Sikander Mehdi is an advisor at Private Advisor Group, LLC with Series 63 and Series 65 licenses. He has professional experience spanning multiple roles in various industries since 2019, including positions at LPL Financial and Global Advisor Group, and has a background that includes work in education and service sectors. Mehdi has also managed operations for EZ Moving & Storage LLC. Private Advisor Group serves individuals, trusts, estates, charitable organizations, businesses, and retirement plans by providing portfolio management, financial planning, retirement consulting, and access to a range of managed account solutions. The firm employs a fiduciary-based advisory model, utilizing technology platforms and multiple investment strategies while often implementing advice through third-party managers and TAMPs.

Ekaterina Sheliga is a financial advisor at Prime Capital Financial with 10 years of industry experience. She holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses. Her prior roles include positions at StanCorp Equities, Inc. and Arthur J Gallagher. Prime Capital Financial is an SEC-registered enterprise advisory firm serving individuals, trusts, corporations, and retirement plans. The firm offers asset management, financial planning, trustee services, and family office solutions, utilizing a range of investment strategies and platforms to manage accounts on discretionary and non-discretionary bases.

Louise Mercer is a financial advisor at Truist Advisory Services with one year of industry experience. She holds the Series 66 designation and has previously worked at Amegy Bank and Truist Investment Services. Outside of finance, she was involved with Mamaka Smoothie Bowls in 2022. Truist Advisory Services provides investment consulting and advisory services to individuals, corporate clients, retirement plan sponsors, and charitable organizations. The firm offers asset allocation analysis, fiduciary support, and manager-selection programs, integrating third-party platforms and a combination of discretionary and non-discretionary investment management.

Lei Shi is a financial advisor with Transamerica Financial Advisors, holding Series 63 and Series 65 credentials and bringing 28 years of industry experience. Lei has been with Transamerica Financial Advisors since 2012 and is also involved with Financial Training Inc. and Insurance Marketing Center in roles outside of direct investment advisory. Lei previously worked with the Chinese Friendship Affairs Association, Inc. from 2018 to 2021. Transamerica Financial Advisors provides investment advisory, brokerage, and retirement-plan services to a diverse client base, including individual investors, employer-sponsored plans, trusts, and charitable organizations. The firm primarily employs model portfolios and third-party managers to implement its advisory services through multiple platforms such as Transamerica ONE and the TFA365 Advisory Program.

Gloria Makino is a Series 66-licensed financial advisor with Independent Financial Group, LLC and has two years of industry experience. Prior to her financial services career, she spent nearly three decades as a performing artist, working as a singer, actress, dancer, pianist, and teacher. She also operates Makino Financial, a DBA used for marketing purposes. Independent Financial Group, LLC provides investment advisory and brokerage services to a wide range of clients, including individuals, high-net-worth clients, trusts, and corporate and pension plans. The firm offers various portfolio management solutions and financial planning services, utilizing both firm- and third-party models tailored to client risk profiles.

Janna Climer is a Series 66-licensed financial advisor at Primerica Advisors with one year of industry experience. Her prior roles include positions at Guardian Life Insurance Company, Private Advisor Group, LLC, and LPL Financial. Primerica Advisors operates under Park Avenue Securities LLC, serving a diverse retail client base with brokerage and advisory services. The firm offers various investment programs and solutions, including proprietary model portfolios, third-party managers, and digital advice platforms.

Ryan Torguson is a CFA charterholder with 20 years of industry experience, currently serving as a financial advisor at Hightower Advisors. His prior experience includes roles at RBC Capital Markets and Morgan Stanley Private Bank. He is involved with the CFA Society of Washington as chair of the External Relations Committee. Hightower Advisors provides investment advisory and planning services to a diverse client base, including individuals, institutions, and pooled investment vehicles. The firm emphasizes manager selection and multi-manager solutions, utilizing both affiliated and third-party managers, and offers a range of strategies including mutual funds, ETFs, alternatives, and custom indexing.

Garrett Scranton is a financial advisor at Wealthspire Advisors with three years of industry experience. He holds a Series 65 credential and has previously worked at Sagevest Wealth Management, Olio Financial Planning, and served in educational roles including at Virginia Tech and in middle and high schools. Wealthspire Advisors serves a diverse client base including individuals, corporations, retirement plans, and nonprofit organizations, providing wealth management, financial planning, and trustee services. The firm employs a relationship-driven, customized investment approach emphasizing diversified, institutional-style asset allocation and uses both discretionary and non-discretionary portfolio management strategies.

Hui Zhu is a CFA® charterholder and holds the Series 66 designation, with six years of industry experience. Hui is currently affiliated with Commonwealth Financial Network and has previously worked at Quantis Wealth Management and Oppenheimer. Commonwealth Financial Network is a dual-registered broker/dealer and SEC-registered investment adviser serving a national network of approximately 2,900 advisors and managing roughly $213 billion in client assets. The firm provides a broad adviser-support platform including managed-account programs, access to third-party asset managers, retirement and plan consulting, and custody services.

Bryan Slovon is a Series 65 licensed advisor with 17 years of industry experience. He has worked at J.W. Cole Advisors, Inc. since 2019 and previously spent nine years at Global Financial Private Capital, LLC. He is also the owner of Stuart Financial Group, an insurance agency based in Greenbelt, MD, which he has operated since 1990. Additionally, Slovon serves as vice president of SFG Marketing, Inc., where he oversees branding and marketing activities. J.W. Cole Advisors, Inc. operates a large network of independent Investment Adviser Representatives and offers fee-based portfolio management, financial planning, retirement plan services, and access to third-party manager platforms and digital advice. The firm serves individuals, high-net-worth clients, and institutional accounts using both discretionary and non-discretionary strategies that combine fundamental and technical analysis.

