Nicole Caron is a CFP® professional with three years of industry experience, currently advising at Focus Partners Wealth, LLC. Her previous roles include positions at Gratus Capital, Mercer Advisors, and Atlanta Financial Associates. Outside of financial advising, she owns and operates a business selling sewing products and is also an author of children’s books. Focus Partners Wealth, LLC serves individuals, families, family offices, and institutional clients with wealth management, financial planning, and retirement plan consulting. The firm employs a long-term, tax- and fee-sensitive investment approach that integrates active and passive strategies, third-party managers, and private funds.

Carolyn Burgin is a financial advisor with Equity Services, Inc. (ESI Financial Advisors) in Sandy Springs, GA, holding Series 63 and Series 66 licenses and bringing eight years of industry experience. She has previously worked at TruOak Financial Partners LLC, Apogee Financial Partners, MML Investors Services LLC, MassMutual Life Insurance Co, and AXA Advisors LLC. Outside of advising, she is involved with CRT Legacy Treasures LLC, a venture focused on locating unclaimed assets in Georgia and surrounding states. Equity Services, Inc. provides financial planning, consulting, and asset management services to individuals, corporations, trusts, estates, charitable organizations, and employer retirement plans. The firm offers multiple advisory platforms, frequently employs third-party asset managers and model portfolios, and features both discretionary and non-discretionary client programs.

Michael Waiters is a financial advisor at Truist Advisory Services in Atlanta, GA, holding a Series 66 designation with one year of industry experience. His prior work includes roles at Walgreens, Target, CME Group, and Amazon. He was also involved with FSU Campus Recreation for two years during his full-time studies. Truist Advisory Services provides investment consulting and advisory services to individuals, businesses, retirement plan sponsors, and charitable organizations. The firm combines discretionary and non-discretionary approaches, utilizing third-party platforms and AI-enabled research to support its manager selection and investment oversight.

Jameson Spillers is a financial advisor with Empower Advisory Group in Smyrna, GA. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and has been with Empower since 2026. Prior to joining Empower, he worked with Florida Financial Advisors DBA Georgia Financial Advisors and has varied experience including roles outside the financial industry. Empower Advisory Group primarily serves employer-sponsored retirement plan sponsors and their participants, offering financial planning and investment management through a model integrated with Empower’s recordkeeping and administrative platforms. The firm emphasizes long-term portfolio returns and savings rates in its financial planning approach and manages a large participant base relative to its advisor headcount.

Blake Winters is a CFP® and CFA® with 17 years of experience in the financial industry. He is currently with Truist Advisory Services and has held various roles within the Truist organization since 1996. Truist Advisory Services provides investment consulting and advisory services to individuals, corporate clients, retirement plan sponsors, and charitable organizations, utilizing a combination of discretionary manager relationships and non-discretionary consulting supported by third-party platforms and AI-enabled research tools.

Joshua Loud is a financial advisor at Janney Montgomery Scott with seven years of industry experience. He holds a Series 66 designation and previously worked at Raymond James and Associates. Outside of his advisory work, he serves as an assistant golf coach at The Lovett School, chairs the Cobb Young Professionals committee, and is a board member of The Extension, a nonprofit supporting adults overcoming addiction. Janney Montgomery Scott is a large, dually registered broker-dealer and SEC-registered investment adviser managing approximately $110 billion in client assets. The firm serves a diverse client base, offering brokerage services, financial planning, consulting, and multiple wrap and advisory programs, with investment advice delivered through both in-house and third-party managers.

Julian Koeneman is a financial advisor with Goldman Sachs Wealth Services based in Atlanta, GA. He holds a Series 66 designation and has seven years of industry experience. Prior to his current role, he worked at The Ayco Company, L.P./Mercer Allied, Bank of America Merrill Lynch, and Core States Inc. He also has experience in academic roles at the University of South Carolina. Goldman Sachs Wealth Services advises a diverse client base including individual investors, corporate participants, executives, plan sponsors, and institutional clients. The firm provides tailored financial planning and portfolio management supported by specialized services such as Private Family Office, Executive Wealth programs, and access to Alternative Investments, leveraging extensive resources within the broader Goldman Sachs network.

Paul Dean is a financial advisor at Equity Services, Inc. with 38 years of industry experience. He holds the ChFC® designation as well as Series 63 and Series 65 licenses. Prior to joining Equity Services, he worked at TruOak Financial Partners LLC, Apogee Financial Partners, Mass Mutual Investors Services, Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Company, and Metlife Securities Inc. Outside of his advisory work, Dean serves as the music director for the Pleasant Hill Presbyterian Church choir in Duluth, GA. Equity Services, Inc., also known as ESI Financial Advisors, provides financial planning, consulting, and asset management services to individuals, corporations, trusts, estates, charitable organizations, and employer retirement plans. The firm offers multiple advisory platforms and frequently utilizes third-party asset managers and model portfolios, combining long-term strategies with options for shorter-term trading and specialized instruments.

Tiaudra Shaw is a CFP® professional with 25 years of experience in financial advisory roles. She is currently with Schwab Wealth Advisory, where she has worked since 2026, and has previous experience at Charles Schwab & Co., USAA Financial Advisors, and Truist Investment Services. She is the Chapter President of the Greater Metropolitan Atlanta chapter of Jack and Jill of America, Inc., a nonprofit organization. Schwab Wealth Advisory, Inc. provides non-discretionary fiduciary investment advice and financial planning for clients enrolled in the Schwab Wealth Advisory program and certain Charles Schwab & Co.-referred clients. The firm’s approach includes asset allocation guidance based on proprietary research tools and annual reviews tailored to clients’ goals and risk tolerance.

