Stephen Sumeraj is a financial advisor at PNC Wealth Management with 33 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and has been with PNC Investments since 2012. Outside his advisory role, he operates ESBE Auctions as a sole proprietor, a non-investment related business. PNC Wealth Management provides retail brokerage and advisory services through several model-based programs, including an invitation-only digital portfolio offering for employees. The firm uses algorithm-driven model selection and delegates portfolio implementation to third parties, focusing on mutual funds and ETFs with annual rebalancing.

Patrick Biladeau is a financial advisor with Cresset Asset Management, LLC, holding Series 66 and Series 63 designations and 14 years of industry experience. He has worked at Cresset since 2018 and previously spent five years at JPMorgan Chase Bank & Co. and J.P. Morgan Securities. Cresset Asset Management is a multi-disciplinary investment adviser managing approximately $78.9 billion in client assets and serving individuals, high-net-worth clients, trusts, estates, retirement plans, corporations, and pooled investment vehicles. The firm employs a disciplined, risk-aware approach combining strategic asset allocation, manager selection, and both active and passive strategies across various asset classes, including alternatives, while utilizing tools like artificial intelligence and machine learning for research and analysis.

Stephen Muto is a CFP® professional with eight years of industry experience. He has worked at Mariner Wealth Advisors since 2019, following previous roles at Balasa Dinverno Foltz LLC and Whitnell & Co. Mariner serves a wide range of clients, including individuals, pension plans, trusts, and charitable organizations, offering services such as investment management, financial planning, retirement plan consulting, and coordinated tax and family office services. The firm manages customized portfolios through an internal team and third-party managers, and is notable for its integration of tax and accounting services alongside traditional portfolio management.

William Norris is a financial advisor at CIBC Private Wealth Advisors, Inc. in Chicago, IL, holding a Series 65 designation with two years of industry experience. He has been affiliated with CIBC Private Wealth and CIBC National Trust Company since 2010, totaling 16 years with the firm. CIBC Private Wealth Advisors provides investment and wealth advisory services to a diverse client base including individuals, families, trusts, employee benefit plans, corporations, and investment companies. The firm’s investment process integrates an internal team, relationship managers, and governance committees to create customized portfolios using both proprietary and external strategies, and it is notable for its portfolio management services for investment company clients.

Jeffrey Levine is a financial advisor with Mesirow Advanced Strategies Inc, holding a Series 66 designation and 17 years of industry experience. He has worked at Mesirow Financial, Inc. since 2008. Outside of his advisory role, he serves as an ethics officer for the City of Riverside Ethics Commission and is a member of the Endowment Committee at West Suburban Temple Har Zion. Mesirow Advanced Strategies, Inc. is an SEC-registered investment adviser and a wholly owned subsidiary of Mesirow Financial Holdings, Inc. The firm previously sponsored pooled investment products but currently has no assets under management and does not solicit new investors; it maintains compliance and governance policies applicable should the products be reinstated.

Daniel Kempf is a financial advisor with Goldman Sachs Wealth Services in Chicago, IL, holding Series 65 and Series 63 licenses and seven years of industry experience. He has worked at Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC since 2019 and previously held positions at Indiana University and Oracle Corp. Kempf serves on the Board of Directors of the Boy Scouts of America Northeast Illinois Council and acts as an Alumni Mentor for MBA students at Indiana University. Goldman Sachs Wealth Services provides tailored financial planning and portfolio management to a wide range of clients, including individuals, executives, plan sponsors, and institutions. The firm integrates resources from across the Goldman Sachs ecosystem and uses strategic allocation models, tax-aware techniques, and proprietary analytics to support client objectives.

Derek Slater is a financial advisor at Equity Services, Inc. with 15 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 66 licenses and has previously worked with MML Investors Services LLC and MassMutual Life Insurance Co. In addition to his advisory role, he is also active as an insurance agent with National Life Group and Lakeshore Financial Group. Equity Services, Inc., operating as ESI Financial Advisors, provides financial planning, consulting, and asset management services to a diverse range of clients including individuals, corporations, and charitable organizations. The firm offers multiple advisory platforms utilizing third-party asset managers and combines long-term investment strategies with options for shorter-term trading.

Pawel Gacek is a CFP® professional with four years of industry experience, currently with Mariner. He previously worked at Urban Financial Advisory Corp from 2015 to 2021 before joining Mariner in 2021. Mariner serves a diverse client base including individuals, pension plans, trusts, and corporations through investment management, financial planning, retirement consulting, and tax services. The firm employs discretionary, customized portfolios supported by an internal team and third-party managers, and offers integrated tax, accounting, and financial wellness solutions.

Timothy Lense is a financial advisor with Valic Financial Advisors in Chicago, IL, holding Series 63 and Series 66 licenses and bringing 27 years of industry experience. He has been with Valic Financial Advisors since 2001 and also works with Agia since 2022. Outside of his advisory role, he is the owner of Sandbar Marina on Lake Marie and serves as treasurer for Sandbar Bar and Grille. Valic Financial Advisors primarily serves U.S.-domiciled individual investors, including high-net-worth and ultra-high-net-worth clients, as well as corporate and retirement-plan participants. The firm offers discretionary managed-account programs, financial planning, and brokerage services, utilizing Envestnet-developed UMA models and operating with a substantial client base supported by over 1,200 advisors.

