Dane Sauer is a CFP® with 10 years of industry experience, currently serving as a financial advisor at Mercer Global Advisors Inc. in Schaumburg, IL. He has been with Mercer since 2016 in various roles. Mercer Global Advisors provides investment advisory and financial planning services to individuals, families, small business owners, plan sponsors, and non-profits. The firm employs a globally diversified, risk-appropriate investment approach using low-cost ETFs, index funds, and other strategies, and offers a broad range of specialized services including retirement plan consulting and family office solutions.

Julie Bucaro is a CFP®-credentialed financial advisor with 14 years of industry experience. She is currently with Corient, where she has worked since 2022, following a 13-year tenure at Balasa Dinverno Foltz LLC. Corient provides investment advisory and financial planning services to a diverse client base, including individuals, high-net-worth clients, trusts, pension plans, and corporate entities. The firm employs a goals-based, team investment approach that integrates in-house strategies with third-party managers and utilizes risk management tools and alternative investments as appropriate.

Jorge Seda Rivera is a financial advisor with Principal Financial Services, holding a CFP® designation and 26 years of industry experience. He has worked at Principal Securities Inc and Principal Life Insurance Company since 2020, following prior roles at The Huntington Investment Company and PNC Investments. Outside of financial advising, he manages behavioral health practice management businesses, providing administrative and consulting support. Principal Securities offers brokerage and registered investment advisory services to a diverse client base including individual investors, retirement plans, trusts, and charitable organizations. The firm’s advisory services emphasize direct advisory programs, financial planning, and access to third-party money manager solutions, with investment implementation generally carried out on a discretionary basis by these managers.

Bradley Hills is a CFP® and Series 65-licensed advisor at EP Wealth Advisors with one year of industry experience. His prior roles include positions at Rappaport Reiches Capital Management and several financial firms, as well as involvement with the National Literacy Trust. EP Wealth Advisors serves individuals, corporate clients, and retirement plans, offering wealth management, discretionary portfolio management, and financial planning services. The firm utilizes a combination of fundamental, technical, and cyclical analysis to construct customized model portfolios and provides additional services such as tax preparation and estate-document preparation for qualifying clients.

Daniyal Ahmed is a financial advisor at Cetera Planning Partners with eight years of industry experience. He holds the CFP® and Series 66 credentials and has previously worked at Avantax Planning Partners, Avantax Insurance Services, and Honkamp Krueger Financial Services Inc. Outside of advisory work, he has been involved in client consulting and account servicing at Honkamp Krueger Financial. Cetera Planning Partners serves individual and high-net-worth clients, particularly pre-retirees and retirees, offering investment management, comprehensive financial planning, and retirement-related advice. The firm’s investment approach focuses on diversified mutual fund and ETF allocations tailored to clients’ objectives, supported by a formal planning process and ancillary services such as tax planning and estate strategies.

Nikola Plavsic is a financial advisor with Principal Financial Services, holding Series 63 and Series 66 licenses and two years of industry experience. His prior roles include positions at J.P. Morgan Securities LLC and JP Morgan Chase Bank, N.A. He is based in Downers Grove, Illinois. Principal Securities provides brokerage and registered investment advisory services to a wide range of clients, including individual investors, retirement plans, trusts, estates, charitable organizations, corporations, and active-duty U.S. military personnel stationed abroad. The firm offers direct advisory programs, financial planning, retirement plan consulting, and access to third-party money manager asset allocation and separately managed account solutions.

Frank Nemeth is a financial advisor at NewEdge Advisors with 34 years of industry experience. He holds the Series 63 and Series 66 designations. His prior experience includes roles at Wells Fargo Advisors LLC, Wells Fargo Clearing, and A. G. Edwards & Sons, Inc. NewEdge Advisors is an enterprise-scale registered investment adviser serving individuals, pension plans, corporations, trusts, estates, and charitable organizations through a network of independent investment adviser representatives. The firm provides a range of portfolio management, financial planning, and consulting services, utilizing both in-house and third-party strategies along with technology tools to support advisor and client needs.

Russell Game is a financial advisor with Brookstone Capital Management LLC, holding a ChFC® designation and Series 63 and 66 licenses, with 36 years of industry experience. He has worked at Brookstone since 2017 and previously spent time with Center Street Advisors and Center Street, as well as owning and operating Game & Associates Financial Services, Inc. Outside of his advisory work, he is the owner and president of Game & Associates Financial Services, which sells insurance products including fixed annuities. Brookstone Capital Management provides fee-based asset management and financial planning to individuals, retirement plans, corporations, trusts, and other entities. The firm utilizes strategic and dynamic asset-allocation models alongside a diversified mix of investment vehicles and serves both as a primary advisor and sub-advisor through its turnkey platform.

Maureen Zygler is a financial advisor at Voya Financial Advisors, Inc. with nine years of industry experience. She holds Series 65 and Series 63 licenses and has previously worked at Mutual of Omaha Investor Services, Mutual of Omaha Insurance Company, Vipco Advisors, Kona Grill, and Uncle Julio's Restaurant. Voya Financial Advisors, Inc. serves a diverse client base including individual and institutional clients such as retirement plan sponsors, charitable organizations, corporations, and high-net-worth individuals. The firm offers financial planning, portfolio management, wrap programs, third‑party manager access, and plan-sponsor consulting through multiple program structures, primarily focusing on non-discretionary, recommendation-based advice.

