, trusts, business entities, charitable organizations, and institutional investors. The firm employs a tailored investment approach combining proprietary quantitative screens with third-party managers and individual securities, and offers a range of services including portfolio management, financial planning, retirement consulting, and access to alternative investments.

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.

Anna Dearborn is a Series 66–licensed financial advisor with nine years of industry experience. She currently works at Principal Financial Services and has held roles at Principal Bank, Principal Trust Company, and Principal Securities since 2023. Prior to that, she was with Fidelity Investments, Bank of America, and Merrill. She also serves as a bank and trust officer at Principal Bank and Principal Trust Company, supporting retirement plan account relationships. Principal Securities provides brokerage and registered investment advisory services to a diverse client base, including individual investors, retirement plans, trusts, estates, charitable organizations, corporations, and active-duty military personnel. The firm offers direct advisory programs, financial planning, retirement plan consulting, and access to third-party money manager asset allocation and separately managed account solutions.

David Coleman is a financial advisor at IEQ Capital, LLC with one year of industry experience. He holds a Series 65 designation and has worked previously at Fremont Group, First Republic Bank, and Salvona Technologies among other firms. IEQ Capital provides portfolio management and investment advisory services primarily to high-net-worth individuals, families, trusts, foundations, and non-profit organizations. The firm’s investment approach incorporates centralized macroeconomic research and client-specific Investment Policy Statements, utilizing a blend of liquid strategies, third-party independent managers, and private alternative investments.

Matthew Halick is a financial advisor with Ameritas Advisory Services, LLC in San Ramon, CA, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and having eight years of industry experience. His career includes roles at Ameritas Investment Corp, Ameritas Life Insurance Corp, Garaventa Accountancy Corporation, and David White & Associates. Outside of financial advising, he serves as Treasurer of the Sacramento Safari Club, a chapter involved in environmental conservation. 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 utilizes a mix of model portfolios, mutual funds, ETFs, and other securities across multiple program platforms while leveraging third-party technology and managers.