Reginald Smith is a financial advisor at Zacks Investment Management, Inc. with three years of industry experience. He previously worked at J.P. Morgan Securities LLC for three years before joining Zacks. Zacks Investment Management provides discretionary investment management services to individuals, trusts, retirement plans, and institutional clients, offering a range of strategies including all-cap core, dividend, quantitative, international, sector, fixed-income, and long/short approaches. The firm integrates proprietary quantitative models with qualitative management and distributes its strategies through wrap-fee and unified managed account programs.

Lori Hall is a Series 66 licensed financial advisor with 25 years of industry experience. She has worked at Sowell Financial Services, LLC since 2016 and previously at Concert Wealth Management Inc for four years. In addition to her advisory role, she is involved as a planning specialist at Sapphire Wealth Management, where she supports sales, client relationship management, and financial planning. Sowell Management is a multi-team registered investment adviser serving individuals, high-net-worth clients, retirement plans, corporations, and other RIAs. The firm offers discretionary and non-discretionary portfolio management, financial planning, and retirement-plan advisory services through an independent-contractor model with over 100 investment advisor representatives.

Brandon Mull is a CFP®, CFA®, and Series 66-licensed advisor with eight years of industry experience. He currently works at Savvy and previously held roles at Zhang Financial LLC, Morgan Stanley, and TransMarket Group. Savvy provides customized discretionary and non-discretionary investment and wealth management services to individuals, trusts, estates, retirement plans, charitable organizations, corporations, and other entities. The firm combines an index-based core with tailored strategies such as direct indexing with tax-loss harvesting, active and passive stock portfolios, and ESG-focused models, supported by a parent technology platform and third-party tools.

Brian M. Ahern is a ChFC® credentialed financial advisor with 25 years of industry experience. He is currently with VestGen Advisors, LLC and has prior experience at The LAT Group, Raymond James Financial Services, and Merrill. Based in Chicago, IL, he has held various roles in both advisory and private client services. VestGen Advisors, LLC manages approximately $6.66 billion for about 22,790 clients through 53 advisors, offering a range of investment management, financial planning, and ERISA 3(21) retirement plan services. The firm employs a client-specific strategy development process that incorporates fundamental, technical, and quantitative analysis alongside modern portfolio theory and serves a diverse client base including institutional investors.

Christian Whittemore is a financial advisor at Zacks Investment Management, Inc. in Chicago, IL, holding a Series 66 designation with 23 years of industry experience. He has been with Zacks Investment Management since 2002. Zacks Investment Management provides discretionary portfolio management to a diverse client base including individuals, trusts, retirement plans, and institutional investors. The firm employs a proprietary investment process combining quantitative and qualitative analysis, offering a broad range of strategies and serving both direct clients and third-party advisers through model portfolios and indices.

Craig Norris is a CFP® with three years of industry experience, currently affiliated with Mariner Independent in Chicago, IL. He has held advisory roles at Archiwealth and Mariner Platform Solutions and serves on the advisory board of The H Foundation, a nonprofit focused on cancer research. Additionally, he creates content for an internet-based sports media channel called Game On Media. Mariner Independent provides investment advisory, financial planning, and consulting services to individuals, trusts, charitable organizations, corporations, and retirement plans. The firm offers access to model portfolios, third-party managers, and a range of retirement plan services, supported by institutional affiliations that enhance its investment and fiduciary capabilities.

Peter Lewis is a financial advisor with LaSalle St. Investment Advisors, L.L.C. in Elmhurst, IL, holding Series 63 and Series 66 credentials and bringing 14 years of industry experience. He has been with LaSalle St Securities LLC since 2016. Outside of advising, he is involved in insurance sales. LaSalle St. Investment Advisors provides fee-based financial planning and investment supervisory services to individuals, trusts, pension plans, charitable organizations, and small businesses. The firm offers both non-discretionary and discretionary management programs, with a notable predominance of non-discretionary assets under management.

Kelsey Narish is a CFP® with eight years of industry experience, currently serving at Arete Wealth Advisors, LLC since 2023. She also operates Narish Financial Service, where she provides life insurance and annuities as part of comprehensive financial planning. Prior to her financial advisory roles, she worked at Bradley-Bourbonnais Community High School for one year. Arete Wealth Advisors offers investment advisory and financial planning services to a diverse client base, including individuals, pension plans, trusts, and charitable organizations. The firm employs both advisor-driven and proprietary model-based allocation strategies and uses third-party sub-advisers while acting as an ERISA fiduciary when applicable.

Daniel Cardell is a CFA® charterholder with 15 years of industry experience, currently serving as an advisor at Chicago Partners Investment Group LLC since 2018. He previously worked at Chancellor Financial Group WB LLC and has held roles at Waveco Energy LLC and Roadwave LLC. Outside of his advisory work, he is a partner in Holborn Village LLC, a real estate property management business. Chicago Partners Investment Group LLC serves a diverse client base including individuals, trusts, endowments, and corporations, offering portfolio management, financial planning, and retirement services. The firm utilizes a long-term, diversified investment approach focused on fundamental analysis and customized portfolios, and is notable for sponsoring affiliated pooled investment vehicles and serving insurance company clients.

Claire Fischer is a financial advisor with First Advisors National, LLC, holding a Series 65 designation and based in Oak Park, IL. She has no prior industry experience and worked in various roles outside finance, including healthcare and hospitality. First Advisors National provides investment management, asset allocation advice, and retirement plan consulting primarily for individual clients, utilizing third-party money managers and offering discretionary portfolio management combined with fundamental analysis and regular reviews.

