Brian Langenkamp is a financial advisor at Zacks Investment Management, Inc. in Chicago, IL, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses with 22 years of industry experience. He has been with Zacks & Company and Zacks Investment Management since 2004. Zacks Investment Management provides discretionary portfolio management to a diverse client base including individuals, trusts, retirement plans, and institutional investors. The firm combines quantitative and qualitative analysis through proprietary models and offers a range of investment strategies and vehicles, serving both direct clients and third-party advisers.

Byron Ramult is a CFP® professional with 24 years of industry experience, currently with Stratos Wealth Advisors LLC. He has held roles at firms including LPL Financial and Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services. Stratos Wealth Advisors serves individual and institutional clients, including high-net-worth households and retirement plans, through a multi-team network. The firm offers financial planning, portfolio management, and access to third-party managers, tailoring services to client goals with a combination of discretionary management and technology-enabled solutions.

Dar Baruchim is a financial advisor with Mariner Independent in Schaumburg, IL, holding Series 63 and Series 65 registrations. Baruchim has been with Mariner Platform Solutions and Kadima Wealth since 2026 and has prior experience at Northwestern Mutual and ATN Inc. Mariner Independent serves individuals—including high-net-worth clients—as well as pension and profit-sharing plans, trusts, estates, charitable organizations, and business entities. The firm offers financial planning, portfolio management, retirement plan consulting, insurance solutions, and access to alternative investments through a network of advisors using a wide range of investment tools and affiliated businesses.

Evan Perduk is a CFP® professional with three years of industry experience, currently advising at Root Financial Partners. He previously worked at Thor Wealth Management and has held roles in various industries including insurance and engineering. Outside of his advisory work, Evan is the president and founder of EMP Tax & Patronage, LLC, which provides tax preparation services for individuals. Root Financial Partners offers investment management and comprehensive financial planning to individuals, trusts, estates, small businesses, and retirement-plan relationships. The firm employs a broadly diversified, passive investment approach tailored to client objectives and risk tolerance, with additional capabilities in specialized strategies and educational programming.

Konstantine Andrakakos is a CFA® charterholder with 14 years of industry experience. He has worked at Aaron Wealth Advisors since 2018 and previously held roles at Northern Trust Securities, Northern Trust Bank, and Deutsche Bank. Aaron Wealth Advisors serves high-net-worth and institutional clients, including business owners, entrepreneurs, and multi-generational families, providing discretionary and non-discretionary portfolio management as well as standalone financial consulting. The firm uses an outsourced platform to access third-party managers and offers option overlay strategies, maintaining a relatively small advisor team while managing several billion in client assets.

Brian Plain is a CFP® with 20 years of industry experience and has been with Gradient Advisors, LLC since 2014. He provides consulting services focused on business management and growth to small business owners. Gradient Advisors offers investment management, financial planning, and consulting services to individuals, retirement plans, trusts, estates, charitable organizations, corporations, and other business entities. The firm operates primarily through third-party money managers and Investment Advisor Representatives, using a largely non-discretionary approach that incorporates multiple analytical methods to align portfolios with client objectives and risk tolerance.

Martin Pomrehn is a CFP® and PFS™ with 37 years of industry experience. He has been with Forum Financial Management, LP since 2016 and previously worked at Purshe Kaplan Sterling Investments, Inc. from 2016 to 2020. In addition to his advisory role, he is president and shareholder of MP360° Tax Services, Ltd., a CPA firm providing accounting and tax planning services. Forum Financial Management, LP offers investment advisory and related services to individuals, retirement plan sponsors, charitable organizations, and institutional clients. The firm utilizes model asset-allocation portfolios based on Modern Portfolio Theory and serves a significant number of independent advisors and RIAs through its turn-key asset-management platform.

Stanley Lovelace is a financial advisor at ON Investment Management CO with 34 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and has worked concurrently at multiple firms, including United Security Life, Principal Financial Group, THE O.N. Equity Sales Company, and Cadaret, Grant & Co., Inc. Outside of his advisory roles, he owns and operates several businesses focused on selling fixed annuities, life insurance, disability, and health products, as well as marketing term life insurance through an online platform. ON Investment Management Company is a SEC-registered investment adviser that provides financial planning, portfolio management, and retirement-plan advisory services to individuals, families, trusts, estates, charitable organizations, businesses, and ERISA plan sponsors. The firm offers a range of advisory services and access to third-party investment programs, managing accounts through a combination of discretionary and non-discretionary relationships.

Cody Maxwell is a CFP® with six years of industry experience, currently serving as a financial advisor at OnePoint BFG Wealth Partners. His prior roles include positions at Northwestern Mutual Investment Services LLC, Charles Schwab, and Kevin Spahn. OnePoint BFG Wealth Partners offers customized financial planning and wealth management services to a diverse client base, including individuals, retirement plans, charitable organizations, trusts, estates, and corporate entities. The firm employs a variety of proprietary models and third-party managers, managing most client assets on a discretionary basis.

Patrick Donohue is a financial advisor at Ausdal Financial Partners, Inc. with three years of industry experience. He holds the Series 65 designation and has worked in various roles including as an agent providing life and health insurance services. Donohue’s background includes experience with BCH Wealth Management, LLC, and involvement in non-investment business activities such as managing insurance needs for individuals and small businesses. Ausdal Financial Partners serves a diverse client base including individuals, trusts, estates, retirement plans, and business entities, managing approximately $3.73 billion across more than 16,000 clients. The firm offers tailored investment strategies through advisor-managed and separately managed accounts, leveraging multiple custodians and third-party managers in both discretionary and non-discretionary formats.

