Lucas Perkins is a CFP® with 20 years of industry experience, currently serving at VALIC Financial Advisors since 2011 and holding a concurrent position at Agia since 2022. He is based in Chicago, IL, and holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses. At Agia, he is involved with non-securities insurance products. 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, consulting, and brokerage services, utilizing Envestnet-developed UMA models and operating at scale with over 1,200 advisors.

Marcel Myszewski is a CFP® professional at Cresset Asset Management, LLC with four years of industry experience. He previously worked at BBR Partners, LLC and Northern Trust Corporation. Cresset Asset Management is a multi-disciplinary investment adviser managing approximately $78.9 billion in assets for 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 investment strategies across various asset classes.

Ephraim Okeke is a Series 66 licensed financial advisor with eight years of industry experience, currently with Schwab Wealth Advisory in Chicago, IL. His prior roles include positions at UBS Financial Service Inc., Raymond James & Associates, and Bank of America. He serves as Treasurer and a board member of F.Y.T.C. (For You, The Culture) Inc., where he manages financial affairs for the nonprofit organization. Schwab Wealth Advisory provides non-discretionary fiduciary investment advice and financial planning to clients enrolled in the Schwab Wealth Advisory program, utilizing Charles Schwab & Co.’s asset-allocation models and research tools to tailor recommendations according to client goals and risk tolerance.

Danielle Artz is a financial advisor at William Blair with eight years of industry experience. She holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and has worked at William Blair since 2018, following a prior role at Fisher Investments. 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 follows an active, research-driven approach and provides access to a range of investment strategies, including proprietary models and private fund opportunities.

Patricia Dechant is a financial advisor at CIBC Private Wealth Advisors, Inc. in Chicago, IL, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses with 40 years of industry experience. She has worked at CIBC Private Wealth Advisors since 2017, previously spending time at Atlantic Trust Investment Advisors and Geneva Investment Management of Chicago. CIBC Private Wealth Advisors provides investment and wealth advisory services to individuals, families, trusts, employee benefit plans, corporations, and investment companies. The firm employs a combination of internal teams and external managers to deliver customized portfolio management and financial planning, managing approximately $67.8 billion in assets with a focus on serving high net worth clients and offering coordinated Family Office services for complex needs.

Darinka Lora Stepan is a financial advisor with Eagle Strategies (NY Life) based in Chicago, IL. She holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and has nine years of industry experience. Stepan also operates Darinka Lora-Stepan & Associates Financial & Insurance Solutions and has served with New York Life and its related entities for over a decade. Outside of her advisory role, she serves on the boards of nonprofit organizations focused on homebuyer education and youth tennis scholarships in Chicago. Eagle Strategies provides financial planning, investment management, and retirement-plan advisory services to individual and institutional clients. The firm emphasizes tailored advice delivered through multiple program types and manages a significant portion of assets on a non-discretionary basis within an integrated New York Life structure.

Roger Albrecht Jr. is a CFA® charterholder with 22 years of industry experience. He is currently with Focus Partners Wealth, LLC and has previously worked at The Colony Group, LLC, Connectus Wealth, Mid-Continent Capital, and Bufka & Rodgers LLC. Outside of his advisory role, he is the owner and managing director of Blue Sapphire Capital 1 LLC, an investment real estate business. Focus Partners Wealth, LLC serves individuals, high-net-worth families, family offices, and institutional clients with a range of wealth management and advisory services. The firm’s investment approach combines active and passive strategies within an enhanced open architecture framework, emphasizing long-term, tax- and fee-sensitive portfolio construction.

Kimberly Mitchell is a financial advisor at Fifth Third Securities, Inc. with four years of industry experience. She holds a Series 66 designation and has worked at Ameriprise, Waddell and Reed, and as a self-employed advisor prior to joining Fifth Third Securities and Fifth Third Bank in 2025. Fifth Third Securities, Inc. offers brokerage and investment advisory services through its Passageway Managed Account Program, serving individuals, charitable organizations, corporate clients, and institutional investors. The firm provides multiple discretionary managed-account options, including advisor-directed models and separately managed accounts, and integrates municipal-advisor registration with its affiliation to Fifth Third Bank.

Rita Magic is a Series 66-credentialed financial advisor at Citigroup Global Markets with five years of industry experience. Her prior roles include positions at Edward Jones, JP Morgan Securities LLC, JPMorgan Chase Bank NA, LPL Financial, BMO Harris Bank, Morgan Stanley, and Bank of America. Citigroup Global Markets serves individual and institutional clients across various wealth segments, offering a range of investment advisory programs and execution services. The firm employs multi-asset, multi-manager strategies with internal oversight and supports both discretionary and non-discretionary programs, leveraging its scale and specialized market roles.

Alaina Anderson is a financial advisor at William Blair with 20 years of industry experience. She holds the Series 66 designation and has been with William Blair & Company since 2006. 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 access to proprietary models, third-party sub-managers, and private investment opportunities.

Cheryl Heilman is a financial advisor with Bankers Life Advisory Services, Inc. in Chicago, IL, holding Series 63 and Series 65 credentials and bringing 34 years of industry experience. She has worked at CNO Financial Group and its affiliates, including Bankers Life Advisory Services and Bankers Life Securities, since 2019, and previously spent 16 years at Ameritas Investment Corp. Heilman also serves as President of Bankers Life Advisory Services Chicago and Vice President of CNO Financial Group. Bankers Life Advisory Services, Inc. is an SEC-registered investment adviser that serves mass-affluent and high-net-worth individuals through discretionary portfolio management, investment consulting, and retirement plan consulting. The firm uses a combination of fundamental, technical, and cyclical analysis to tailor asset allocations and portfolio management strategies aligned with clients’ goals and risk tolerances.

