Christine Everett Frantonius is the principal of Everett Wealth Solutions, Inc., an independent advisory firm. She holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and has 25 years of experience in the financial industry. Prior to her current role, she has been affiliated with Abraham & Co., Inc. since 2020 and has managed Everett & Associates, Inc., an insurance brokerage, since 1998. She serves as president and independent insurance agent of Everett & Associates, offering life, disability, long-term care insurance, and fixed annuities. Everett Wealth Solutions provides retirement, financial, estate, and college planning along with discretionary portfolio management for a diverse client base including retirees, professionals, families, and small businesses. The firm follows a documented four-step review process to develop individualized financial plans and model portfolios, managing client accounts primarily through securities available on the client’s custodian platform.

David Rosenblatt is a CFA® charterholder and financial advisor with two years of industry experience. He is currently with Amplio Wealth LLC, having previously worked at Columbia Threadneedle Investments and BMO Global Asset Management. Amplio Wealth LLC provides portfolio management and financial planning services to individuals, high-net-worth clients, and institutional entities such as endowments and foundations. The firm employs a range of investment analysis techniques and offers access to complex and alternative investments, including cryptocurrencies and private equity, while maintaining fiduciary standards and governance oversight.

Preston Appleby is the sole advisor at Appleby Advisory LLC in Evanston, IL. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 credentials and has 11 years of industry experience, in addition to 21 years as a self-employed professional. Appleby Advisory LLC serves individual investors, trusts, estates, charitable organizations, and various business entities by referring clients to Geneva Advisors LLC for portfolio management. The firm functions as a referral intermediary and does not directly manage client accounts or hold custody of funds.

Jeffrey Roberts is a CFA® charterholder and holds a Series 66 license with 25 years of industry experience. He has worked at North Forty Investment Advisors LLC since 2019 and previously spent 13 years at J.P. Morgan Chase Bank, NA. North Forty Investment Advisors LLC serves individual and high-net-worth clients, including IRAs, trusts, foundations, and estates. The firm offers wealth advisory, discretionary and non-discretionary portfolio management, and project-based financial consulting, emphasizing asset allocation and third-party manager selection through tiered service levels.

Robert Mesch is a CFP® with 38 years of industry experience. He is the principal of Intuitive Wealth Management, LLC, an independent advisory firm he has led since 2018, following 17 years at Linsco/Private Ledger Corp operating under the same dba. He is also a licensed insurance agent. Intuitive Wealth Management serves individual clients by providing tailored investment advisory and asset management services, including discretionary and non-discretionary managed accounts. The firm customizes portfolios based on clients’ goals and risk tolerances, employing various strategies and conducting quarterly account reviews directly by the principal.

James Kirchner is the principal of Kirchner Financial Group, an independent registered investment adviser based in Chicago, IL. Holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses, he has 24 years of industry experience with prior roles at firms including Allied Elite Financial and David A. Noyes. Outside of his advisory work, he also drives for Uber in Chicago on a part-time basis. Kirchner Financial Group manages approximately $15.9 million across about 29 client accounts, primarily serving high-net-worth individual investors. The firm provides ongoing portfolio management with discretionary authority, utilizing a combination of charting, fundamental, quantitative, and technical analysis, mostly recommending equities and conducting monthly account reviews through Schwab Institutional.

David Oosterbaan is the founder of DCO Capital Management LLC in Chicago, IL, with 14 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and has been self-employed since 2009. Outside of his advisory work, he is a managing member of Jackson Partnership LLC, a private fund, and is involved in private real estate investing and consulting on recruiting and business development. DCO Capital Management provides discretionary portfolio management and financial planning to individuals, trusts, estates, foundations, endowments, pension and profit-sharing plans, and charitable organizations. The firm emphasizes a Buffett-style investment approach focused on fundamental research and long-term growth, constructing individualized portfolios based on client-specific factors.

Arthur Busby is the sole advisor at Stratford Investment Advisory Group, Inc., with 28 years of industry experience. He has been with the firm since 1990. Stratford Investment Advisory Group is a small, independent firm that provides customized portfolio management for individuals, high-net-worth clients, family trusts, and pension/profit-sharing accounts. The firm emphasizes a conservative, capital-preservation approach using fundamental, technical, and cyclical analysis, and focuses on maintaining personal contact to align asset allocation with clients’ cash-flow needs and risk tolerance.

