Mark Johnson is a Series 65-licensed financial advisor with four years of industry experience. He is currently with Cerity Partners LLC and previously worked at Aspiriant Independent Wealth Management, Presidio Wealth Partners/Hightower Advisors, and Durbin Bennett Private Wealth Management/Maslow Wealth Advisors. Earlier in his career, he was involved with a baseball academy and has experience outside finance in that area. Cerity Partners advises a diverse client base including individuals, families, trusts, business entities, and institutional investors, managing approximately $166.2 billion in client assets. The firm offers customized wealth management services and employs an investment approach centered on client-specific profiles, quantitative screening, and both third-party and direct security selection, with additional access to alternative and private market solutions for qualified clients.

William Perry is a Certified Financial Planner (CFP®) with 32 years of industry experience. He is currently with Private Advisor Group, LLC and has previously worked at firms including Mariner Independent Advisor Network, Teamwork Financial Advisors, and A.G. Edwards & Sons. Perry is also a partner at Ascend Integrated Tax, a tax review and preparation business based in Houston, TX. Private Advisor Group serves individuals, trusts, estates, charitable organizations, businesses, and retirement plans, offering portfolio management, financial planning, retirement plan consulting, and access to various advisory programs. The firm employs a fiduciary-based model, utilizing technology platforms and third-party managers to provide customized investment solutions.

Brian Watts is a financial advisor at VALIC Financial Advisors in Houston, TX, with 25 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 66 licenses and has worked at Valic since 1999, including a role at SunAmerica Capital Services, Inc. since 2014. VALIC Financial Advisors primarily serves U.S.-domiciled individual investors, including high-net-worth and ultra-high-net-worth clients, as well as corporate and retirement-plan participants. The firm offers discretionary managed-account programs, financial planning, and brokerage services through its broker-dealer operations.

Harold Perkins Jr. is a financial advisor with Oppenheimer, holding Series 63 and Series 65 credentials and bringing 48 years of industry experience. He has been associated with Fahnestock & Co. Inc. since 2003. Perkins serves as a board member of the Michael Hoctor Foundation, a nonprofit organization based in Houston. Oppenheimer is a registered investment adviser and broker-dealer serving individuals, corporations, pension and profit-sharing plans, and charitable organizations. The firm offers a range of advisory programs including asset management, consulting, and retirement services, utilizing strategic and tactical asset allocation along with manager selection and periodic portfolio reviews.

James Notzon is a financial advisor at PNC Wealth Management in Houston, TX, holding a Series 63 designation with 33 years of industry experience. Prior to joining PNC in 2021, he worked at Bbva Securities Inc., Bbva Wealth Solutions Inc., Bbva Compass Insurance Agency, Inc., and COMPASS Bank. Outside of his advisory role, he serves on the board of the Boys and Girls Club of Laredo, a nonprofit providing social services to disadvantaged youths, and is a board member at the Laredo Country Club. PNC Wealth Management offers retail brokerage and advisory services through model-based programs, including a Portfolio Solutions Strategist Digital Offering that uses algorithm-driven risk assessments and manages investments via approved model strategies executed by delegates using mutual funds and ETFs.

Dali Fu is a financial advisor with Transamerica Financial Advisors in Houston, TX, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and six years of industry experience. Fu has been involved with multiple insurance agencies and entrepreneurial ventures, including ownership of Lucky Agency and principal role at Luckshare Insurance Agency LLC. Additionally, Fu participates in college preparation educational initiatives through involvement with Kyros AI Corp. Transamerica Financial Advisors serves a diverse range of clients including individual investors, pension plans, trusts, and corporations. The firm offers advisory and broker-dealer services featuring proprietary and third-party model portfolios with both discretionary and non-discretionary program options.

Justin Reed is a financial advisor at Focus Partners Wealth, LLC in Houston, TX, holding a Series 66 designation with four years of industry experience. Prior to joining Focus Partners Wealth in 2025, he worked for Equitable Advisors, LLC for three years and was involved with the Lambda Chi Alpha Educational Foundation from 2019 to 2022. Focus Partners Wealth serves individuals, high-net-worth families, family offices, and institutional clients with wealth management and advisory services. The firm employs a long-term, tax- and fee-sensitive investment approach using a blend of active and passive strategies, third-party managers, and private funds.