Neil Holmes is a financial advisor at Rockefeller Financial LLC in Atlanta, GA, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses with 10 years of industry experience. He has worked at Rockefeller Financial LLC and Rockefeller & Co LLC since 2019 and previously at SunTrust Robinson Humphrey from 2016 to 2019. Rockefeller Financial LLC serves high-net-worth and ultra-high-net-worth individuals, families, family offices, institutional clients, retirement plans, foundations, and corporations. The firm provides discretionary and non-discretionary portfolio management, financial planning, and consulting, and operates as a registered broker-dealer offering securities transactions, variable insurance products, placement, and investment banking services.

William Mckinney is a financial advisor with HB Wealth in Atlanta, GA, holding Series 63 and Series 65 credentials and 19 years of industry experience. His prior roles include positions at Gratus Capital, RSM US Wealth Management, Cetera Advisor Networks, and Carroll Financial Associates. He also serves as a FINRA arbitrator. HB Wealth Management provides wealth management, investment management, and financial planning services to individuals, families, trusts, retirement plans, corporate entities, foundations, family offices, and institutional clients. The firm combines quantitative and qualitative due diligence across public and private investment strategies and offers discretionary portfolio management aligned with clients’ objectives and risk tolerance.

Jaron Grounds is a financial advisor at William Blair with seven years of industry experience. He holds the Series 66 designation and has worked at William Blair since 2018. Prior to joining William Blair, he was employed at DICK's Sporting Goods and Overtime Athletics, and he also spent time at Kennesaw State University. 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.

Tosha Alexander is a financial advisor with Empower Advisory Group in Douglasville, GA, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and bringing 10 years of industry experience. Her prior roles include positions at J.P. Morgan Securities, Valic Financial Advisors, and New York Life Insurance Company. Outside of advisory work, she owns Victoria's Vintage Design, a business focused on estate sales and design solutions. Empower Advisory Group provides financial planning and investment management primarily to employer-sponsored retirement plan sponsors and their participants, as well as to Empower Premier IRA and retail brokerage account holders, delivering services through an integrated platform linked to Empower’s recordkeeping and administrative systems.

Dylan Schefske is a financial advisor at Truist Advisory Services with two years of industry experience. He holds a Series 66 designation and has worked at Truist Advisory Services and Truist Investment Services since 2024. His prior work includes roles at MassMutual Life Insurance and Mass Mutual Investors Services. Truist Advisory Services provides investment consulting and advisory services to individuals, businesses, retirement plan sponsors and participants, and charitable organizations. The firm employs a combination of discretionary manager relationships and non-discretionary consulting, supported by third-party platform and manager arrangements, with an emphasis on inter-affiliate integration and oversight.

Mark Bendinelli is a CFA® charterholder and holds a Series 66 license, with 11 years of industry experience. He is currently with Cresset Asset Management, LLC, having joined the firm following seven years at Merrill. Cresset Asset Management, LLC is an SEC-registered investment adviser managing approximately $71.9 billion in client assets for a diverse client base, including 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 a range of advisory and family office services.

Catherine Gordon is a financial advisor at Goldman Sachs Wealth Services with seven years of industry experience. She holds Series 65 and Series 63 licenses and has worked at Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC since 2021. Her prior experience includes positions at The Ayco Company, L.P./Mercer Allied, DiSalle Real Estate Company, and involvement with Swig Restaurant and Catering. Goldman Sachs Wealth Services provides financial planning and portfolio management to a diverse clientele, including individual investors, executives, and institutional clients. The firm offers tailored investment solutions supported by specialized advisory teams and integrates resources across the Goldman Sachs ecosystem to deliver a broad range of wealth management services.

Darrie Schlesinger is a financial advisor with Equity Services, Inc. (ESI Financial Advisors) in Sandy Springs, GA, holding Series 65 and Series 63 credentials and having 22 years of industry experience. Her prior firms include National Life Group and Equitable Advisors. She is also involved in APOGEE Financial Partners, a business focused on insurance and investment-related activities. Equity Services, Inc. provides financial planning, consulting, and asset management services to individuals, corporations, trusts, estates, charitable organizations, and employer retirement plans. The firm offers multiple advisory platforms, often utilizing third-party asset managers and model portfolios, and combines long-term strategies with options for shorter-term trading and specialized instruments.

Lemond Ponton is a financial advisor with Valic Financial Advisors in Atlanta, GA, holding Series 63 and Series 66 licenses and bringing 14 years of industry experience. His prior roles include positions at Merrill Lynch, AXA Advisors, Northwestern Mutual, MassMutual Life Insurance, and MML Investors Services. He is also co-founder and owner of Cardinal Mays Advisors & Associates LLC, a financial services firm. Valic Financial Advisors serves primarily U.S. individuals, including high net worth clients and employer-sponsored retirement participants, offering portfolio management, financial planning, and unified managed accounts through a large network of advisors. The firm manages assets at scale and utilizes centralized technology and model solutions as part of its investment approach.

Ross Bramwell is a CFA® charterholder with 13 years at HB Wealth Management and 8 years of overall industry experience. He is based in Atlanta, GA, and holds the Series 65 license. HB Wealth Management is a registered investment adviser serving individuals, families, trusts, retirement plans, corporate entities, foundations, family offices, institutional clients, and investment companies. The firm offers discretionary portfolio management and combines quantitative and qualitative due diligence across a range of public and private investment strategies.

William Bolen is a CFP® professional based in Atlanta, GA, with eight years of industry experience. He has worked at Homrich Berg for 12 years before joining HB Wealth. HB Wealth Management is a registered investment adviser serving individuals, families, trusts, retirement plans, corporate entities, foundations, family offices, institutional clients, and investment companies. The firm offers wealth management, investment management, and financial planning, employing a combined quantitative and qualitative investment process across a broad range of public and private strategies.