Larue Gibson Jr. is a financial advisor with Hightower Advisors in Chicago, IL, holding Series 63 and Series 65 credentials and 38 years of industry experience. He previously worked at Merrill for 27 years before joining HighTower Securities, LLC and HighTower Advisors, LLC in 2016. Gibson serves as a director for two nonprofit organizations: The Disability Fund, which provides capital and advisory services to people with disabilities and their families, and The Lois Bronz Children's Center, a day care facility for underprivileged children. Hightower Advisors offers investment advisory and planning services to a diverse client base, including individual and institutional investors. The firm’s approach emphasizes manager selection and multi-manager solutions, utilizing proprietary research and a range of investment vehicles such as mutual funds, ETFs, and alternative investments.

Roger Herrera IV is a financial advisor with Hornor, Townsend & Kent, LLC, holding a Series 66 designation and bringing 10 years of industry experience. He has worked at Hornor Townsend & Kent since 2017 and previously was employed by Ameriprise Financial Services, Inc. Additionally, Herrera supports life insurance sales and services as a regional internal marketing representative for Penn Mutual Life Insurance Company. Outside of finance, he works part-time operating a customized photo booth for private events. Hornor, Townsend & Kent serves individuals, trusts, businesses, charitable organizations, and retirement plans, offering advisory programs, financial planning, and retirement plan consulting. The firm operates both advisory and broker-dealer services, with a dual SEC and FINRA registration, and manages multi-billion-dollar assets through a network of advisers and third-party asset managers.

Nicholas Lamb is a financial advisor at Creative Planning with 10 years of industry experience. He holds the Series 66 designation and has worked previously at Cetera, Sageview Advisory Group, Bank of America, and Merrill. Outside of his advisory role, he is a partner in a real estate development business and sells fixed insurance products. Creative Planning provides wealth management, financial planning, and retirement-plan advisory services to a diverse client base, including high-net-worth individuals, institutional investors, and corporations. The firm employs a financial-planning-led investment approach that emphasizes low-cost indexing and buy-and-hold strategies for long-term goals, supplemented by targeted passive allocations and private market investments.

Zhenlin Lu is a financial advisor at Citigroup Global Markets with seven years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 66 licenses and has worked at Citigroup Global Markets since 2020 and Citibank N.A. since 2013. Citigroup Global Markets serves individual and institutional clients across multiple wealth segments, offering a range of investment advisory programs along with broker-dealer execution and custody services. The firm employs multi-asset, multi-manager strategies and operates with a combination of large institutional scale and unique market roles.

Carla Genelly is a financial advisor with Sanctuary Advisors, LLC in Chicago, IL, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and having 40 years of industry experience. She has been with Sanctuary Advisors since 2015 and has additional affiliations dating back to 2005. Outside of her advisory role, she serves on the board of Mission Eurasia, an organization focused on church planting and ministry development in Eurasian countries. Sanctuary Advisors, LLC provides investment advisory and financial planning services to a diverse client base, including individuals, corporations, pension plans, and charitable organizations. The firm offers various portfolio management options and employs multiple analytical approaches, operating through a network of over 400 independent adviser representatives.

Mark Pauly is a financial advisor at CIBC Private Wealth Advisors, Inc. in Chicago, IL, with 14 years of industry experience. He holds the Series 66 designation and has worked at firms including Atlantic Trust Investment Advisors, Geneva Advisors, Ameriprise, and Neuberger Berman BD LLC. CIBC Private Wealth Advisors serves a broad client base including individuals, families, trusts, and investment companies, offering services such as portfolio management, financial and estate planning, and coordinated Family Office support. The firm combines internal investment teams and external managers to construct customized portfolios and manages approximately $67.8 billion in assets.

Dean Knieps is a financial advisor with TLG Advisors, Inc. based in Chicago, IL, holding Series 63 and Series 66 licenses and bringing 10 years of industry experience. His prior roles include positions at The Leaders Group, Inc., MML Investor Services, LLC, and MassMutual Life Insurance Co. He is also involved with KME Insurance Brokerage as an internal wholesaler. TLG Advisors, Inc. is an SEC-registered investment adviser managing approximately $2.0 billion in discretionary assets. The firm serves individuals, retirement plans, trusts, estates, charitable organizations, businesses, and institutional investors, offering services such as portfolio management, financial and estate planning, and ERISA fiduciary services, with a distinctive combination of traditional and digital platforms.

Erin Calabrese is a financial advisor with Bankers Life Advisory Services, Inc. in Chicago, IL, holding a Series 66 designation and 21 years of industry experience. She has worked at Bankers Life Securities since 2017 and Bankers Life & Casualty since 2016. In addition to her advisory role, she serves as a Field Development Manager for Bankers Life, supporting the training and development of the field force. Bankers Life Advisory Services, Inc. is an SEC-registered investment adviser serving mass-affluent and high-net-worth individuals with discretionary portfolio management, investment consulting, and retirement plan consulting. The firm employs fundamental, technical, and cyclical analysis methods to provide tailored asset allocations and portfolio management aligned with clients’ goals and risk tolerances.

Jerald Hymen is a financial advisor at Oppenheimer with 41 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and has worked at Oppenheimer since 2005, following a four-year tenure at Morgan Stanley DW Inc. Outside of his advisory role, he serves as a co-trustee of his wife’s trust. Oppenheimer is a registered investment adviser and broker-dealer serving individuals, corporations, pension plans, charitable organizations, pooled investment vehicles, and IRAs. The firm offers a variety of programs and advisory services that utilize strategic and tactical asset allocation, manager selection, and customized investment policy development, managing a significant portion of assets on a non-discretionary basis.