Patrick Thiel is a financial advisor with Curi Capital, LLC, holding a Series 65 designation and six years of industry experience. His prior work history includes roles at KerberRose Wealth Management, Ehlers Investment Partners, Piper Sandler, and several other firms. Curi Capital is an SEC-registered investment adviser managing approximately $11.6 billion in assets, serving individuals, employer retirement plans, institutions, and family offices. The firm employs a long-term, fundamental investment approach utilizing proprietary strategies, third-party managers, and private funds.

William Davis is a financial advisor with RWA Wealth Partners in Chicago, Illinois. He holds the Series 65 designation and has previously worked at BMO N.A., Loyola Quinlan School of Business’s Next Generation MBA Program, and Total Quality Logistics. RWA Wealth Partners serves individuals, families, trusts, charitable organizations, business entities, and employer-sponsored retirement plans by providing investment management, financial planning, integrated tax planning, and retirement plan advisory services. The firm employs a strategic asset allocation approach supported by an open-architecture platform and combines fundamental and quantitative methods in certain internally managed strategies.

Gerri Michalski is a financial advisor with LaSalle St. Investment Advisors, L.L.C. She holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and has 14 years of industry experience. Michalski has been affiliated with LaSalle St. Securities, L.L.C. since 1999. Outside of financial advising, she is involved in travel planning through her work with a travel agency. LaSalle St. Investment Advisors provides fee-based financial planning and investment supervisory services to individuals, trusts, estates, pension and profit-sharing plans, charitable organizations, and small businesses. The firm offers both non-discretionary and discretionary investment programs, utilizing a variety of asset-allocation models and investment vehicles.

Benjamin Carlson is a financial advisor at Arete Wealth Advisors, LLC with 23 years of industry experience. He holds the Series 66 designation and has worked previously at Brighthouse Securities, LLC and METLIFE Investors Distribution Company. Outside of his advisory role, Carlson serves as an alpine ski coach during the winter months. Arete Wealth Advisors provides investment advisory and financial planning services to a diverse client base, including individuals, pension and profit-sharing plans, trusts, estates, charitable organizations, and other business entities. The firm manages assets primarily on a discretionary basis, using both advisor-driven and proprietary rule-based model allocations, and integrates its services with affiliated financial businesses and product channels.

Zachary Craggs is a financial advisor with Capital Analysts in Lombard, IL, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and bringing nine years of industry experience. He has worked at Lincoln Investment since 2016 and previously spent time at Berlin Packaging. Capital Analysts serves a diverse client base including individual and high-net-worth investors, retirement plans, trusts, foundations, charitable organizations, and corporate clients. The firm provides discretionary and non-discretionary portfolio management through various programs and emphasizes a fiduciary role with access to proprietary investment research and model portfolios.

Brian Van Buren is a CFP® professional at JMG Financial Group Ltd with nine years of industry experience. He has been with JMG Financial Group since 2013. JMG Financial Group provides wealth management, portfolio management, and financial consulting services to individuals, trusts, retirement plans, business entities, and charitable organizations. The firm employs a planning-based, long-term investment approach focused on strategic asset allocation and offers specialized services including in-house tax consulting and private investment fund advice.

Mitchell Conley is a financial advisor with Zacks Investment Management, Inc. He holds Series 65 and Series 63 licenses and has seven years of industry experience. His prior roles include positions at LBMZ Securities, Inc., Zacks Investment Management, The Kenrich Group, and Loyola University Chicago. Zacks Investment Management provides discretionary investment management services to individuals, trusts, estates, retirement plans, pooled vehicles, and institutional clients, serving as portfolio manager for mutual funds and ETFs. The firm combines proprietary quantitative models with qualitative portfolio management across diverse strategies and offers its investment solutions through various wrap-fee and unified managed account programs.

Walid Matariyeh is a financial advisor with Highpoint Planning Partners in Downers Grove, IL, holding Series 65 and Series 63 licenses and having one year of industry experience. His prior experience includes roles at Ernst & Young, RSM, PricewaterhouseCoopers, and Grant Thornton. Outside of advisory services, he is a partner at HTS Accounting & Tax and manages educational businesses focused on teaching coding to children. HighPoint Advisor Group serves individuals, pension and profit-sharing plans, trusts, estates, charitable organizations, and corporate entities with services including discretionary asset management, financial planning, and retirement plan advisory. The firm builds investment policies through client consultations and implements portfolios using fundamental analysis across a variety of asset classes and third-party platforms.

James Thornton is a financial advisor at VestGen Advisors, LLC with 20 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63, 65, and 66 licenses and has worked previously at Merrill Lynch, Bank of America, and Raymond James Financial Services. Outside of his advisory role, he serves as a coach for the NFL, focusing on field compliance. VestGen Advisors, LLC is a multi-team registered investment adviser managing approximately $3.47 billion for over 9,400 clients. The firm serves individual and high-net-worth clients through discretionary and non-discretionary investment management, financial planning, and retirement plan services, utilizing a combination of analytical methods and third-party managers to implement client portfolios.

Ryan Kennedy is a CFA® charterholder with 14 years of industry experience. He is currently with Curi Capital, LLC and has spent the last 10 years at RMB Capital Management LLC. Curi Capital is an SEC-registered investment adviser managing approximately $11.6 billion in assets, serving individuals, employer retirement plans, institutions, mutual funds, private funds, and family offices. The firm employs a long-term, fundamental investment approach with a bottom-up equity process and a relative-value fixed income strategy, integrating proprietary strategies, third-party managers, and private funds.

