Chrysanthe Karayannis is a financial advisor with TIAA-CREF in Evanston, IL, holding Series 66 and Series 63 designations and bringing 26 years of industry experience. She has been with TIAA-CREF since 2015. TIAA‑CREF Individual & Institutional Services, LLC provides financial planning and discretionary managed account programs primarily to individuals connected with TIAA-administered employer retirement plans, as well as to trusts, estates, partnerships, corporate entities, and small retirement plans. The firm offers a range of services including point-in-time planning and ongoing discretionary management, applying a fiduciary standard to its RIA services within a vertically integrated structure.

Deborah Frazier is a financial advisor at Hightower Advisors with 37 years of industry experience. She holds Series 63, 65, and 66 licenses and has worked at Hightower since 2019. Her prior roles include positions at Morgan Stanley Private Bank and Morgan Stanley Smith Barney. From 2017 to 2019, she was involved with National Junior Tennis@ Learning of Trenton. Hightower Advisors provides investment advisory and planning services to a wide range of individual and institutional clients. The firm’s approach includes manager selection and multi-manager solutions using both affiliated and third-party managers, and it offers tailored portfolio management incorporating mutual funds, ETFs, alternative investments, and custom indexing.

Richard Friedman is a financial advisor at Creative Planning with 22 years of industry experience. He holds a Series 65 designation and previously worked at Hwr Trading Partnership and under his own practice before joining Creative Planning in 2021. Outside of his advisory role, he is a partner in Beta Iota, LLC, a limited partnership involved in rental property investments. Creative Planning serves a diverse client base including individuals, corporations, and retirement plans, managing approximately $217 billion in assets. The firm employs a financial planning–led investment approach emphasizing low-cost indexing and buy-and-hold strategies, supported by a range of supplemental portfolio management and retirement plan services.

Xiao Liu is a financial advisor at CIBC Private Wealth Advisors, Inc. in Chicago, IL, holding a Series 65 credential. Liu has been with CIBC Wood Gundy – CIBC Private Wealth since 2015, totaling 11 years of industry experience. CIBC Private Wealth Advisors serves a broad client base including individuals, families, trusts, employee benefit plans, corporations, and investment companies, offering portfolio management, financial planning, and coordinated Family Office services. The firm’s investment approach includes a combination of proprietary and external strategies, governance by multiple committees, and customized portfolio solutions with options and structured notes.

Arvinder Kochar is a financial advisor with Kestra Advisory in Glenview, IL, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and bringing 21 years of industry experience. He previously worked at GWFS Equities, Inc. for nine years before joining Kestra Advisory and related affiliated firms in 2019. Kochar also serves as a Registered Field Assistant for IPPFA Benefits, providing administrative and customer service support. Kestra Advisory Services offers investment advisory and retirement-plan consulting to plan sponsors and a diverse range of institutional and individual clients, providing services including fiduciary consulting, plan design, and employee education. The firm serves large institutional investors and offers access to multiple management platforms and third-party solutions.

Arinola Afolabi is a financial advisor at Goldman Sachs Wealth Services with a Series 66 designation and one year of industry experience. Prior to joining Goldman Sachs, she held positions at Piper Sandler and worked at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Goldman Sachs Wealth Services advises a diverse client base including individual investors, executives, plan sponsors, and institutional clients, providing financial planning, portfolio management, and specialized programs such as Private Family Office and Executive Wealth services. The firm utilizes strategic allocation models, manager selections, and operational tools including tax-aware techniques and proprietary analytics to tailor portfolios to client objectives.

Cole Charles is a financial advisor at Citigroup Global Markets with two years of industry experience. He holds a Series 66 designation and has previously worked at Bank of America, Merrill, Wells Fargo Clearing, and Northwestern Mutual. Charles also has experience outside finance, including roles at Elmhurst University and in the hospitality industry. Citigroup Global Markets serves individual and institutional clients across various wealth segments, offering a wide range of investment advisory programs and broker-dealer execution and custody services. The firm employs multi-asset, multi-manager strategies using both discretionary and non-discretionary programs and is notable for its large institutional scale and specialized market roles.

Katrina Jones is a financial advisor with Mesirow Financial Investment Management, Inc. in Chicago, IL, holding Series 63 and Series 66 licenses and bringing 11 years of industry experience. She has worked at Mesirow Financial Investment Management and Mesirow Financial since 2021, with prior experience at Bankers Life Securities and TradeStation. Mesirow Financial Investment Management’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 in portfolio construction and offers access to proprietary private investment products and third-party managers.

Benjamin House is a Series 66-credentialed financial advisor with four years of industry experience. He is currently with Empower Advisory Group and has previously worked at Oppenheimer & Co. Inc. Outside of his advisory role, he performs standup comedy monthly at a venue in Chicago. Empower Advisory Group provides financial planning and investment management primarily to employer-sponsored retirement plan sponsors and their participants, along with Empower Premier IRA and select retail brokerage clients. The firm emphasizes integrated services aligned with Empower’s recordkeeping and administration platforms, offering point-in-time financial plans and optional managed account solutions.

James Corrigan is a financial advisor at Sanctuary Advisors, LLC with 21 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and has previously worked at Bank of America and Merrill. Outside of financial services, he has ownership interests in a fitness center and a wellness business offering on-site self-care services. Sanctuary Advisors, LLC provides investment advisory and financial planning services to a diverse client base, including individuals, corporations, pension plans, trusts, estates, and charitable organizations through a large network of independent advisers. The firm offers a range of portfolio management options and financial planning services, operating with a fiduciary standard under written advisory agreements.