Michael Depirri is a financial advisor at Citigroup Global Markets with 34 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63, 65, and 66 licenses and previously worked at PNC Investments for 11 years before joining Citigroup in 2022. Citigroup Global Markets serves individual and institutional clients across various wealth segments, offering investment advisory programs, execution, and custody services. The firm employs multi-asset, multi-manager strategies through discretionary and non-discretionary programs and provides specialized services including derivatives and futures.

Moises Abascal Carrasco is a financial advisor at Cerity Partners LLC with one year of industry experience. He holds a Series 65 designation and previously worked at SOL Capital Management Company and TD Bank. Cerity Partners provides customized wealth management and related services to individuals, families, trusts, business entities, charitable organizations, and institutional investors nationwide. The firm’s approach includes tailored asset allocation, manager selection, and periodic rebalancing, utilizing proprietary quantitative screens alongside third-party managers and individual securities.

Jordan Hucht is a financial advisor with Commonwealth Financial Network in Columbia, MD. He holds the CFP® and ChFC® designations and has 16 years of industry experience. Prior to joining Commonwealth in 2016, he worked at MassMutual Life Insurance Company starting in 2009. Outside his advisory work, he co-owns Vision Wealth Partners, a business involved in selling fixed insurance products and operating a securities and advisory business. Commonwealth Financial Network is a dual-registered broker/dealer and SEC-registered investment adviser serving a national network of approximately 2,900 affiliated advisors and managing over $212 billion in client assets. The firm provides a broad adviser-support platform including managed account programs, access to third-party asset managers, retirement consulting, and custody services.

Tony Perry is a financial advisor with Truist Advisory Services, holding Series 63 and Series 66 credentials and possessing 22 years of industry experience. He has worked at SunTrust Advisory Services since 2016 and has been self-employed since 2009. Truist Advisory Services provides investment consulting and advisory services to individuals, corporate and business clients, retirement plan sponsors and participants, and charitable organizations. The firm combines discretionary manager relationships and non-discretionary consulting, utilizing third-party platforms and AI-enabled research tools for investment oversight and manager selection.

Brandi Dickey is a financial advisor at Hightower Advisors with 17 years of industry experience. She holds the Series 66 designation and previously worked at Morgan Stanley Smith Barney from 2009 to 2021 before joining Hightower in 2021. Outside of her advisory role, she provides pet sitting services on a part-time basis. Hightower Advisors offers investment advisory and planning services to a diverse client base, including individuals, institutions, and pooled investment vehicles. The firm’s approach emphasizes multi-manager solutions and proprietary research, providing access to a wide range of investment strategies and operational support.

Matthew Diehl is a financial advisor with TIAA-CREF in Columbia, MD, holding Series 63 and Series 66 licenses and having 15 years of industry experience. He has been with TIAA-CREF since 2014. Outside of his advisory role, he owns two rental properties. TIAA-CREF Individual & Institutional Services, LLC provides financial planning and discretionary managed account programs primarily to individuals connected with TIAA-administered retirement plans, as well as trusts, estates, partnerships, and small retirement plans. The firm offers both point-in-time planning and ongoing portfolio management through various programs, including customized portfolio options managed under client-approved investment policies.

Deborah Gandy is a financial advisor with Chevy Chase Trust Company in Bethesda, MD, holding Series 65 and Series 66 licenses and having 19 years of industry experience. She has been with Chevy Chase Trust Company since 2009. Chevy Chase Trust Company serves high-net-worth individuals, families, and institutional clients, offering discretionary and non-discretionary investment management, personal trust, family wealth and financial planning services, institutional custody, and access to collective investment funds. The firm employs a thematic investment approach focused on macroeconomic trends and sector themes, integrating fiduciary trust, custody, and investment management functions.

Frederick Hopkins is a CFA® charterholder with four years of industry experience. He has worked at Chevy Chase Trust Company since 2021 and previously spent eight years at Wilmington Trust, N.A. Chevy Chase Trust Company advises high-net-worth individuals, families, and institutional clients, offering investment management along with personal trust and wealth planning services. The firm employs a thematic investment approach that focuses on secular trends and diversification, combining fundamental, technical, and cyclical analysis across equities and fixed income.

Lewis Baker is a CFP® professional with 31 years of industry experience, currently affiliated with Farther. He founded Rock Creek Wealth Planners and has held roles at Coliseum Wealth Management and United Planners. Baker serves on the board of Yazam Inc. and is involved with several investor development roles and advisory boards outside of his advisory work. Farther serves individual investors, trusts, and estates through a technology-driven platform and direct client meetings, offering discretionary investment management, retirement plan consulting, and non-discretionary private fund recommendations. The firm employs a Modern Portfolio Theory-based approach using bespoke and algorithmic model portfolios, primarily allocating among ETFs, mutual funds, individual equities, and fixed income.

Kathryn O'Connor is a financial advisor at Wealthspire Advisors with three years of industry experience. She holds a Series 65 designation and has previously worked in educational roles at Virginia Tech and middle/high schools. Wealthspire Advisors is an SEC-registered investment adviser managing approximately $34.3 billion in assets for nearly 9,700 clients. The firm serves individuals, including high-net-worth clients, corporate and pension plans, and nonprofits, using an institutional-style asset allocation framework implemented through a diversified mix of investments and centralized oversight.