Glenn Stears Jr. is a financial advisor with United Planners' Financial Services of America, holding CFP® and ChFC® designations and bringing 46 years of industry experience. His prior work includes 37 years at Waddell & Reed, Inc., and he also serves as vice president and secretary of Sagrado & Stears, Inc. Outside of his advisory role, he is involved in an insurance agency he has operated since 1980. United Planners Financial Services is a national wealth-management enterprise serving a diverse client base including individual investors, retirement plans, corporations, trusts, and institutional clients. The firm delivers advisory and brokerage services through independent representatives and emphasizes non-discretionary account management.

Gregg Anderson is a financial advisor at CIBC Private Wealth Advisors, Inc. in Chicago, IL, with 24 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 66 licenses. His prior work includes roles at Atlantic Trust Investment Advisers, Gnv Advisors, and Geneva Investment Management of Chicago. CIBC Private Wealth Advisors serves individuals, families, trusts, employee benefit plans, corporations, and investment companies with a range of services including portfolio management, financial and estate planning, and coordinated Family Office services. The firm combines proprietary and external investment strategies and is notable for its high assets under management per advisor and management of investment company portfolios.

Lauren Kramer is a financial advisor at William Blair with 10 years of industry experience. She holds a Series 66 designation and has worked at William Blair since 2022 and previously at Morgan Stanley from 2015 to 2022. William Blair’s Private Wealth Management division offers discretionary and non-discretionary investment management, financial planning, and wealth services to individuals, foundations, pension, and corporate clients. The firm employs an active, research-driven approach across multiple asset classes and provides proprietary models as well as access to private funds and co-investment opportunities.

Lucas Perkins is a CFP® with 20 years of industry experience, currently serving at VALIC Financial Advisors since 2011 and holding a concurrent position at Agia since 2022. He is based in Chicago, IL, and holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses. At Agia, he is involved with non-securities insurance products. 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, consulting, and brokerage services, utilizing Envestnet-developed UMA models and operating at scale with over 1,200 advisors.

Marcel Myszewski is a financial advisor at Cresset Asset Management, LLC with three years of industry experience. He holds a Series 65 designation and has previously worked at BBR Partners, LLC and Northern Trust Corporation. Cresset Asset Management, LLC is an SEC-registered investment adviser managing approximately $71.9 billion in client assets for a diverse client base that includes individuals, families, trusts, retirement plans, and charitable organizations. The firm focuses on diversified, asset-allocation-driven portfolio construction using both active and passive strategies, supported by a structured due-diligence program and private-fund management across multiple asset classes.

Craig Hurley is a financial advisor at TIAA-CREF with 26 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63, Series 65, and Series 66 designations. Hurley has been with TIAA and TIAA-CREF in various roles since 2016. TIAA‑CREF Individual & Institutional Services, LLC provides financial planning and discretionary managed account programs to individuals, trusts, estates, partnerships, corporate entities, and small retirement plans, often serving clients with prior relationships through TIAA-administered employer retirement plans. The firm offers both point-in-time planning and ongoing discretionary management, applying a fiduciary standard to its RIA services and acting as adviser to a donor-advised fund within a vertically integrated structure.

Ephraim Okeke is a financial advisor at Schwab Wealth Advisory with eight years of industry experience. He holds the Series 66 credential and has previously worked at UBS Financial Service Inc., Raymond James & Associates, Inc., Bank of America, N.A., and Merrill Lynch. Outside of his advisory role, he serves as the Treasurer and a board member for F.Y.T.C (For You, The Culture) INC, where he manages financial affairs and budgets. Schwab Wealth Advisory provides non-discretionary fiduciary investment advice through the Schwab Wealth Advisory program, offering clients annual financial reviews, retirement planning, and investment recommendations across various asset classes using Schwab research tools and standard asset allocation models.

