Kenneth Dryfhout is a CFA® charterholder with 11 years of industry experience, currently serving as a financial advisor at Benjamin F. Edwards & Company, Inc. since 2022. Prior to that, he worked at BCU for 10 years. Benjamin F. Edwards & Company is an SEC-registered investment adviser and broker-dealer serving individuals, institutions, and charitable organizations. The firm offers a wide range of fee-based investment and financial planning services through discretionary and non-discretionary wrap programs that incorporate multiple managed strategies and investment vehicles.

Ellen Cassin is a financial advisor at Creative Planning with a Series 65 credential and four years of industry experience. She previously worked at Heinz & Associates and Dashboard Wealth Advisors before joining Creative Planning in 2021. Creative Planning provides investment advisory and financial planning services to a diverse client base, including individuals, corporations, foundations, trusts, and retirement plans. The firm employs a financial planning–led investment process focused on low-cost indexing and buy-and-hold strategies, supported by a large advisory team and centralized investment infrastructure.

Mary Bronton is a financial advisor at &PARTNERS with 32 years of industry experience. She holds the Series 63 and Series 66 designations. Her prior experience includes ten years at Wells Fargo Clearing and seven years at Wells Fargo Advisors LLC. &PARTNERS serves a diverse client base including high-net-worth individuals, retirement plans, charitable organizations, and corporations. The firm offers investment management and financial planning services using a combination of proprietary and third-party strategies, with discretionary and non-discretionary management options.

Albert Smith is a financial advisor at Transamerica Financial Advisors with 11 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses. His prior work includes roles at Liberty Tax Service, Premier Senior Marketing, Ma3 Insurance, and Wfgia. Transamerica Financial Advisors serves a wide range of clients including individual investors, pension and profit-sharing plans, trusts, estates, charitable organizations, and corporations. The firm offers both advisory and broker-dealer services, providing proprietary and third-party model portfolios with discretionary and non-discretionary management options.

Kevin Donahue is a financial advisor at William Blair with a Series 66 designation and two years of industry experience. He has been with William Blair since 2021 and has prior work experience in healthcare and education sectors. 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 utilizes an active, research-driven investment approach and provides access to proprietary models, third-party sub-managers, and private fund opportunities.

Corey Minturn is a financial advisor at William Blair with 33 years of industry experience. He holds Series 65 and Series 63 licenses and has been with William Blair & Company L.L.C. since 1993. 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 proprietary models, sub-advisory arrangements, and access to private funds through its MB Investments Program.

Brittany Williams is a financial advisor at Mariner with 12 years of industry experience. She holds Series 63 and Series 66 licenses and has worked at Mariner since 2019. Prior to that, she was with TIAA-CREF from 2015 to 2019. Mariner serves a diverse range of clients, including individuals, pension plans, trusts, and charitable organizations, providing investment management, financial planning, retirement consulting, and coordinated tax services. The firm combines in-house research with third-party manager allocations and offers integrated tax, accounting, and financial wellness solutions alongside traditional portfolio management.

Peter Trinidad Jr. is a financial advisor at Brookstone Capital Management LLC with 12 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 designations and has worked at Brookstone since 2013 and at Smart Retirement Strategies, Inc. since 2009. In addition to his advisory roles, he is involved in insurance sales. Brookstone Capital Management is an SEC-registered adviser that provides fee-based asset management and financial planning through a turnkey asset management platform and wrap-fee program. The firm serves a diverse client base including individuals, retirement plans, corporations, and sovereign wealth funds, delivering investment management primarily on a discretionary basis through model portfolios, unified managed accounts, and separately managed accounts.

Nicholas Maucieri is a financial advisor at Principal Financial Services with 37 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 credentials and has worked with firms including TD Ameritrade and Princor Financial Services Corp. Outside of his advisory role, he officiates youth and high school sports such as football, wrestling, and lacrosse with the Illinois High School Association. Principal Securities provides brokerage and registered investment advisory services to a diverse client base, including individual investors, retirement plans, trusts, and charitable organizations. 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.

Gian Carlo Ornelas is a CFP® and holds a Series 65 license, with two years of industry experience. He is currently with Mariner Wealth Advisors, where he has worked since 2021, including prior experience at Shankland Financial Advisors and Illinois State University. Outside of finance, he has experience in the automotive service sector with Platinum Car Wash. Mariner serves a diverse client base that includes individuals, high-net-worth households, pension plans, trusts, and charitable organizations. The firm offers investment management, financial planning, retirement plan consulting, and integrates tax and accounting services alongside traditional portfolio management.

Douglas Ackerman is a financial advisor at Kestra Advisory with 34 years of industry experience. He holds the ChFC® designation as well as Series 63 and Series 65 licenses. Ackerman's career at Kestra began in 2016, and he is involved in securing disability insurance and writing individual health and term insurance policies through multiple insurance-related activities. He also contributes to the design of a financial planning app targeted at younger adults. Kestra Advisory Services provides investment advisory and retirement-plan consulting to a broad range of institutional and individual clients, including large plan sponsors and sovereign wealth funds. The firm offers services such as fiduciary consulting, plan design, and employee education, utilizing multiple management platforms and third-party solutions within a supervisory framework.

