Peter Ruth is a financial advisor at Commonwealth Financial Network with 20 years of industry experience. He holds the Series 66 designation and has been with Commonwealth since 2016. He is also part owner of Brown Ruth Advisors, LLC, through which he sells fixed annuity products. 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 $212.7 billion in client assets. The firm offers a broad adviser-support platform including managed-account programs, access to third-party asset managers, and custody services.

Lisandra Slavik is a financial advisor with Truist Advisory Services in Dallas, TX, holding a Series 66 designation and eight years of industry experience. She has worked at Truist Investment Services and Truist Advisory Services since 2021 and previously spent over a decade at Fifth Third Bank and its securities division. Truist Advisory Services provides investment consulting and advisory services to individuals, corporate clients, retirement plan sponsors, and charitable organizations. The firm offers asset allocation, investment policy analysis, and fiduciary support, implementing advice through discretionary manager relationships and consulting with a focus on inter-affiliate integration.

Steven Novak is a financial advisor with Corient in Dallas, TX, holding a Series 66 designation and seven years of industry experience. His prior roles include positions at Morgan Stanley and RGT Wealth Advisors. He also serves as a guest lecturer and adjunct professor at the University of Kansas, teaching a course on estate planning for CFP and personal financial planning students. Corient serves a diverse client base including individuals, high-net-worth clients, trusts, pension plans, and corporate entities. The firm employs a goals-based investment approach that combines in-house strategies with third-party managers and utilizes risk management tools and alternative investments where appropriate.

Jeffrey Dunn Jr. is a CFP® professional with 11 years of industry experience, currently advising at Hightower Advisors since 2025. His prior roles include positions at Smith Anglin Financial, Fisher Investments, and TIAA-CREF. He serves as the Dallas Chapter Membership Committee Chair for the Dallas Financial Planning Association and is an Executive Organizer for Dallas MeetUp events. Hightower Advisors provides investment advisory and planning services to a diverse range of individual and institutional clients, employing a multi-manager approach that incorporates affiliated and third-party managers, proprietary research, and various portfolio construction techniques.

Ryan Solt is a CFP® and holds a Series 65 license with seven years of industry experience. He is currently with Hightower Advisors and has prior experience at The Capital Chart Room, Coiner Enterprises LLC, OneAmerica Securities, and Integrity Financial Group, among others. He continues to service former clients through Integrity Financial Group and American United Life, primarily receiving life insurance renewals. Hightower Advisors provides investment advisory and planning services to a diverse range of individual and institutional clients. The firm’s approach includes discretionary and non-discretionary portfolio management, a focus on manager selection, and the use of affiliated and third-party managers across various investment vehicles.

Laura Lee is a CFP® professional with four years of experience in the financial industry. She currently works at Corient and previously spent nine years at RGT Wealth Advisors. Corient provides investment advisory and financial planning services to a diverse client base, including individuals, high-net-worth clients, trusts, pension and profit-sharing plans, charitable organizations, and corporate entities. The firm employs a goals-based, team investment approach combining in-house strategies with third-party manager solutions and utilizes advanced risk management tools to align portfolios with client objectives.

Carl Wagner is a financial advisor at Corient with a Series 65 designation and four years of industry experience. Prior to joining Corient, he worked at Lincoln Property Company for 16 years. Carl is based in Dallas, TX. Corient provides investment advisory and financial planning services to a diverse client base including individuals, high-net-worth clients, trusts, pension plans, and charitable organizations. The firm utilizes a goals-based, team investment approach combining in-house strategies and third-party managers, with ongoing portfolio monitoring and risk management.

Cristian Barbalena is a financial advisor at Empower Advisory Group with a Series 66 designation and four years of industry experience. He previously worked at Wells Fargo Clearing and Wells Fargo Bank, as well as Bank of America. Empower Advisory Group provides financial planning and investment management primarily to employer-sponsored retirement plan sponsors and their participants, along with Empower Premier IRA and certain retail brokerage clients, using an integrated model linked to Empower’s recordkeeping and administrative platforms.

Brian Sears is a financial advisor at MAI Capital Management, LLC in Dallas, TX, holding Series 63 and Series 65 credentials with 30 years of industry experience. He was a founding partner, chairman, and CEO of Service Academy Capital Management, where he worked for 11 years prior to joining MAI. Sears has made private equity and early-stage investments in various firms, including a stake in an online music retailer and an investor position in SkyBridge Capital Management. MAI Capital Management provides investment management, wealth management, retirement plan consulting, and family-office services to a wide range of clients including high-net-worth individuals, families, sports professionals, and institutional investors. The firm offers customized portfolio management across multiple strategies and serves both in product-sponsor and advisory roles, managing over $72 billion in assets as of mid-2026.

Ian Mcgurran is a financial advisor with Primerica Advisors holding a Series 66 credential and four years of industry experience. He currently works at Park Avenue Securities and has previous experience with Guardian Life Insurance Company. Park Avenue Securities serves a broad retail client base, offering both brokerage and advisory services along with financial planning and retirement-plan consulting. The firm employs a variety of investment strategies through proprietary and third-party platforms and supports accounts with features such as discretionary management, mutual funds, ETFs, and securities-based lending.

Marshall Simmons is a financial advisor with Steward Partners Investment Advisory, LLC in Dallas, TX. He holds Series 65 and Series 63 licenses and has four years of industry experience. His prior work includes roles at Cambridge Investment Research Advisors Inc. and Prosper Mullins Private Wealth Management. Steward Partners Investment Advisory, LLC is an SEC-registered, enterprise-scale RIA managing approximately $36.7 billion in assets and serving individuals, pension plans, corporations, trusts, estates, and charitable organizations. The firm offers a range of investment advisory and financial planning services, including discretionary and non-discretionary portfolio management through various Steward Partners-branded solutions and third-party money managers.