Danielle Artz is a financial advisor at William Blair with Series 65 and Series 63 credentials and eight years of industry experience. She has worked at William Blair since 2021 and previously spent three years with Fisher Investments. William Blair’s Private Wealth Management division offers discretionary and non-discretionary investment management, financial planning, and wealth services to individuals, foundations, pension, and corporate clients. The firm employs active, research-driven management across multiple asset classes and provides proprietary models and access to private funds and co-investment opportunities.

Patricia Dechant is a financial advisor at CIBC Private Wealth Advisors, Inc. in Chicago, IL, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses with 40 years of industry experience. She has worked at CIBC Private Wealth Advisors since 2017, previously spending time at Atlantic Trust Investment Advisors and Geneva Investment Management of Chicago. CIBC Private Wealth Advisors provides investment and wealth advisory services to individuals, families, trusts, employee benefit plans, corporations, and investment companies. The firm employs a combination of internal teams and external managers to deliver customized portfolio management and financial planning, managing approximately $67.8 billion in assets with a focus on serving high net worth clients and offering coordinated Family Office services for complex needs.

Darinka Lora Stepan is a financial advisor with Eagle Strategies (NY Life) in Chicago, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and bringing eight years of industry experience. She has held roles at New York Life Insurance Company and Nylife Securities LLC since 2015 and operates her own advisory and insurance solutions firm. Outside of advisory work, Stepan serves on the boards of two nonprofit organizations focused on first-time homebuyer education and youth tennis scholarships. Eagle Strategies serves a diverse client base including individuals and institutions, providing financial planning, investment management, and retirement-plan advisory services. The firm offers tailored advice through various program types and emphasizes non-discretionary asset management within an integrated New York Life affiliate structure.

Roger Albrecht Jr. is a CFA® charterholder with 22 years of industry experience. He is currently with Focus Partners Wealth, LLC and has previously worked at The Colony Group, LLC, Connectus Wealth, Mid-Continent Capital, and Bufka & Rodgers LLC. Outside of his advisory role, he is the owner and managing director of Blue Sapphire Capital 1 LLC, an investment real estate business. Focus Partners Wealth, LLC serves individuals, high-net-worth families, family offices, and institutional clients with a range of wealth management and advisory services. The firm’s investment approach combines active and passive strategies within an enhanced open architecture framework, emphasizing long-term, tax- and fee-sensitive portfolio construction.

Alaina Anderson is a financial advisor at William Blair with 20 years of industry experience. She holds the Series 66 designation and has been with William Blair & Company since 2006. William Blair’s Private Wealth Management division offers investment management, financial planning, and wealth services to individuals, foundations, pension, and corporate clients. The firm employs an active, research-driven approach across multiple asset classes and provides access to proprietary models, third-party sub-managers, and private investment opportunities.

Cheryl Heilman is a financial advisor with Bankers Life Advisory Services, Inc. in Chicago, IL, holding Series 63 and Series 65 credentials and bringing 34 years of industry experience. She has worked at CNO Financial Group and its affiliates, including Bankers Life Advisory Services and Bankers Life Securities, since 2019, and previously spent 16 years at Ameritas Investment Corp. Heilman also serves as President of Bankers Life Advisory Services Chicago and Vice President of CNO Financial Group. Bankers Life Advisory Services, Inc. is an SEC-registered investment adviser that serves mass-affluent and high-net-worth individuals through discretionary portfolio management, investment consulting, and retirement plan consulting. The firm uses a combination of fundamental, technical, and cyclical analysis to tailor asset allocations and portfolio management strategies aligned with clients’ goals and risk tolerances.

Larue Gibson Jr. is a financial advisor with Hightower Advisors in Chicago, IL, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and bringing 37 years of industry experience. He has been with HighTower Securities and HighTower Advisors since 2016. Gibson serves as a director for two nonprofit organizations: The Disability Fund, which provides capital and advisory services for people with disabilities, and The Lois Bronz Children’s Center, which operates daycare services for underprivileged children. Hightower Advisors provides investment advisory and planning services to a diverse client base including individuals, institutions, and charitable organizations. The firm emphasizes manager selection and multi-manager solutions, utilizing both affiliated and third-party managers, and offers a range of portfolio management and financial planning services.

