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, IL. He previously worked with Ameriprise Financial Services and Ameriprise Financial from 2017 to 2021 before joining Petrarch LLC. In addition to advisory services, Tran owns Petrarch Insurance Services LLC, which provides online financial education and consulting unrelated to investments. Petrarch LLC offers discretionary and non-discretionary asset management, comprehensive financial planning, and retirement-plan consulting for individuals and retirement plans. The firm's investment approach focuses on capital preservation and risk management using behavioral economics, goal-based planning, and Modern Portfolio Theory, 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 in Oak Park, IL, holding Series 63 and Series 65 credentials with 10 years of industry experience. He has worked at RBC Capital Markets since 2011, accumulating 15 years in the financial sector. Linden Wealth Management LLC is an independent, SEC-registered adviser serving individuals, high-net-worth clients, trusts, estates, charitable organizations, and small- to medium-sized businesses. The firm applies modern portfolio theory and quantitative analytics to construct diversified portfolios, emphasizes low-cost ETFs and mutual funds, and provides both discretionary and non-discretionary account management.

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.

Sam Macaluso is the founder and principal of Ripple Ridge Enterprises LLC, an independent advisory firm. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and has 14 years of industry experience. In addition to his advisory work, he operates an independent insurance agency and a CPA firm, SAM D. Macaluso & Associates, which provides accounting and tax-preparation services. Ripple Ridge Enterprises serves individual and high-net-worth clients with financial planning, portfolio management, and retirement plan consulting. The firm employs an asset-allocation approach and utilizes a range of investments, including mutual funds, ETFs, private placements, and non-traded real estate investment trusts.

Edwin Cogan is a financial advisor at Steeplechase Investments with 28 years of industry experience. He has been with Steeplechase Investments since 1994. Steeplechase Investments provides discretionary portfolio management primarily to individual clients, focusing on direct investments in stocks, bonds, and exchange-traded funds. The firm employs an active, tactical approach that adjusts between capital appreciation and preservation based on macroeconomic analysis and technical chart patterns, tailoring portfolios to clients’ age and income needs.

William Alt is a financial advisor at MWS Capital Consultants LLC with five years of industry experience. He holds a Series 65 designation and has worked at MWS Capital Consultants since 2020. Prior to his current role, he was affiliated with UW-Madison and the Camp Randall Rowing Club, and he has over two decades of experience in public schools. MWS Capital Consultants LLC offers personalized investment management, wealth-planning, and consulting services to individuals, high-net-worth clients, trusts, pension and profit-sharing plans, and corporate clients. The firm emphasizes a Classic Portfolio Management strategy focused on fundamental, technical, and cyclical analysis, managing mostly discretionary portfolios while supporting interactive financial planning through the eMoney Advisor platform.

Frances Tuite is a CFA® charterholder with 11 years of industry experience. She is currently with Sankota Capital LLC and has previously worked at Oak Family Advisors, Fairpointe Capital, and Rmb Capital Management. Outside of her advisory role, she co-manages an organic brewery and restaurant and owns an organic farm. Sankota Capital provides discretionary investment management to individuals, family offices, institutions, and corporations. The firm focuses on fundamentally driven investments in small- and mid-cap companies, typically maintaining concentrated portfolios managed with a long-term horizon and low turnover.

Thomas Ahlbeck is a financial advisor at Ahlbeck Financial with 23 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and has previously worked at Cetera Financial Specialists LLC and Cetera Investment Advisers LLC. Outside of his advisory role, he manages and owns commercial and residential real estate properties with family members and serves as the treasurer for Maine Township School. Ahlbeck Financial provides portfolio management primarily to individual and high-net-worth clients, tailoring investment strategies to clients' goals and risk tolerance. The firm employs fundamental analysis, modern portfolio theory, and technical analysis, offering discretionary management across various asset classes with regular account reviews.

Bronwyn Mirretti is a CFP® professional with 25 years of industry experience, currently serving at Mirretti Perryman Wealth Strategies, LLC. She has worked with the firm and its predecessors since 2016 and is also an independent insurance agent. Bronwyn serves as a school board member, a role she has held since 2018. Mirretti Perryman Wealth Strategies, LLC provides discretionary portfolio management, financial planning, and retirement plan services to individuals, trusts, and retirement plans, including high-net-worth clients. The firm builds customized, risk-based, and tax-aware portfolios using modern portfolio theory and quantitative methods, supplementing in-house advice with third-party managers and operating as a wrap fee program sponsor.

Beth Smyth is a financial advisor at MWS Capital Consultants LLC in Chicago, holding a Series 65 designation. She began her career at MWS Capital Consultants in 2024 following a year at DePaul University. MWS Capital Consultants LLC provides personalized investment management, wealth-planning, and consulting services to individuals, high-net-worth clients, trusts, pension and profit-sharing plans, and corporate clients. The firm’s Classic Portfolio Management strategy focuses on direct ownership of equities, fixed income, and funds with an emphasis on long-term economic returns, using fundamental, technical, and cyclical analysis rather than automated systems.

Philip Tetley is a financial advisor at Tetley Investments, LLC in Park Ridge, Illinois, with 23 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 66 designations and has been with Tetley Investments since 2012. Tetley Investments is an independent asset management and financial planning firm serving individuals, pension plans, corporations, charitable organizations, and trusts. The firm employs a disciplined, long-term investment process combining quantitative and fundamental research within a global asset-allocation framework.

Eduardo Caldera is a financial advisor at Retirement Systems LLC with under one year of industry experience. He previously worked with Foundations Investment Advisors LLC and Regency Capital, and has a background in mortgage banking. He is also involved in life insurance and annuity sales through Regency Capital. Retirement Systems LLC provides discretionary asset management and financial planning primarily to individual clients, offering tailored portfolios and 3(21) fiduciary services to qualified retirement plans. The firm employs a mix of fundamental, technical, and charting analysis with quarterly reviews and allows clients to set written investment restrictions.

John Crawford is a financial advisor at Copperwood Financial with 15 years of industry experience. He holds the Series 66 designation and previously worked at LPL Financial LLC and Horizon Wealth Management. Copperwood Financial provides fee-based investment advisory and financial planning services to individuals, trusts, estates, charitable organizations, and small businesses, with a specialty practice for athletes under the Pro Athlete Wealth brand. The firm manages client portfolios on a discretionary, tactical allocation basis and offers qualified retirement plan consulting, including ERISA Section 3(38) fiduciary services.

David Gosnell is a CFA® charterholder with 18 years of experience at New England Research & Management, Inc. He is based in Chicago, IL and has been with the firm since 2008. New England Research & Management provides discretionary investment management primarily to high-net-worth individuals and families, managing a range of account types including trusts, retirement plans, and estates. The firm customizes portfolios to individual client objectives, managing each account separately and employing diverse instruments such as exchange-listed securities, ETFs, and derivatives.