Hua Zhang is a financial advisor with Transamerica Financial Advisors in Houston, TX, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and 17 years of industry experience. Hua has worked at Transamerica Financial Advisors since 2012 and is also associated with the Copeland Group and World Financial Group. Outside of advising, Hua is involved in health insurance sales and enrollment assistance with firms including Copeland Insurance Group, Community Health Choice, and Ambetter. Transamerica Financial Advisors serves a diverse client base including individual investors, pension plans, trusts, charitable organizations, and corporations. The firm offers a range of advisory and broker-dealer services, featuring proprietary and third-party model portfolios with discretionary and non-discretionary options.

Leah Bennett is a CFA® charterholder with 29 years of industry experience. She is currently Chief Investment Strategist at Concurrent Asset Management and an advisor with Concurrent Investment Advisors, LLC. Her prior experience includes roles at Westwood Advisors, Westwood Trust/Westwood Advisers, South Texas Money Management, and Rek Advisors. She serves on the boards of the Elevation Family Partner Foundation, Christus Foundation (as chair of the investment committee), Artpace (finance committee), Menil (Acquisitions Committee), and Performing Arts Houston. Concurrent Investment Advisors, LLC is a multi-team SEC-registered advisory firm serving individuals, high-net-worth clients, families, trusts, estates, businesses, and retirement plans. The firm emphasizes customized, primarily long-term portfolios utilizing ETFs, mutual funds, individual securities, bonds, alternative investments, and independent sub-advisers, supported by a network of roughly 286 advisors.

Cole Vanassche is a financial advisor with Guardian Life, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and bringing 18 years of industry experience. He previously worked for New York Life Insurance Company for 10 years before joining Guardian Life in 2024. Outside of his advisory role, Vanassche teaches and helps individuals prepare for the CLTC designation exam. Guardian Life, through its subsidiary Park Avenue® Wealth Management, offers brokerage and investment advisory services to individuals, including high-net-worth clients, as well as corporate and retirement plan sponsors. The firm combines advisor-led discretionary management with model-based strategies delivered via proprietary and third-party platforms, providing tailored financial planning and consulting solutions.

Laura Rowley is a CFP® with 19 years of experience in financial advisory. She has been with Mercer Global Advisors, Inc. since 2017 and previously worked at Kanaly Trust from 2005 to 2017. Based in Houston, TX, she holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses. Mercer Global Advisors serves a diverse client base including individuals, high-net-worth families, small business owners, corporate plan sponsors, foundations, and nonprofits. The firm employs a Modern Portfolio Theory-based investment approach focused on globally diversified, risk-appropriate portfolios and offers a range of services from portfolio management to estate-planning coordination.

Gary Wurl is a CFP® professional with 34 years of experience in the financial services industry. He is currently with Concurrent Investment Advisors, LLC and previously worked at Centric Advisors, Kovack Advisors, and Kovack Securities. In addition to his advisory role, he is the CEO of Financial Destiny, Inc., a separate business he has led since 1994. Concurrent Investment Advisors, LLC is a multi-team SEC-registered firm serving individuals, high-net-worth clients, families, trusts, estates, businesses, and retirement plans. The firm offers wealth management, financial planning, and retirement advisory services through customized, primarily long-term portfolios that utilize ETFs, mutual funds, and other investment vehicles.

Mark Connely is a CFP® with 30 years of experience in the financial services industry, currently affiliated with Guardian Life and Park Avenue Securities. He has been with Guardian Life since 1998 and Park Avenue Securities since 2022. Outside of his advisory work, he is involved in a music business and co-manages a business partnership focused on hiring and event operations. Park Avenue Securities, a subsidiary of The Guardian Life Insurance Company of America, provides brokerage and investment advisory services to individuals, corporations, retirement plan sponsors, and charitable organizations. The firm offers a combination of advisor-led discretionary management and model-based strategies, along with access to proprietary and third-party advisory solutions.