Thomas Panoplos is a financial advisor at Creative Planning with 24 years of industry experience. He holds a Series 66 designation and previously worked at Mesirow Financial, Inc. for 22 years before joining Creative Planning in 2023. Outside of advising, he is involved as a co-manager in a real estate investment LLC. Creative Planning provides investment advisory and financial planning services to a diverse client base, including individuals, corporations, and retirement plans. The firm emphasizes a financial planning-led investment process with low-cost indexing and buy-and-hold strategies, supplemented by direct indexing, tax-loss harvesting, and other approaches, supported by a broad advisory team and integrated investment infrastructure.

Bryan Brooks is a financial advisor at TIAA-CREF with 17 years of industry experience. He holds a Series 66 designation and has held roles at firms including Charles Schwab, Fidelity, Nuveen, and TIAA. TIAA-CREF Individual & Institutional Services, LLC’s Advice & Planning Services division offers financial planning and discretionary managed account programs to individuals, trusts, estates, and small retirement plans, often serving clients with existing TIAA-administered employer retirement plan relationships. The firm provides both point-in-time planning and ongoing portfolio management services, acting as adviser to a donor-advised fund and operating within a vertically integrated structure that includes affiliated funds.

Eric Walania is a CFA® charterholder with 27 years of industry experience. He has been with William Blair And Company, L.L.C. since 2004. He holds a Series 63 designation and is based in Western Springs, IL. William Blair’s Private Wealth Management division provides investment management, financial planning, and wealth services to individuals, foundations, pension, and corporate clients. The firm emphasizes active, research-driven management across multiple asset classes and offers proprietary models as well as access to private funds and co-investment opportunities.

Samuel Awad is a CFP® professional with nine years of experience in financial advising. He has worked at Integrated Wealth Concepts LLC since 2026, following six years at HighTower Advisors LLC and four years at Private Vista, LLC. Outside of financial advising, he provides operational and IT consulting and executive coaching, assisting with strategic IT programs and coaching high-potential executives. Integrated Wealth Concepts LLC serves individuals, families, trusts, businesses, and retirement plans through a network of independent financial advisors. The firm offers discretionary investment management, financial planning, family office, and retirement plan advisory services, employing a primarily long-term investment approach with customized portfolios and a variety of model and wrap-fee program options.

Joseph Florina is a CFP® professional with six years of industry experience. He is currently with Brookstone Capital Management LLC and Wealth Financial Services & Tax Advisory, having previously worked at Interactive Brokers and First American Bank. Brookstone Capital Management is an SEC-registered adviser providing fee-based asset management and financial planning through a turnkey asset management platform and a wrap-fee program. The firm serves a diverse client base, including individuals, retirement plans, corporations, charitable organizations, other registered investment advisers, sovereign wealth funds, and banking institutions.

Nathan Freeman is a financial advisor at Wealthspire Advisors with 24 years of industry experience. He holds Series 66 and Series 65 licenses and has worked at firms including Independent Financial Partners, Rudwall Wealth Management, LPL Financial, and American Century Investment Services. In addition to his advisory work, Freeman owns and operates PKJ LLC, a health care services referral business. Wealthspire Advisors is an SEC-registered investment adviser managing approximately $34.3 billion in assets for nearly 9,700 clients, including individuals, corporate plans, and nonprofits. The firm uses an institutional-style asset allocation approach with a range of investment vehicles and offers services such as wealth management, financial planning, and retirement-plan consulting.

Charles Williams is a CFP® professional with 35 years of experience in the financial services industry. He has worked with Independent Financial Partners since 2010 and previously served at LPL Financial and IFP Securities, LLC. Williams is also an adjunct professor at Northwestern University School of Continuing Studies, where he teaches a retirement planning and employee benefits course. Independent Financial Partners provides investment advisory, financial planning, trust, and retirement-plan services through a nationwide network of independent Investment Adviser Representatives. The firm supports a multi-advisor platform serving individual, charitable, corporate, and high-net-worth clients, with a focus on retirement-plan advisory and pension consulting services.

Patrick Callaghan is a financial advisor at &PARTNERS with 28 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 designations and has previously worked at Wells Fargo Clearing and Wells Fargo Advisors LLC. He served as past president of the Rotary Club of Glenview Sunrise, overseeing its fundraising committee for fourteen years. &PARTNERS serves a diverse client base including high-net-worth individuals, retirement plans, charitable organizations, and private businesses. The firm offers investment management, financial and tax planning, retirement-plan consulting, and brokerage services, employing a range of analytical approaches and third-party strategies.

David Kohlmeyer is a CFP® professional with 34 years of industry experience. He has worked at Benjamin F. Edwards & Company, Inc. since 2018 and previously spent nine years at Stifel Nicolaus & Co Inc. Outside of his advisory work, he serves as the treasurer for the Wheaton Academy Foundation, a role involving quarterly evening meetings. Benjamin F. Edwards & Company, Inc. is an SEC-registered investment adviser and broker-dealer serving individuals, pension plans, charitable organizations, and institutions. The firm offers a range of fee-based wrap programs, financial planning, and investment management services, using strategies managed internally and by third parties, with oversight from an Investment Strategy Committee.

Jeffrey Perkins is a financial advisor with Transamerica Financial Advisors, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and bringing 16 years of industry experience. He has been with Transamerica Financial Advisors since 2012 and also serves on the board of Marengo Area Outreach Enterprises. Outside of finance, he manages Perkins Farm, which sells hay and beef. Transamerica Financial Advisors provides investment advisory, brokerage, and retirement-plan services to a wide range of clients, including individuals, employer-sponsored plans, trusts, and charitable organizations. The firm employs a model portfolio approach using third-party managers and proprietary solutions delivered through multiple platforms.

Anthony Hoban is a financial advisor with William Blair, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and bringing 29 years of industry experience. He has been with William Blair & Company L.L.C. since 1996. 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 equities, fixed income, and alternative strategies, providing access to proprietary models, third-party sub-managers, and private investment opportunities.