Veronica Cardenas is the principal of Cardenas Asset Management, LLC, an independent firm based in Chicago. She holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and has 25 years of industry experience. Since founding her firm in 2000, she has focused on providing investment management and financial planning services. Cardenas Asset Management serves individuals, high-net-worth clients, trusts, estates, charitable institutions, and corporate entities. The firm emphasizes publicly traded equities, ETFs, mutual funds, and fixed-income instruments, using a long-term, quality-focused investment approach with tax-aware strategies and supports in-kind donations of appreciated securities as part of its planning services.

Nathan Kirckof is a CFA® charterholder and principal at Honeyguide Capital Partners in Chicago, IL. He has experience at Fitch Ratings, where he serves as a director and analyst, as well as prior roles at Bixby Research and Analytics LLC and U.S. Bank. Kirckof’s work at Fitch Ratings involves credit ratings and data analytics. Honeyguide Capital Partners provides fee-based discretionary investment management to individuals, trusts, estates, charitable organizations, and corporate clients. The firm employs a tactical asset allocation strategy using a concentrated set of exchange-listed securities, ETFs, and options, managing client assets according to a proprietary model portfolio rather than tailored individual plans.

Melanie Hummer is a CFP® and CFA® with 27 years of experience in financial advisory services. She is the founder of Hummer Financial Advisory Services Inc, where she has worked since 1999. In addition to her advisory role, she is a self-employed CPA specializing in income tax return preparation and is the creator and president of costbasis.com, a website providing resources and calculators for investors to account for corporate reorganizations. Hummer Financial Advisory Services, Inc. provides discretionary investment supervisory services and a range of financial planning engagements for individuals, trusts, retirement accounts, corporations, and charitable organizations. The firm emphasizes tax-aware, buy-and-hold investment strategies with a focus on controlling taxable events and maintaining detailed tax records, supported by the firm’s integration of accounting and tax expertise.

Peigen Tao is the principal of Taos Investment Advisors, LLC in Chicago, IL, holding the CFA® designation along with Series 63 and Series 65 licenses, and has 28 years of industry experience. He has worked with Purshe Kaplan Sterling Investments and operates several affiliated businesses, including an accounting firm and an insurance agency, where he holds management roles. Tao’s other business activities include serving as president of an insurance agency and partner in an accounting firm. Taos Investment Advisors provides financial planning, consulting, and discretionary asset management primarily to individual and high-net-worth clients, as well as small business owners. The firm employs both fundamental and technical analysis and manages approximately $78.9 million in assets across about 116 client relationships.

Nino Lekarczyk is a financial advisor with WealthRidge Investments LLC and holds Series 63 and Series 66 designations. He has seven years of industry experience, including prior roles at JPMorgan Chase Bank and J.P. Morgan Securities. Outside of advisory work, he owns and leases residential real estate through Taylor and Lake Properties LLC. WealthRidge Investments LLC is an independent firm offering discretionary asset management, financial planning, and consulting services to individuals, high-net-worth clients, and business entities. The firm employs fundamental and cyclical analysis alongside Modern Portfolio Theory in its investment approach and may use sub-advisors while retaining overall client responsibility.

Scott Wentsel is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ with nine years of industry experience and the principal advisor at Wentsel Wealth Management, LLC. He has managed his independent advisory firm since 2016 and has been a professor at DePaul University since 2011. Outside of his advisory work, he serves as a trustee for an investment-related advisory firm. Wentsel Wealth Management provides investment management and financial planning to individuals, high-net-worth households, pension and profit-sharing plans, and charitable organizations. The firm uses a low-cost, globally diversified investment approach centered on asset allocation, combining index-oriented ETFs and mutual funds with selective active management and individual securities, and offers institutional services uncommon for a firm of its size.