Eric Mesko is a financial advisor with VestGen Advisors, LLC, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and bringing 22 years of industry experience. His prior roles include positions at Triad Advisors, LPL Financial, and Waddell & Reed. He serves on the board of Bartlett Learning Centers, a school for children with mental challenges. VestGen Advisors, LLC is a multi-team registered investment adviser managing approximately $3.47 billion for over 9,400 clients. The firm serves individual and high-net-worth clients, offering discretionary and non-discretionary investment management, financial planning, and retirement plan services, utilizing a blend of analytical approaches and third-party managers.

Kevin Shekell is a financial advisor at Ausdal Financial Partners, Inc. with 15 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and previously worked at Jackson National Life Distributors for 10 years. He is also involved in insurance sales and operates Shekell Wealth Management, LLC. Additionally, he serves as a notary public. Ausdal Financial Partners is an SEC-registered investment adviser and FINRA-member broker-dealer managing approximately $2.13 billion in client 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 various asset classes.

Andrew Tennent is a financial advisor with B. Riley Wealth Advisors, Inc. in Chicago, IL, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and bringing 35 years of industry experience. He has worked at B. Riley Wealth Advisors and B. Riley Wealth Management since 2011 and previously spent 20 years with National Securities Corp. B. Riley Wealth Advisors provides investment advice and portfolio management to a diverse client base, including individuals, pension plans, trusts, and charitable organizations. The firm offers various programs and financial services and manages approximately $4.21 billion in client assets through about 173 advisors.

Vincent Barone is a financial advisor at Aaron Wealth Advisors with nine years of industry experience. He holds the Series 66 designation and has worked at Aaron Wealth Advisors since 2019, following three years at Wells Fargo Clearing. Aaron Wealth Advisors serves high-net-worth and institutional clients, including business owners, entrepreneurs, and multi-generational families. The firm provides discretionary and non-discretionary portfolio management, using an outsourced platform to access third-party managers while maintaining client advisory relationships, and offers option overlay strategies alongside standalone financial consulting engagements.

John Smith is a financial advisor with Northern Trust Securities, Inc. in Chicago, IL, holding Series 63 and Series 66 designations and bringing 31 years of industry experience. He has been with Northern Trust Securities since 2017, following a one-year tenure at Price Technology. Northern Trust Securities, Inc. is a multi-team firm offering discretionary portfolio management primarily to high-net-worth individuals, retail investors, and institutional clients. The firm delivers model-driven investment solutions, including Separately Managed Accounts and Strategist Portfolios, through the Fidelity Managed Account Xchange platform.

Keith Plywaczynski is a CFP® professional with 14 years of industry experience. He is the founder and CEO of Fortitude Financial Partners and currently serves as an advisor at Mariner Independent. His prior experience includes roles at Mariner Wealth Advisors and Mariner Platform Solutions. Mariner Independent provides investment advisory, financial planning, and consulting services to a diverse client base including individuals, trusts, charitable organizations, corporations, and retirement plans. The firm offers portfolio management, model portfolios, and access to third-party managers, with a notable integration of institutional and retirement plan resources.

Christopher Hurckes is a CFP® professional with six years of industry experience, currently serving as an advisor at Ausdal Financial Partners, Inc. since 2019. Prior to his advisory roles, he worked at Athletico Physical Therapy from 2012 to 2019. He is also a board member of the McHenry Chamber of Commerce, engaging in community activities. Ausdal Financial Partners is an SEC-registered investment adviser and FINRA-member broker-dealer managing over $2 billion in client assets. The firm offers a range of advisory programs, retirement services, and financial planning to individuals, trusts, corporations, pension plans, and nonprofits, implementing strategies through discretionary and non-discretionary accounts with access to multiple custodians and investment products.

Robert Widman Jr. is a financial advisor at LaSalle St. Investment Advisors, L.L.C. in Elmhurst, Illinois, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses with 31 years of industry experience. He has been with LaSalle St. Investment Advisors since 2009 and has worked with its affiliated broker-dealer, LaSalle St. Securities, since 2003. LaSalle St. Investment Advisors provides personalized, fee-based financial planning and investment supervisory services to individuals, trusts, estates, pension and profit-sharing plans, charitable organizations, and small businesses, offering both non-discretionary and discretionary investment approaches. The firm manages a predominance of non-discretionary assets and utilizes a mix of asset-allocation models, mutual funds, ETFs, equities, fixed income, and options.

Jessica Haages is a financial advisor at Forum Financial Management, LP with eight years of industry experience. She holds a Series 66 designation and has worked previously at Raymond James & Associates and Cetera Investment Services LLC. Outside of her advisory role, she is involved with Sorrento's Restaurant. Forum Financial Management, LP provides investment advisory services to individuals, retirement plan sponsors, charitable organizations, and institutional clients. The firm utilizes model asset-allocation portfolios based on Modern Portfolio Theory and offers a range of services including portfolio management, financial planning, and sub-advisory support to independent advisors and RIAs.

Nicholas Punzio is a financial advisor at VestGen Advisors, LLC in Chicago, IL, holding Series 63 and Series 66 credentials with 16 years of industry experience. His prior roles include positions at Fidelity Brokerage Services LLC, FIDELITY Personal and Workplace Advisors, and LPL Financial LLC. VestGen Advisors, LLC manages approximately $6.66 billion for about 22,790 clients through 53 advisors. The firm offers discretionary and non-discretionary investment management, financial planning, ERISA 3(21) retirement plan services, and acts as a liaison to third-party managers, developing client-specific strategies based on goals, time horizon, and risk tolerance.