Justin Verwijst is a CFP®-certified financial advisor with six years of industry experience, currently with Valic Financial Advisors in Chicago, IL. His career includes positions at AGIA, Sequoia Wealth Management, and Aon. He is also registered as an agent for non-securities insurance products. Valic Financial Advisors serves primarily U.S. individuals, including high net worth and ultra-high net worth clients, as well as employer-sponsored retirement participants. The firm offers portfolio management, financial planning, and discretionary unified managed accounts through a large network of advisors, leveraging centralized technology and model solutions to manage assets at scale.

Mitchell Protus is a financial advisor with Private Advisor Group, LLC and holds a Series 66 designation. He has been active in the industry since 2023, including roles at LPL Financial and MAP Wealth Management. His background includes various positions outside of finance, such as working at Reunion Brewery and Hawthorn Woods Country Club. Private Advisor Group serves a diverse range of clients, including individuals, trusts, estates, and charitable organizations. The firm offers discretionary and non-discretionary portfolio management, financial planning, and retirement-plan consulting through a network of investment adviser representatives and access to multiple third-party asset managers and turnkey asset management platforms.

Eugene Nacci is a financial advisor at Citigroup Global Markets in Chicago, IL, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses with 18 years of industry experience. He has previously worked at Merrill, Oppenheimer & Co. Inc, Capital Asset Advisory Services, Three Sixty Wealth Management, and Fidelity Brokerage Services LLC. Citigroup Global Markets serves individual and institutional clients across a variety of segments, offering multi-asset, multi-manager investment advisory programs along with broker-dealer execution and custody services. The firm is notable for its large institutional scale, in-house research, and specialized market roles including derivatives and futures services.

Lewis Martin is a CFP® with nine years of industry experience, currently serving as a financial advisor at Kestra Advisory. His prior experience includes roles at Bank of America, Merrill, Legion Insurance Group, and Axa Advisors. Kestra Advisory Services provides investment advisory and retirement-plan consulting to a broad mix of institutional and individual clients, including plan sponsors. The firm offers services such as fiduciary consulting, plan design, employee education, and advisor-managed accounts, managing approximately $79.8 billion in assets.

Kelsey Stella is a financial advisor at William Blair with 11 years of industry experience. She holds the Series 66 designation and has been with William Blair since 2014. William Blair’s Private Wealth Management division offers investment management, financial planning, and wealth services to individuals, foundations, pension, and corporate clients. The firm uses an active, research-driven approach across multiple asset classes and provides access to proprietary models and private investment opportunities.

Ronadev Mitra is a financial advisor at William Blair with 27 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and has been with William Blair since 2014. Outside of his advisory role, he is a member of Cornerstone Angels, an angel investing network based in Chicago, where he contributes time monthly. William Blair’s Private Wealth Management division serves individuals, foundations, pension, and corporate clients through discretionary and non-discretionary investment management and financial planning. The firm employs an active, research-driven approach across multiple asset classes and offers proprietary models and private fund access to its clients.

Steven Josephson is a financial advisor at Bankers Life Advisory Services, Inc. in Chicago, IL, with 33 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and has worked at Bankers Life Advisory Services and Bankers Life Securities since 2017, following a 12-year tenure at Harris Investor Services, Inc. Bankers Life Advisory Services, Inc. provides discretionary portfolio management and investment consulting primarily to mass-affluent and high-net-worth individuals. The firm emphasizes customized asset allocation, tax efficiency, and a combination of fundamental, technical, and cyclical analysis in its investment approach.

Joseph Cheop is a financial advisor at William Blair with 26 years of industry experience. He has been with William Blair And Company, L.L.C. since 2004. His credentials include Series 63 and Series 65 licenses. William Blair’s Private Wealth Management division offers 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 provides proprietary models and access to private funds and co-investment opportunities.

Michael Bryan is a financial advisor at Mesirow Financial Investment Management, Inc. with 20 years of industry experience. He holds the Series 63 and Series 65 designations and has been with Mesirow Financial since 2006. Outside of his advisory role, he operates a tax preparation practice as a sole proprietor. Mesirow Financial Investment Management, Inc.’s Wealth Management division provides discretionary and non-discretionary investment management and financial planning services to a diverse client base including individuals, pension plans, government entities, and charitable organizations. The firm employs quantitative and qualitative due diligence across various asset classes and offers access to proprietary private investment products and affiliated feeder funds.

Julian Bell is a financial advisor at Hightower Advisors with CFP® and Series 65 credentials and three years of industry experience. He previously worked at Plante Moran Financial Advisors and has experience in both financial advisory and other roles in retail and education sectors. Hightower Advisors provides investment advisory and planning services to a diverse range of individual and institutional clients, employing a multi-manager approach that includes affiliated and third-party managers and utilizes proprietary research and portfolio construction techniques.