Melissa Mendoza is a financial advisor at William Blair with 15 years of industry experience. She has been with William Blair & Co LLC since 2010 and holds a Series 66 designation. 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, and provides access to proprietary models, third-party sub-managers, and private investment opportunities.

Kyle Bakhshi is a financial advisor at William Blair with a Series 66 designation and six years of industry experience. He has worked at William Blair since 2021 and previously spent seven years at Nuveen. 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 uses an active, research-driven investment approach across equities, fixed income, and alternative strategies, and provides proprietary models as well as access to private funds and co-investment opportunities.

Christopher Lewis is a CFA® charterholder with 10 years of industry experience. He is currently with CIBC Private Wealth Advisors, Inc. and previously worked at Geneva Advisors, LLC for 12 years. CIBC Private Wealth Advisors provides investment and wealth advisory services to a diverse client base, including individuals, families, trusts, employee benefit plans, corporations, and investment companies. The firm employs a comprehensive investment process involving proprietary and external strategies, discretionary and non-discretionary portfolio management, and specialized services such as Family Office support for complex needs.

Michael Leist is a financial advisor with CIBC Private Wealth Advisors, Inc. in Chicago, IL. He holds a Series 66 designation and has 14 years of industry experience. His career includes roles at Geneva Advisors, LLC and Atlantic Trust Investment Advisors prior to joining CIBC in 2017. CIBC Private Wealth Advisors serves a diverse client base including individuals, families, trusts, employee benefit plans, corporations, and investment companies. The firm employs a structured investment process that integrates internal teams and external managers to offer customized portfolio management, financial planning, and coordinated Family Office services.

Paul Kubasiak is a financial advisor at TIAA-CREF with 12 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and has worked previously at Northern Trust Bank, Sheridan Road Advisors, Independent Financial Partners, and LPL Financial. Kubasiak is based in Chicago, IL. TIAA-CREF Individual & Institutional Services provides financial planning and discretionary managed account programs to individuals, trusts, estates, and small retirement plans, often serving clients with existing relationships through TIAA-administered employer retirement plans. The firm’s advisory model distinguishes between one-time planning services and ongoing discretionary management, and it also acts as adviser to a donor-advised fund sponsored by Charityvest.

Molly Powers is a CFP® professional at Creative Planning with five years of industry experience. She has worked previously at Sageview Advisory Group, Capital Strategies Investment Group, and Forum Financial Management. Creative Planning provides wealth management, financial planning, and retirement-plan advisory services to individuals, pension and profit-sharing plans, trusts, foundations, and corporations. The firm employs a financial-planning-led investment approach emphasizing low-cost indexing and buy-and-hold strategies for long-term goals, supplemented by direct indexing, tax-loss harvesting, and selective private market exposure.

Sean Ullrich is a financial advisor at Hightower Advisors with seven years of industry experience and holds a Series 66 designation. Prior to joining Hightower in 2023, he worked at Cambridge Investment Research Advisors and Cambridge Investment Research, Inc. He is also involved with Impact Mental Performance and 314 Training Academy. Hightower Advisors provides investment advisory and planning services to a diverse range of individual and institutional clients. The firm’s advisory approach focuses on manager selection and multi-manager solutions, utilizing both affiliated and third-party managers, and offers discretionary and non-discretionary portfolio management along with financial planning and retirement consulting services.

John O’Toole is a financial advisor with William Blair, holding Series 63 and Series 66 credentials and bringing 33 years of industry experience. He has worked at William Blair and Company L.L.C. for over 27 years, with a brief gap between 2022 and 2026. 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 active, research-driven management strategies across equities, fixed income, and alternatives, and provides access to proprietary models, third-party sub-managers, and private investment opportunities.

Blake Johnson is a CFP® and holds a Series 65 license with seven years of industry experience. He has been with Cerity Partners LLC since 2019, having previously worked at HPM Partners LLC and Advanced Mechanical Services. His career also includes roles at the Champaign Country Club and the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. Cerity Partners advises a diverse client base, including high-net-worth individuals and institutional investors, managing approximately $166.2 billion in assets as of December 2025. The firm offers customized wealth management services with a client-specific investment approach that combines quantitative screening, manager selection, and direct security selection, along with access to alternative and private market solutions for qualified clients.

Thomas Mc Grath is a CFA® charterholder with eight years of industry experience. He is currently with Corient and has previously worked at Foreside Financial Group, Segall Bryant and Hamill, and MSCI. Mc Grath holds a Series 63 license and is based in Chicago, IL. Corient provides investment advisory and financial planning services to a diverse range of clients, including individuals, high-net-worth clients, trusts, pension plans, charitable organizations, and corporate entities. The firm employs a goals-based, team investment approach that integrates in-house strategies with third-party manager solutions and applies risk management tools to align portfolios with client objectives.

Abigail Bowman is a financial advisor with T. Rowe Price Advisory Services, Inc. based in Chicago, IL. She holds Series 63 and Series 65 designations and has eight years of industry experience, including prior roles at Nationwide Investment Services Corp and Checks and Balances. Outside of her advisory work, she is involved with Students Run Chicago as a fundraising charity runner. T. Rowe Price Advisory Services, Inc. provides retirement-focused financial planning and discretionary investment management to individual investors and households, using proprietary mutual funds and ETFs combined with an online planning tool and telephone access to advisors.