Mark Aloisio is a financial advisor at Waverly Advisors, LLC in Chicago, IL, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses with 17 years of industry experience. He previously worked at Jpmorgan Securities LLC and Promus Capital, LLC. Aloisio serves on the board of Maryville, attending quarterly meetings. Waverly Advisors is a multi-team registered investment adviser managing portfolios for individuals, retirement plans, and pooled investment vehicles. The firm combines traditional equity and fixed-income strategies with alternative and private-markets allocations and offers a range of financial planning and multi-family office services.

Janek Pedersen is a CFP® professional with 20 years of industry experience, currently serving at Curi Capital, LLC. He has been with RMB Capital Management, LLC since 2010. Curi Capital serves a diverse client base including individuals, families, institutions, retirement plan sponsors, and charitable organizations, managing approximately $9.83 billion. The firm employs a long-term, fundamental investment approach combining in-house strategies with external managers and proprietary risk analysis tools.

Andrew Egan is a financial advisor at Sequent Planning, LLC with 11 years of industry experience. He holds Series 65 and Series 63 licenses and has worked at Sequent Planning since 2019. Prior to that, he was employed at Mutual of Omaha Investor Services and Mutual of Omaha Insurance Company. Outside of his advisory role, he works as a security guard at Wrigley Field. Sequent Planning, LLC, doing business as Futurity First Wealth Management, serves individuals, retirement plan sponsors, small and medium-sized businesses, endowments, and nonprofit organizations. The firm offers asset management, financial planning, and retirement-plan services, utilizing a structured risk framework and diversified manager exposures to meet client needs.

Joshua Carucci is a financial advisor at The Mather Group, LLC with eight years of industry experience. He holds a Series 66 designation and has previously worked at Bank of America, Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated, and McAdam LLC. 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 customization options, combining technology-driven tools with human oversight.

James Palermo is a CFP® and CFA® with five years of industry experience. He has worked at Chicago Partners Investment Group LLC since 2020 and previously spent 29 years at Chicago Equity Partners. He also held a position at Retirewise CFP from 2022 to 2023. Chicago Partners Investment Group LLC serves a diverse client base, including individuals, trusts, endowments, and corporations, offering portfolio management, financial planning, and family-office services. The firm employs a long-term, diversified investment approach with customized portfolios and sponsors affiliated pooled investment vehicles, including private funds.

Karma Forrestal is a CFP® professional with 15 years of industry experience, currently serving as an advisor at Forum Financial Management, LP since 2012. She holds the Series 63 designation and is based in Lombard, Illinois. Outside of her advisory role, she is a member of F.A.M. LLC, providing certain management services under a service agreement with Forum Financial Management. Forum Financial Management, LP offers fee-based wealth management, financial planning, and qualified plan services to individual and institutional clients. The firm also serves as a sub-advisor and turnkey asset management platform for other independent RIAs, utilizing model portfolios managed primarily with DFA institutional mutual funds and ETFs aligned with a Modern Portfolio Theory approach.

Nathan Jefferson is a CFP® with two years of industry experience and has been with Ritholtz Wealth Management since 2022. He is also affiliated with Michigan State University, where he has worked since 2019. Ritholtz Wealth Management serves individual and institutional clients, offering comprehensive portfolio management and financial planning services. The firm employs a goal-based investment process that incorporates asset allocation and behavioral finance principles, utilizing diversified ETFs alongside tactical overlays and alternative investments, supported by digital platforms for portfolio implementation and management.

John Storrs Jr. is a financial advisor with Northern Trust Securities, Inc. He holds Series 66, Series 63, and Series 65 licenses and has 28 years of industry experience. Mr. Storrs has been with Northern Trust Securities, Inc. since 2006, with a brief break before rejoining in 2025. Northern Trust Securities, Inc. provides discretionary portfolio management through a wrap fee program serving high-net-worth individuals, retail investors, and institutional clients. The firm uses a model-driven approach to manage portfolios that include proprietary and third-party products, combining advisory, brokerage, and custody services.

Maria Tipton is a financial advisor with KCD Financial, Inc. in Willowbrook, Illinois, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and having 38 years of industry experience. She has been with KCD Financial since 2012 and has also been self-employed since 2011. Outside of advisory work, she is involved in insurance sales, specializing in fixed annuities, life insurance, long-term care, and disability products. KCD Financial, Inc. provides asset management, financial planning, appraisal services, and access to third-party management programs for individuals, corporate pension plans, and charitable organizations. The firm employs a range of analytical and investment strategies and serves approximately 1,145 clients with $182.6 million in assets under management.

Owen Duncan is a Certified Financial Planner (CFP®) with nine years of industry experience. He is currently with Curi Capital, LLC and previously worked at RMB Capital Management LLC and The Prudential Insurance Company of America. Curi Capital is an SEC-registered investment adviser managing approximately $11.6 billion in assets and serving individuals, employer retirement plans, institutions, mutual funds, private funds, and family offices. The firm follows a long-term, fundamental investment approach using a combination of proprietary strategies, third-party managers, mutual funds, and private funds.

Joel Clousing is a financial advisor with LPL Financial based in Wheaton, Illinois, holding Series 63 and Series 66 licenses and bringing 38 years of industry experience. He has been associated with Highpoint Advisor Group, LLC since 2013. Outside of his advisory work, Clousing is a CPA who prepares personal tax returns for clients and also serves as a basketball referee. LPL Financial provides advisory and brokerage services to a diverse client base including individual investors, retirement plans, institutions, charities, and high-net-worth households. The firm offers a range of financial planning and advisory programs supported by an in-house research team that develops model portfolios and investment strategies.