Victor Gonzalez is a financial advisor at Goldman Sachs Wealth Services with three years of industry experience. He holds a Series 66 designation and has worked at Goldman Sachs since 2022. Prior to this, he held roles at Wells Fargo Clearing, Wells Fargo Bank, and had early career experience outside finance including positions at Best Buy and in the restaurant industry. Additionally, he works part-time providing transportation services for Uber Technologies. Goldman Sachs Wealth Services offers financial planning, investment management, and advisory support to a diverse client base, including individual, high-net-worth, corporate, charitable, and institutional clients. The firm combines centralized investment resources with tailored client solutions and operates within a large integrated financial group that provides access to a wide range of investment and banking services.

Kevin Benesh II is a CFA® charterholder with nine years of industry experience. He currently works at Cresset Asset Management, LLC, where he has been since 2026. Prior to joining Cresset, he spent nine years at JP Morgan Chase Bank. Cresset Asset Management is a multi-disciplinary investment adviser managing approximately $78.9 billion in client assets and serving individuals, high-net-worth clients, trusts, estates, retirement plans, corporations, and pooled investment vehicles. The firm employs a disciplined, risk-aware approach combining strategic asset allocation, manager selection, and both active and passive implementation across public equities, fixed income, and alternatives, utilizing tools such as artificial intelligence and machine-learning for research and analysis.

Lisa Emmons is a CFP® professional with 20 years of industry experience, currently serving as a financial advisor at VOYA Financial Advisors, Inc. since 2014. In addition to her advisory role, she operates as an independent insurance agent specializing in the sale of fixed insurance products. VOYA Financial Advisors, Inc. serves a diverse client base including individual investors, institutional clients, and retirement plan sponsors, offering services such as financial planning, portfolio management, and plan-sponsor consulting. The firm delivers advice through various program structures, emphasizing non-discretionary recommendations and maintaining its dual registration as both an SEC-registered investment adviser and broker-dealer.

Donald Goodwin is a financial advisor with Primerica Advisors in Rockwall, TX, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and three years of industry experience. He has worked at Park Avenue Securities, Guardian Life Insurance Company, and Northwestern Mutual in various roles. Outside of finance, he owns DG23 Fitness, a personal training business, and is a candidate for the McLendon Chisholm City Council. Park Avenue Securities LLC serves a broad retail client base, including individual and high-net-worth investors, charitable organizations, and corporate clients. The firm offers both brokerage and advisory services, with a range of proprietary and third-party investment programs and account-level services.

Rashi Poddar is a CFP® and CFA® with eight years of industry experience, currently serving as an advisor at Creative Planning since 2023. Prior to this, she worked at Nylife Securities LLC and New York Life Insurance Company from 2017 to 2023. Outside of financial advising, she is a board member of the Frisco Gifted Association and the CFA Society of Dallas/Fort Worth, and is involved in several nonprofit and entrepreneurial ventures including software consulting and franchise partnerships. Creative Planning provides investment advisory and financial planning services to a diverse client base including individuals, corporations, foundations, trusts, and retirement plans. The firm employs a financial planning–led investment approach with an emphasis on low-cost indexing and buy-and-hold strategies, supported by a large advisory team and centralized investment infrastructure.

Noah Van Nest is a financial advisor at Goldman Sachs Wealth Services with a Series 66 credential and one year of industry experience. His prior roles include positions at BlueStem Wealth Partners and Interlachen Country Club. He has a background in education, with experience at Southern Methodist University, Southwest Christian High School, and Southview Middle School. Goldman Sachs Wealth Services advises a diverse client base, including individual investors and institutional clients, offering financial planning, portfolio management, and specialized wealth programs. The firm’s advisory teams customize strategies using proprietary analytical tools and leverage the broader Goldman Sachs ecosystem to provide comprehensive investment solutions.

Kylie Stevens is a Series 65-licensed financial advisor with Hightower Advisors, based in Dallas, TX. She has three years of industry experience, previously working at Dearborn and Creggs and H-E-B. Hightower Advisors offers investment advisory and planning services to a diverse range of individual and institutional clients, utilizing a multi-manager approach that includes affiliated and third-party managers. The firm provides various portfolio management and financial planning services with an emphasis on manager selection and access to proprietary research.

Aashka Dasgupta is a financial advisor at Goldman Sachs Wealth Services with a Series 66 designation. She joined Goldman Sachs in 2024 and has prior experience at The Stack, Emergent Method/Deloitte, and Texas A&M Health Science Center. Dasgupta is based in Dallas, TX, and is a recent graduate of Texas A&M. Goldman Sachs Wealth Services provides financial planning, investment management, and advisory support to individual and high-net-worth clients, as well as corporate, charitable, and institutional participants. The firm utilizes centralized investment resources and offers tailored services including Executive Wealth and Private Family Office support, operating within a large integrated financial group with diverse capabilities.

Jonathan Johnson is a financial advisor with Eagle Strategies (NY Life) based in Dallas, TX, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and bringing 23 years of industry experience. He has been associated with Eagle Strategies since 2007 and operates Johnson Financial Strategies, LLC. Outside of his financial advisory work, he is an officer supporting the East Texas triathlon community and is involved in recording and sound mixing of church services. 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 offers tailored advice across various program types and manages a significant portion of its assets on a non-discretionary basis, working with diverse client segments including retirement investors and institutional plan sponsors.