Eileen Polese is a financial advisor at Hightower Advisors with 12 years of industry experience. She holds the CFP® designation and Series 65 and Series 63 licenses. Her prior experience includes roles at Alexandria Capital and Aspire Advisors, LLC, as well as work with the Mount Kisco Chamber of Commerce. Hightower Advisors provides investment advisory and planning services to a diverse client base including individuals, institutions, pension and profit-sharing plans, and charitable organizations. The firm’s approach emphasizes manager selection and multi-manager solutions, utilizing both affiliated and third-party managers along with proprietary research to support portfolio construction and management.

Jorge Salazar is a financial advisor at Cerity Partners LLC in Chicago, IL, holding the CFP® and Series 65 designations with seven years of industry experience. He has worked at Cerity Partners since 2018 and previously spent one year at Northern Trust Company. He also has four years of experience at Loyola University Chicago. Cerity Partners provides customized wealth management and related services to a broad national client base, including high-net-worth individuals, families, trusts, business entities, and institutional investors. The firm employs tailored asset allocation, manager selection, and periodic rebalancing using proprietary quantitative screens alongside third-party managers and individual securities.

Avery Bross is a financial advisor at Cerity Partners LLC based in Chicago, IL. He holds a Series 65 designation and has one year of industry experience. Prior to joining Cerity Partners, he held academic positions at Colgate University and Kansai Gaidai University and taught at The Latin School of Chicago. Cerity Partners provides customized wealth management and related services to a diverse national client base, including individuals, families, trusts, business entities, and institutional investors. The firm offers portfolio management, financial planning, retirement consulting, tax planning, insurance placement, and access to alternative and private-market investments.

Nicholas Bianchi is a financial advisor at Focus Partners Wealth, LLC, holding a Series 65 designation with one year of experience in the advisory industry. Prior to joining Focus Partners Wealth, he worked at Dell Technologies for three years and has experience in education at the University of Texas and Savio Catholic High School. Focus Partners Wealth serves a diverse client base including individual, high-net-worth, family office, corporate, retirement plan, and institutional clients, offering a comprehensive range of wealth management and financial services. The firm employs a long-term, tax- and fee-sensitive investment approach that combines fundamental and quantitative analysis with access to multiple asset types and affiliated service companies.

Krishna Phanindra Vege is a financial advisor at Rockefeller Financial LLC with three years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 66 licenses and previously worked at Credit Suisse Securities (USA) LLC, Bank of America, N.A., and Merrill. Outside of his advisory role, he has acted as a consultant conducting research in the health and wellness sector. 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 combines a Private Advisor model with a consolidated investment platform, providing discretionary and non-discretionary portfolio management, financial planning, and brokerage services including placement and investment banking.

Nivene Al Ibrahim is a financial advisor with Goldman Sachs Wealth Services, holding a Series 66 license and three years of industry experience. Her background includes multiple roles at Goldman Sachs & Co LLC and experience in retail and community organizations. Goldman Sachs Wealth Services advises a diverse client base ranging from individual investors to institutional clients, providing financial planning, portfolio management, and specialized wealth programs. The firm utilizes strategic allocation models and offers a variety of platforms and operational tools, supported by integration with the broader Goldman Sachs ecosystem.

Brandi Lockhart is a financial advisor with CIBC Private Wealth Advisors, Inc. in Chicago, holding a Series 65 designation and having joined the firm in 2010. She has worked across different divisions within CIBC, including CIBC Imperial Service and CIBC Wood Gundy, accumulating over a decade of industry experience. CIBC Private Wealth Advisors serves a diverse client base including high net worth individuals, families, trusts, employee benefit plans, corporations, and investment companies. The firm combines a comprehensive investment process involving internal teams, committees, and both proprietary and external strategies to deliver customized portfolio management and wealth advisory services.

John Linehan is a financial advisor at Oppenheimer with 42 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and has worked at Oppenheimer since 2017, following prior roles at Wells Fargo Clearing and Wells Fargo Advisors. Linehan serves on the advisory board of Leo High School, a position he has held since 1998. Oppenheimer serves a broad client base including individuals, corporations, pension and profit-sharing plans, and charitable organizations, offering advisory and brokerage services such as investment management, consulting, and retirement services. The firm employs strategic and tactical asset allocation and manager selection, with a notable role as a qualified custodian and a mix of discretionary and non-discretionary asset management.

Gidon Neuman is a financial advisor at &PARTNERS in Northbrook, IL, holding a Series 66 designation. He has been with &PARTNERS since 2025 and has diverse prior experience in roles outside the financial advisory industry, including positions at Illinois Urgent Care LLC and 3826 Ventures LLC. &PARTNERS serves a broad range of individual and institutional clients, providing investment management, financial and tax planning, ERISA consulting, and brokerage services. The firm employs a combination of fundamental, technical, and quantitative analysis, with portfolios managed by in-house advisors or vetted third-party managers.

Carter Walsh is a financial advisor at Oppenheimer with one year of industry experience. He previously worked at Morgan Stanley and SG Capital Management. Carter holds Series 63 and Series 65 certifications. Oppenheimer serves individuals, corporations, pooled vehicles, and retirement plans, offering various advisory programs including discretionary and non-discretionary portfolio management, consulting, and retirement services. The firm employs a range of investment approaches tailored to different programs, managing approximately $36.7 billion in assets as of December 31, 2025.