Philip Monnier is a financial advisor with PNC Wealth Management in Western Springs, IL. He holds a Series 66 designation and has 13 years of industry experience. Prior to joining PNC in 2018, he worked at Capital One Advisors, LLC and Capital One Investing, LLC from 2015 to 2018. PNC Wealth Management offers retail brokerage and advisory services through model-based programs, including an invitation-only digital discretionary model account pilot for employees that uses algorithmic risk assessment and third-party-managed investment strategies.

Kathleen Kelly is a Series 66 licensed financial advisor with 22 years of industry experience. She has worked at William Blair since 2019 and previously spent 15 years at Ameriprise Financial Services, Inc. William Blair’s Private Wealth Management division provides 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 offers proprietary models and private investment opportunities.

Paul Schee is a CFP® and holds a Series 65 license with three years of industry experience. He is currently with Mariner Wealth Advisors, where he has worked since 2022, following nine years at Capstone Financial Advisors. Mariner serves a diverse client base, including individuals, high-net-worth households, pension plans, trusts, and charitable organizations, offering investment management, financial planning, retirement plan consulting, and coordinated tax and family office services. The firm employs customized, discretionary portfolios supported by an internal management team and third-party managers, and integrates tax and accounting services alongside operational financial wellness tools.

Charles Murin is a financial advisor with Corient, holding CFP® and Series 65 credentials and bringing 11 years of industry experience. He has worked at Corient since 2022 and previously spent eight years at Balasa Dinverno Foltz LLC. Corient provides investment advisory and financial planning services to a diverse client base that includes individuals, high-net-worth clients, trusts, pension and profit-sharing plans, charitable organizations, and corporate entities. The firm uses a goals-based, team investment approach that integrates in-house strategies with third-party managers and customized asset allocation, supported by continuous portfolio monitoring and risk management tools.

Maxine Mott is a financial advisor at Lincoln Investment with 31 years of industry experience. She holds Series 63 and Series 66 licenses and has previously worked at TIAA-CREF and Macy's. Lincoln Investment serves individuals, charitable organizations, businesses, and employer-sponsored retirement plans, with a particular focus on educators and 403(b)/457(b) participants. The firm offers a range of financial planning and investment management services through both discretionary and non-discretionary programs, managing approximately $22.9 billion in advisory assets.

Nasser Afzali is a financial advisor with Transamerica Financial Advisors, holding Series 63 and Series 65 credentials and bringing 33 years of industry experience. His background includes various roles related to tax, accounting, insurance, and pro bono financial training, with involvement in nonprofit organizations such as The Promise Land Charities Inc and volunteer work with Caris Pregnancy Counseling and Resources. He also provides estate planning document preparation through Net Law Inc and supports The Farsi Church in Chicago Land with tax and accounting services. Transamerica Financial Advisors serves a diverse client base including individual investors, pension plans, trusts, and corporations. The firm offers a range of advisory and broker-dealer services, combining proprietary and third-party model portfolios with discretionary and non-discretionary management options.

Linda Sabo is a financial advisor with Benjamin F. Edwards & Company, Inc. in Wheaton, IL. She holds a Series 66 designation and has 16 years of industry experience, all with Benjamin F. Edwards. Benjamin F. Edwards & Company, Inc. is an SEC-registered investment adviser and broker-dealer serving a diverse client base including individuals, pension plans, charitable organizations, and corporations. The firm offers a range of fee-based wrap programs, financial planning, and investment consulting services supported by a large network of advisors and extensive assets under management.

Kurt Helmich is a financial advisor at Integrated Wealth Concepts LLC with four years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 66 registrations and has previously worked at Hightower Advisors and Charles Schwab & Co., Inc. Integrated Wealth Concepts serves individuals, high-net-worth clients, families, trusts, estates, businesses, and retirement plans through a large network of independent advisors. The firm offers discretionary investment management, financial planning, family office services, and sponsors wrap-fee programs, employing a mix of internal management and third-party asset managers with a long-term investment approach.

Nathanial Chapel is a Series 65-licensed financial advisor with nine years of industry experience. He is currently with Farther and has operated Chapel Financial Group Inc. since 2017, where he is involved as a president and insurance agent focusing on fixed annuities, Medicare Supplement, life insurance, and long-term care. Chapel has also maintained advisory roles at Tru Financial Strategies under his ownership since 2017. Farther provides discretionary investment management and advisory services mainly to individual investors, trusts, and estates, utilizing a web and mobile platform alongside in-person meetings. The firm’s investment approach is based on Modern Portfolio Theory, employing proprietary model portfolios or customized allocations with algorithmic rebalancing, and it integrates AI tools to supplement advisor judgment.