Susan Wolfe is a financial advisor at Focus Partners Wealth, LLC with 29 years of industry experience. She holds Series 63 and Series 66 designations and previously worked at Merrill for 25 years before joining several firms including Sanctuary Advisors, Telemus Capital, and Kovitz Investment Group Partners. Focus Partners Wealth, LLC provides wealth advisory and investment management services to individuals, families, family offices, retirement plans, institutions, and businesses. The firm employs a long-term investment approach that emphasizes tax- and fee-sensitivity within an enhanced open architecture framework, combining active and passive strategies along with a range of affiliated private and registered funds.

Katherine Baumann is a financial advisor at Oppenheimer with Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and two years of industry experience. She previously worked at LPL Financial and has a diverse background including roles at Alan Koa Salon & Spa and as a caregiver. Baumann is based in Chicago, IL. Oppenheimer serves a broad client base including individuals, corporations, pension and profit-sharing plans, and charitable organizations. The firm offers a range of advisory and brokerage services and employs strategic and tactical asset allocation, manager selection, and diversified investment strategies tailored to client objectives.

Margaret Miller is a financial advisor at William Blair with three years of industry experience. She holds a Series 66 designation and has worked at William Blair since 2021, following a period at American Commercial Bank & Trust. William Blair’s Private Wealth Management division serves individuals, foundations, pension, and corporate clients with discretionary and non-discretionary investment management, financial planning, and wealth services. The firm employs an active, research-driven approach across equities, fixed income, and alternative strategies, offering proprietary models and access to private funds and co-investment opportunities.

Roger Smithberg is a CFP® professional with 35 years of experience in the financial advisory industry. He has been with Sanctuary Advisors, LLC since 2015 and has worked with Sanctuary Securities, Inc. since 1998. Based in Chicago, IL, he holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses. Sanctuary Advisors provides investment advisory and financial planning services to individuals, corporations, charitable organizations, trusts, estates, and retirement plans. The firm offers customized investment programs through various account structures, using both discretionary and non-discretionary approaches, and operates an integrated affiliate structure with a broad network of independent advisors and affiliated broker-dealer services.

Christopher Brathwaite is a financial advisor at William Blair with 27 years of industry experience. He has been with William Blair & Co LLC since 2010 and holds Series 63 and Series 65 credentials. William Blair’s Private Wealth Management division provides 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 and offers a range of proprietary models and access to private funds and co-investments.

Eric Kuehl is a financial advisor at Cerity Partners LLC with 25 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and has previously worked at Wasmer, Schroeder & Company, LLC, and Cincinnati Asset Management Inc. Cerity Partners is an SEC-registered investment adviser serving a diverse client base including individuals, families, trusts, corporations, and institutional investors, advising on approximately $126.9 billion in assets. The firm offers a range of services such as investment management, financial planning, tax and insurance support, and access to alternative and private-market investments, with a focus on customized, diversified portfolios and private market programs for qualified clients.

James Allen is a CFP® with 32 years of experience in the financial industry. He has worked at Oppenheimer since 2020, following roles at David A. Noyes & Co. / Sanctuary Securities, Inc. and Citigroup Global Markets. Outside of his advisory work, he volunteers as a caucus member for the Village of Glencoe, IL, participating in the selection of library and park district candidates. Oppenheimer serves a broad client base including individuals, corporations, pension and profit-sharing plans, and charitable organizations. The firm offers a range of advisory and brokerage services, employing strategic and tactical asset allocation along with various investment vehicles to meet client objectives.

Sean Lawless is a financial advisor at Equity Services, Inc. in Chicago, IL. He holds a Series 66 designation and has been in the industry since 2025. Lawless also has a background in education, having been affiliated with DePauw University, Lake Forest College, and New Trier High School since 2016. Equity Services, Inc., operating as ESI Financial Advisors, provides financial planning, consulting, and asset management to individuals, corporations, trusts, estates, charitable organizations, and employer retirement plans. The firm offers multiple advisory platforms and combines long-term investment strategies with options for shorter-term trading and specialized instruments.

Kevin Torres is a financial advisor with Bankers Life Advisory Services, Inc. in Chicago, IL, holding Series 66 and Series 63 licenses and bringing six years of industry experience. His prior employment includes roles at J.P. Morgan Securities LLC, JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A., and Monere Investments, Inc. Bankers Life Advisory Services, Inc. serves mass-affluent and high-net-worth individuals through discretionary portfolio management, investment consulting, and retirement plan consulting. The firm employs a combination of fundamental, technical, and cyclical analysis to create tailored asset allocations and ongoing portfolio management aligned with clients’ goals and risk profiles.

Joseph Chmiel is a financial advisor at Creative Planning with 26 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and has worked at firms including Transamerica Investors Securities Corporation and Diversified Investors Securities Corp. prior to joining Creative Planning. Creative Planning provides investment advisory and financial planning services to individuals, corporations, foundations, trusts, and retirement plans. The firm manages approximately $217 billion in client assets and employs a financial planning-led investment process emphasizing low-cost indexing and buy-and-hold strategies, supported by a broad range of supplemental investment options and integrated retirement plan services.