James Krebec is a CFP® professional with 28 years of industry experience, currently serving as the sole advisor at CIC Investment Consultants, LLC since 2003. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and maintains an Arkansas insurance license, though he spends no meaningful time in the insurance business. CIC Investment Consultants provides investment management and financial planning services to individuals, pension and profit-sharing plans, charitable organizations, and corporate clients. The firm offers discretionary portfolio management, written financial plans, and advisory services on private securities and alternative investments, using a variety of analytical methods and strategies tailored to client goals and risk tolerance.

William Nedza is a CFP® professional with 34 years of industry experience, currently serving as the sole advisor at Ventoux Financial Advisors, LLC since 2018. His career includes leadership roles at Nedza Financial Advisors, LLC and Aos, Inc. Outside of advisory work, he holds active insurance licenses and engages in insurance sales. Ventoux Financial Advisors, LLC is an independent registered investment adviser that provides written financial planning and discretionary portfolio management to individuals, high-net-worth clients, trusts, estates, pension and profit-sharing plans, and other U.S. entities. The firm employs a combination of fundamental and technical analysis, risk management tools, and diversified investment strategies across various asset classes.

Thai Thomas Tran is a CFP® professional with seven years of industry experience, currently serving as the sole advisor at Petrarch Wealth Management in Chicago. His prior work includes roles at Ameriprise Financial Services and Ameriprise Financial. Outside of his advisory duties, he owns and operates Petrarch Insurance Services LLC, which provides online non-investment financial education and consulting. Petrarch Wealth Management offers both discretionary and non-discretionary asset management, financial planning, and retirement-plan consulting services to individual and retirement plan clients. The firm emphasizes capital preservation and risk management through behavioral economics, goal-based planning, and strategic asset allocation, managing approximately $11.9 million across about 40 client relationships.

Kevin Yu is a CFP® and CFA® charterholder with 20 years of experience in financial advisory. He has led Yunistone Investment Group, LLC since its founding in 2009. The firm provides investment advisory and management services to high-net-worth individuals and institutional clients, focusing on long-term, globally diversified, and tax-efficient portfolios using a core-satellite approach that combines passive index and ETF exposures with actively managed funds.

Gerard Downey is a financial advisor at Linden Wealth Management LLC with 10 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and has worked at RBC Capital Markets since 2011. Linden Wealth Management LLC provides investment management and financial planning services to individuals, high-net-worth clients, trusts, estates, charitable organizations, and small to medium-sized businesses. The firm emphasizes modern portfolio theory, using low-cost, index-based ETFs and mutual funds, while also incorporating individualized securities and alternative investments as appropriate.

We guide First Gen Wealth Builders to align money with purpose. When you’re a First Gen, the financial safety net didn’t exist. You built your own. We partner with individuals, families, and entrepreneurs who’ve built success from the ground up. Does this sound like you? You’re ready for guidance that feels aligned, not intimidating. Advice that honors where you came from and helps you build what’s next. Hiring a financial planner? That’s new territory. No one in your family has done this before. Success has evolved. The questions are bigger now — more strategic, more intentional. -How do I balance saving and investing for my family with still having the freedom to travel, be present and enjoy life? -How do we protect what we’ve built, legally, financially, and emotionally, in a system that wasn’t built for us? -How do I make smarter decisions around taxes, equity comp, and investments, without second-guessing every move? Enter FirstGen Wealth: A Financial Life Planning Practice - Independent - Fee-Only (one flat fee for financial planning and Investment Management) -Fiduciary 100% of the time - Virtual - Based in Chicago and work with clients nationwide (most clients are in CA, NY, NJ, WA, VA, GA, and TX) Meet Valerie Rivera, CFP®, Founder & Financial Planner: -CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ professional with nearly 20 years of experience advising clients with $10–$20 million portfolios. Now using that same expertise to empower First Gen Wealth Builders. -Wife, mother, homeowner, and business owner bringing real-world perspective to every financial plan. - A proud First Gen who built her own financial safety net and reached Coast FI by 40. Passionate about tax planning, travel, and helping others design lives of freedom and purpose. Her six-year-old has already visited more than 15 countries, and I’m always planning the next four. -Culturally competent, inclusive, and a proud LGBTQ+ ally committed to financial equity and social justice.