Nicholas Wilkins is a financial advisor with Merit Financial Advisors in Chicago, IL, holding Series 63 and Series 65 credentials and possessing 25 years of industry experience. He previously worked at Blue Print Wealth Advisors and Commonwealth Financial Network for 13 years before joining Merit Financial Advisors and Purshe Kaplan Sterling in 2025. Wilkins is the owner of Huron Leavitt LLC, a non-investment-related business. Merit Financial Advisors is a multi-team registered investment adviser with over 260 advisors serving more than 20,000 clients across 66 offices and managing approximately $23.9 billion in client assets. The firm emphasizes long-term, diversified portfolios managed through a combination of centrally managed models and advisor customization, offering coordinated wealth management services and specialized fiduciary and trustee offerings.

Jack Grzenia is a financial advisor with Forum Financial Management, LP, holding Series 65 and Series 66 licenses and bringing ten years of industry experience. His background includes roles at Purshe Kaplan Sterling Investments, Cetera, and MP360 Financial Services. Outside of advisory work, he is a partner at ZEN Installations, a vinyl sign installation business, and engages in insurance sales as a sole proprietor. Forum Financial Management, LP serves individuals, retirement plan sponsors, charitable organizations, and institutional clients, offering portfolio management and financial planning services. The firm builds portfolios based on Modern Portfolio Theory, primarily utilizing institutional mutual funds and ETFs, and supports other RIAs through a turn-key asset-management platform and back-office services.

John Lancaster III is a financial advisor at Ausdal Financial Partners, Inc. with 41 years of industry experience. He holds the CFP® and ChFC® designations as well as a Series 63 license. In addition to his role at Ausdal since 2009, he is president of The Lancaster Co., Inc., where he oversees insurance sales including group and individual medical, life, disability, and long-term care products. Ausdal Financial Partners is an SEC-registered investment adviser and FINRA-member broker-dealer managing approximately $2.13 billion in assets through a network of 152 advisors. The firm offers investment advisory programs, retirement plan services, and financial planning to individuals, trusts, corporations, pension plans, and charitable organizations, employing a range of discretionary and non-discretionary strategies across multiple asset classes.

Tina Meckaroski is a financial advisor with HighPoint Planning Partners and holds the Series 66 designation. She has 15 years of industry experience, including roles at PIMCO Investments LLC and Nuveen Investments. She provides financial planning and consulting services through HighPoint Advisor Group, an independent investment advisor firm. HighPoint Advisor Group serves individuals, pension and profit-sharing plans, trusts, estates, charitable organizations, and corporate entities. The firm offers discretionary asset management, financial planning, retirement plan advisory, and uses fundamental analysis to construct client investment policies across a variety of asset classes and third-party platforms.

Reginald Smith is an investment advisor at Zacks Investment Management, Inc. with two years of industry experience. He previously worked at J.P. Morgan Securities LLC for three years. Zacks Investment Management provides discretionary investment management to individuals, trusts, retirement plans, and institutional clients, employing a blend of proprietary quantitative models and qualitative portfolio management across various strategies. The firm also manages mutual funds and ETFs and offers retail wealth management, alternative investment strategies, and model portfolios.

Lori Hall is a Series 66-credentialed financial advisor with 25 years of industry experience. She has worked at Sowell Financial Services, LLC since 2016 and previously spent four years at Concert Wealth Management Inc. In addition to her advisory role, she is involved with Sapphire Wealth Management in sales, market support, client relationship management, and financial planning. Sowell Management is a fee-based registered investment adviser serving individuals, retirement plans, corporations, registered investment advisers, and institutions. The firm employs a multi-branch independent-contractor model with over 100 advisors and offers investment management, financial planning, retirement-plan advisory, and related consulting services.

Brandon Mull is a CFP®, CFA®, and Series 66-licensed advisor with eight years of industry experience. He currently works at Savvy and previously held roles at Zhang Financial LLC, Morgan Stanley, and TransMarket Group. Savvy provides customized discretionary and non-discretionary investment and wealth management services to individuals, trusts, estates, retirement plans, charitable organizations, corporations, and other entities. The firm combines an index-based core with tailored strategies such as direct indexing with tax-loss harvesting, active and passive stock portfolios, and ESG-focused models, supported by a parent technology platform and third-party tools.

Brian M. Ahern is a ChFC® credentialed financial advisor with 25 years of industry experience. He is currently with VestGen Advisors, LLC and has prior experience at The LAT Group, Raymond James Financial Services, and Merrill. Based in Chicago, IL, he has held various roles in both advisory and private client services. VestGen Advisors, LLC manages approximately $6.66 billion for about 22,790 clients through 53 advisors, offering a range of investment management, financial planning, and ERISA 3(21) retirement plan services. The firm employs a client-specific strategy development process that incorporates fundamental, technical, and quantitative analysis alongside modern portfolio theory and serves a diverse client base including institutional investors.

Christian Whittemore is a financial advisor at Zacks Investment Management, Inc. in Chicago, IL, holding a Series 66 designation with 23 years of industry experience. He has been with Zacks Investment Management since 2002. Zacks Investment Management provides discretionary portfolio management to a diverse client base including individuals, trusts, retirement plans, and institutional investors. The firm employs a proprietary investment process combining quantitative and qualitative analysis, offering a broad range of strategies and serving both direct clients and third-party advisers through model portfolios and indices.