Nicholas Lamb is a financial advisor at Creative Planning with 10 years of industry experience. He holds the Series 66 designation and has worked previously at Cetera, Sageview Advisory Group, Bank of America, and Merrill. Outside of his advisory role, he is a partner in a real estate development business and sells fixed insurance products. Creative Planning provides wealth management, financial planning, and retirement-plan advisory services to a diverse client base, including high-net-worth individuals, institutional investors, and corporations. The firm employs a financial-planning-led investment approach that emphasizes low-cost indexing and buy-and-hold strategies for long-term goals, supplemented by targeted passive allocations and private market investments.

Carla Genelly is a financial advisor with Sanctuary Advisors, LLC in Chicago, IL, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and having 40 years of industry experience. She has been with Sanctuary Advisors since 2015 and has additional affiliations dating back to 2005. Outside of her advisory role, she serves on the board of Mission Eurasia, an organization focused on church planting and ministry development in Eurasian countries. Sanctuary Advisors, LLC provides investment advisory and financial planning services to a diverse client base, including individuals, corporations, pension plans, and charitable organizations. The firm offers various portfolio management options and employs multiple analytical approaches, operating through a network of over 400 independent adviser representatives.

Mark Pauly is a Series 66 licensed advisor with CIBC Private Wealth Advisors, Inc., based in Chicago, IL. He has 14 years of industry experience, including previous roles at Atlantic Trust Investment Advisors and Geneva Advisors. Although named as a co-owner of several LLCs, he does not receive profit or devote time to these entities. CIBC Private Wealth Advisors serves a diverse client base including individuals, families, trusts, employee benefit plans, corporations, and investment companies. The firm’s investment approach involves a combination of proprietary and external managers, supported by internal teams and committees, to offer customized portfolios, model portfolios, and managed account programs.

Dean Knieps is a financial advisor with TLG Advisors, Inc. based in Chicago, IL, holding Series 63 and Series 66 licenses and bringing 10 years of industry experience. His prior roles include positions at The Leaders Group, Inc., MML Investor Services, LLC, and MassMutual Life Insurance Co. He is also involved with KME Insurance Brokerage as an internal wholesaler. TLG Advisors, Inc. is an SEC-registered investment adviser managing approximately $2.0 billion in discretionary assets. The firm serves individuals, retirement plans, trusts, estates, charitable organizations, businesses, and institutional investors, offering services such as portfolio management, financial and estate planning, and ERISA fiduciary services, with a distinctive combination of traditional and digital platforms.

Erin Calabrese is a financial advisor with Bankers Life Advisory Services, Inc. in Chicago, IL, holding a Series 66 designation and 21 years of industry experience. She has worked at Bankers Life Securities since 2017 and Bankers Life & Casualty since 2016. In addition to her advisory role, she serves as a Field Development Manager for Bankers Life, supporting the training and development of the field force. Bankers Life Advisory Services, Inc. is an SEC-registered investment adviser serving mass-affluent and high-net-worth individuals with discretionary portfolio management, investment consulting, and retirement plan consulting. The firm employs fundamental, technical, and cyclical analysis methods to provide tailored asset allocations and portfolio management aligned with clients’ goals and risk tolerances.

Jerald Hymen is a financial advisor at Oppenheimer with 41 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and has worked at Oppenheimer since 2005, following a four-year tenure at Morgan Stanley DW Inc. Outside of his advisory role, he serves as a co-trustee of his wife’s trust. Oppenheimer is a registered investment adviser and broker-dealer serving individuals, corporations, pension plans, charitable organizations, pooled investment vehicles, and IRAs. The firm offers a variety of programs and advisory services that utilize strategic and tactical asset allocation, manager selection, and customized investment policy development, managing a significant portion of assets on a non-discretionary basis.