Keyton Rizzo is a financial advisor at Oppenheimer with one year of industry experience. He holds a Series 66 designation and previously worked in the restaurant and winery industries, including roles at Saltgrass Steakhouse and Kuhllman Cellars. Oppenheimer is a registered investment adviser and broker-dealer serving individuals, corporations, pension and profit-sharing plans, and charitable organizations. The firm offers a broad range of programs and advisory services across equity, balanced, and fixed-income portfolios, with both discretionary and non-discretionary management options.

Emily Hopkins is a financial advisor at Prime Capital Financial with six years of industry experience. She holds Series 63 and Series 65 credentials and has worked at Prime Capital Investment Advisors, EPIC Insurance Brokers and Consultants, and VALIC Financial Advisors. Hopkins is based in Houston, TX. Prime Capital Financial is an SEC-registered enterprise advisory firm serving individuals, trusts, corporations, and retirement plans with services including asset management, financial planning, and third-party manager selection. The firm employs a diverse investment approach featuring core/satellite, thematic, and tactical strategies, and offers family office services along with integrated tax planning and financial administration through its affiliated accounting subsidiary.

Kell Grady is a financial advisor with Valic Financial Advisors in Houston, TX. He holds Series 65 and Series 63 licenses and has less than one year of industry experience. His prior work includes roles at Texas Financial Advisors, Target, and various educational institutions. Valic Financial Advisors is an SEC-registered investment adviser and FINRA-member broker-dealer serving primarily U.S. individuals, including high net worth clients and employer-sponsored retirement participants. The firm offers wrap programs, portfolio management, and financial planning services through a large network of representatives, utilizing Envestnet’s platform and third-party model managers.

Caleb Robinson is a financial advisor with Principal Financial Services in Houston, TX, holding a Series 66 designation and seven years of industry experience. He has held roles at Union Financial, Principal Securities Inc., Principal Life Insurance Company, Park Avenue Securities, and Guardian Life Insurance Company. Outside of finance, he teaches part-time neuroscience and human anatomy courses at UTHealth Houston McGovern Medical School. Principal Securities provides brokerage and registered investment advisory services to a diverse client base including individuals, retirement plans, trusts, estates, and active-duty military personnel. The firm offers direct advisory programs, financial planning, retirement consulting, and access to third-party money manager solutions under various advisory and promoter arrangements.

Kartik Jambulapati is a financial advisor with Prime Capital Financial in Houston, TX, holding a Series 65 designation and eight years of industry experience. He has worked at Prime Capital Investment Advisors, LLC since 2018 and previously spent four years with Ascende Wealth Advisers, Inc. Prime Capital Financial is an SEC-registered enterprise advisory firm serving individuals, trusts, corporations, and retirement plans. The firm offers a range of services including asset management, financial planning, qualified retirement plan sponsor and trustee services, and family office offerings, utilizing both discretionary and non-discretionary management strategies.

Gary Sagarnaga is a financial advisor with Kestra Advisory Services, LLC, holding a Series 63 designation and bringing 40 years of industry experience. His prior work includes 13 years at Girard Securities, Inc. He also operates as a sole proprietor managing insurance and investment recommendations. Kestra Advisory Services provides investment advisory and retirement-plan consulting to a diverse client base, including institutional and individual investors. The firm offers services such as fiduciary consulting, plan design, and employee education, and supports complex investment solutions through multiple management platforms.

Nahif Chowdhury is a financial advisor with Cerity Partners LLC in Houston, TX, holding a Series 65 designation and four years of industry experience. He previously worked at Fisher Investments for six years and was employed at Walmart prior to his advisory career. Cerity Partners serves a diverse client base including high-net-worth individuals, families, institutions, and private funds, offering customized wealth management solutions such as investment management, financial planning, retirement consulting, tax services, and insurance placement. The firm integrates proprietary quantitative methods with third-party strategies and direct security selection, providing access to alternative investments and co-investment opportunities for qualified clients.