Andrea Schreiber is a financial advisor at Forum Financial Management, LP with 13 years of industry experience. She holds a Series 65 designation and has been with Forum since 2012. In addition to her advisory role, she owns The Schreiber Group, Inc., a certified public accounting firm in Naperville, Illinois. Forum Financial Management, LP provides fee-based wealth management, financial planning, qualified plan services, and educational workshops to individual and institutional clients. The firm also serves as a sub-advisor and turnkey asset management platform for other independent RIAs, utilizing model portfolios primarily invested in DFA mutual funds and ETFs within a Modern Portfolio Theory framework.

William German is a CFP® professional with 15 years of industry experience, currently serving as a financial advisor at JMG Financial Group Ltd since 2012. He holds Series 63 registration and has involvement in agricultural business activities, including serving as treasurer and secretary for two farmland management companies. JMG Financial Group advises individuals, trusts, retirement plans, business entities, and charitable organizations with a planning-based, long-term investment approach that includes comprehensive wealth and portfolio management, as well as in-house tax consulting and private investment fund advisory services.

Christopher Jahntz is a financial advisor with First Advisors National, LLC, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and bringing 33 years of industry experience. He has worked at Mid America Financial Inc since 1989 and Harvest Investment Services, LLC from 2012 to 2018. Outside of financial services, Jahntz is involved in music production and performance as a recording artist and producer. First Advisors National provides investment management, asset allocation advice, and retirement plan consulting primarily to individual clients, utilizing a combination of third-party money managers and individual securities to implement discretionary portfolio strategies.

Nicholas Lopez is a financial advisor at Zacks Investment Management, Inc. with six years of industry experience. He holds a Series 66 designation and has previously worked at Edward Jones and LBMZ Securities, Inc. Prior to his advisory career, he was involved with Henry County Public Schools and the Henry County/Martinsville YMCA. Zacks Investment Management provides discretionary portfolio management to a diverse client base including individuals, trusts, retirement plans, and institutional investors. The firm employs a proprietary stock-ranking approach based on earnings-estimate revisions and offers a range of strategies and investment vehicles, while also licensing indices and model portfolios to other advisers and sponsors.

Peter Flanzer is a financial advisor with Bartlett & Co. Wealth Management LLC in Chicago, IL, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and bringing 22 years of industry experience. He previously worked at Waterstone Financial Group and Lodestar Investment Counsel, LLC. Outside of his advisory role, he serves as managing member of Marion Investment Partners LLC, overseeing private investments. Bartlett & Co. Wealth Management serves high-net-worth individuals, families, and institutional clients, offering discretionary wealth management, comprehensive financial planning, and institutional fixed-income management. The firm emphasizes diversified asset allocation, relative-value analysis for fixed income, and uses mutual funds and ETFs to implement targeted exposures.

Brian Kasal is a financial advisor with FourStar Wealth Advisors, LLC in Chicago, IL, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and bringing 42 years of industry experience. He has been with FourStar Wealth Advisors since 2014 and also serves as CEO of FourStar Insurance Services, LLC, an insurance sales business he founded in 2015. FourStar Wealth Advisors serves individuals, retirement and profit-sharing plans, trusts, estates, charitable organizations, and business entities, providing financial planning, discretionary portfolio management, and retirement-plan consulting. The firm uses a combination of fundamental and technical analysis to manage portfolios tailored to clients’ risk tolerance and time horizon, often employing mutual funds, ETFs, individual securities, options, and third-party managers.

Robert Batutis II is a financial advisor at Ausdal Financial Partners, Inc. with eight years of industry experience. He holds a Series 66 designation and has been with Ausdal since 2017. In addition to his advisory role, he owns and operates MBC Insurance Group, where he sells individual health, life, and senior market insurance products. Ausdal Financial Partners is an SEC-registered investment adviser and FINRA-member broker-dealer managing approximately $2.13 billion in client assets through a network of 152 advisors. The firm offers investment advisory programs, retirement plan services, and financial planning to a diverse client base, including high-net-worth individuals, trusts, corporations, pension plans, and charitable organizations.

John O'Shea is a financial advisor at Merit Financial Advisors with eight years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and has worked at firms including Purshe Kaplan Sterling Investments, Blueprint Wealth Advisors LLC, Commonwealth Financial Network, and Slalom. Merit Financial Group, LLC is an SEC-registered advisory firm managing approximately $10.6 billion and serving a diverse client base that includes individuals, businesses, retirement plan sponsors, and charitable organizations. The firm employs a long-term, diversified investment approach using model portfolios and modular sleeves, with oversight from a central Investment Management team and Investment Committee.

David Berendt is a Series 66-licensed financial professional with three years of industry experience, currently with Capital Analysts and formerly with Lincoln Investment. He has additional involvement as a small groups coach with the Boomerang Project, where he teaches educators to facilitate mentoring programs for high school students. Capital Analysts serves a diverse client base including individual and high-net-worth investors, retirement plans, trusts, and charitable organizations. The firm offers discretionary and non-discretionary portfolio management supported by an in-house investment team, with a range of advisory services including custom portfolios and third-party manager access.

Morgan Browne is a CFP® professional with four years of industry experience, currently serving at The Mather Group, LLC. Prior to joining The Mather Group, Browne worked at Siemens and has a background that includes time at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. The Mather Group primarily serves high-net-worth individuals, family offices, trusts, corporations, and other entities, offering integrated financial planning, investment management, tax and estate planning guidance, and family office services. The firm employs an evidence-based investment approach with various risk-based allocation models and customization options, including ESG portfolios and direct indexing.