Matt Goren is a CFP® professional at Main Street Financial Solutions, LLC with two years of industry experience. He is also Chief Strategy Officer at Danko Education, a financial education firm specializing in CFP® training, and serves as Director of Curriculum for Global Financial Planning Institute. Prior to his current role, Matt worked at Farther Finance Advisors and CeriFi. Main Street Financial Solutions serves a diverse client base including individuals, pension and profit-sharing plans, trusts, and business entities. The firm offers financial planning, investment and wealth management, and retirement plan consulting, employing an academic-based, multi-asset class investment approach tailored to client objectives and risk profiles.

Ethan Rosenbloom is a CFP® professional with nine years of experience in financial advising. He currently works at Alera Investment Advisors, LLC and has previously been associated with firms including Triad Advisors, Inc. and Discovery Group. Outside of his advisory role, he has worked as a delivery driver for food services. Alera Investment Advisors offers investment management, financial planning, and retirement-plan advisory services to individuals, families, trusts, businesses, institutions, and employer-sponsored plans. The firm employs a primarily long-term, fundamental-analysis investment approach and integrates its advisory services with insurance and pension-consulting platforms.

Grace Stewart is a financial advisor at The Mather Group, LLC with two years of industry experience. She holds the Series 65 designation and worked in education prior to joining The Mather Group. The Mather Group serves high-net-worth individuals, family offices, trusts, corporations, and other entities by providing integrated financial planning, investment management, tax and estate planning, and family office services. The firm employs an evidence-based investment approach with risk-based allocation models and offers customization options such as direct indexing and ESG portfolios.

Daniel Hynes is a financial advisor at SpiderRock Advisors, LLC with one year of industry experience. He holds a Series 66 designation and has worked previously at BlackRock Investments LLC, Halo Investing, and Northern Trust Company. SpiderRock Advisors provides discretionary investment advisory and sub-advisory services to institutional and individual clients, including asset managers, registered investment advisers, banks, broker-dealers, family offices, and high-net-worth individuals. The firm utilizes systematic, technical, and rules-based processes combined with quantitative and fundamental analysis to manage option-based hedges and yield-enhancing overlays.

Kim Brownlee is a financial advisor with MissionSquare Retirement in Chicago, IL, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and bringing 27 years of industry experience. She has been with Icma Retirement Corporation since 2007. MissionSquare Retirement serves state and local government employers, their employees, and certain nonprofit entities by administering deferred compensation and qualified retirement plans, offering plan administration, recordkeeping, education, and Guided Pathways Advisory Services. The firm’s advisory approach includes discretionary Managed Accounts and nondiscretionary Fund Advice developed by Morningstar Investment Management, with a multi-team advisory structure supporting more than 40,000 participants.

Thomas Fogerty is a CFP® and ChFC® with 33 years of experience in financial services. He has worked at BFC Planning, Inc. and Berthel, Fisher & Company Financial Services, Inc. since 2019, and previously at Penn Mutual Life Insurance Co and Hornor Townsend & Kent Inc. from 2010 to 2019. Fogerty is also involved with TJF Retirement Strategies, providing financial planning and investment advisory services. BFC Planning, Inc. serves a diverse client base including individuals, corporations, banks, and pension plans through a network of approximately 200 investment adviser representatives. The firm offers financial planning, portfolio management, and access to various advisory platforms, with investment strategies that include stocks, bonds, mutual funds, and ETFs.

Steven Dudash is a financial advisor with IHT Wealth Management LLC in Chicago, IL, holding a Series 66 designation and 26 years of industry experience. He has worked at LPL Financial and Lpl Insurance Associates since 2014. Outside of his advisory role, Dudash serves as CEO and Principal of Riverwalk Capital Partners LLC. IHT Wealth Management serves individuals, pension and profit-sharing plans, charitable organizations, trusts, and corporate clients. The firm employs a blended investment approach combining fundamental stock selection with quantitative tools and diversified model portfolios, offering discretionary asset management, financial planning, and ERISA fiduciary services through a large network of advisors.

Alejandro Pastrana is a financial advisor with Packerland Brokerage Services, Inc. He holds Series 65 and Series 63 licenses and has nine years of industry experience. His prior roles include positions at Northwestern Mutual and Serene Financial Group. Pastrana is the sole proprietor of Serene Financial Group, LLC, where he provides life, health, long-term care, and disability insurance. Packerland Brokerage Services, Inc. serves individual and institutional clients through a network of 176 advisors and offers financial planning, portfolio management, and retirement-plan consulting. The firm utilizes a range of investment solutions, including third-party managers and various managed account structures, available on both discretionary and non-discretionary bases.

Christian Early is a financial advisor at Curi Capital, LLC in Chicago, IL, holding a Series 65 designation with five years of industry experience. He previously worked at RMB Capital Management LLC from 2019 to present and has professional experience outside finance, including roles at Denison University and Ruth Lake Country Club. Curi Capital provides wealth management, investment management, retirement plan consulting, and family office services to individuals, high-net-worth clients, and institutional investors. The firm employs a long-term, fundamentally driven investment approach across various account types, combining in-house and external strategies for portfolio construction.

Steven Mogul is a financial advisor at Arete Wealth Advisors, LLC with 29 years of industry experience. He previously worked at UBS Financial Services for 17 years and at Miramar Capital for 3 years. He serves on the board of the Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital Children’s Research Fund. Arete Wealth Advisors provides investment advisory and financial planning services to individuals, pension plans, trusts, charitable organizations, and businesses. The firm manages assets primarily on a discretionary basis using both advisor-driven and proprietary model allocations, and it employs third-party sub-advisers while acting as an ERISA fiduciary when applicable.