Nelson Wu is a financial advisor with Open Square Capital, LLC, holding a Series 65 designation and 10 years of industry experience. He has worked at Open Square Capital since 2015 and at Open Insights Capital since 2022. Open Square Capital provides discretionary portfolio management to a limited number of high-net-worth individuals through separately managed accounts and manages a private investment limited partnership. The firm employs a value-oriented, fundamental analysis approach with a long-term investment horizon, focusing on concentrated, high-conviction positions.

Linda Walker is a Certified Financial Planner® with 45 years of experience in the financial services industry. She has operated her independent advisory firm, Linda A. Walker, CFP, since 1996 and has also been affiliated with LPL Financial since 1991. Her practice includes some involvement with long-term care insurance in coordination with a colleague approved by LPL. Her firm provides financial planning and investment advice to individuals, trusts, and corporations, generally on an hourly or fixed-fee basis. The advisory work focuses on budget analysis, retirement, education, and tax projections, emphasizing asset allocation modeling with client-directed rebalancing and consultative advice rather than discretionary management or custody of client assets.

Max Pashman is a CFP® professional with eight years of experience in financial advising. He is the principal of Pashman Financial LLC, an independent advisory firm, and has held roles at firms including Nectarine and Origin Financial. Outside of his advisory work, he is involved with Nectarine Financial Inc. as a financial planner. Pashman Financial LLC serves individual and high-net-worth clients with tailored investment management and a range of financial planning services. The firm primarily employs a passive investment approach using model portfolios, index funds, ETFs, and separately managed accounts, and also provides retirement plan consulting and financial education seminars.

Jeffrey Bronchick is a CFA® charterholder and principal at Cove Street Capital, LLC, where he has worked since 2011. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses. Cove Street Capital is an independent advisory firm that offers discretionary portfolio management to individuals, institutions, and various organizations. The firm uses a research-driven, value-oriented approach focusing on undervalued small- and micro-cap stocks through fundamental analysis and systematic screening.

James Reeves is a CFP® with 34 years of industry experience. He has worked at Reeves, James, Townsend since 2020 and previously spent 16 years at Securities Service Network, LLC and SSN Advisory, Inc. The firm provides non-discretionary asset management and financial planning to individuals, trusts, estates, and business entities, maintaining a small client roster with roughly $17 million in assets under management. Investment advice is delivered on a non-discretionary basis, with a focus on fundamental analysis, client approval for trades, and regular account reviews.

Stewart Darrell is a CFA® charterholder with 20 years of industry experience. He is the principal advisor at Darrell Capital Management, LLC, an independent firm he has led since 2020. Prior to this, he worked at Harris Financial Advisors, Inc. for four years. Darrell Capital Management is a fee-only wealth management firm serving individuals, high-net-worth families, and trusts. The firm provides discretionary investment management, financial planning, and family-office style services, emphasizing asset allocation, diversification, and ongoing portfolio monitoring using both fundamental and technical analysis.

I’m John C. Pak, a Certified Financial Planner™ and founder of Otium Advisory Group. My mission is to help time-starved professionals—those who barely have time for lunch—cut through the noise and finally feel confident about their financial future. With a clear, no-fluff approach to retirement readiness, I create simple, effective strategies designed to fit real life—not a textbook. I believe financial planning shouldn’t feel like a second job, so I focus on what matters most, eliminating the jargon and complexity that gets in the way. Aside from my life-long devotion to personal finance, my other passion point is teaching. I've been presenting retirement literacy courses at select Southern California Universities since 2014. I believe… - If you are open to the idea of prioritizing, organizing, and purging, you will save time and money. - If you change the way you see things, you will change the way you do things. - If you find someone to go along with you on your financial journey, you will have more success. Take advantage of the complimentary consultation. I look forward to sharing my vision of how we can get you to the finish line.

Anuraag Shah is the sole advisor at Tusker Capital, LLC, holding a Series 65 designation with 14 years of industry experience. He has been with Tusker Capital since 2010. Tusker Capital primarily advises pooled investment vehicles and institutional-style managed accounts, also providing investment advice to high-net-worth individuals. The firm employs a flexible, opportunistic long/short and relative-value approach focused on global equity and commodity markets, utilizing fundamental research and a combination of exchange-traded and over-the-counter instruments.

Nicholas Arellano is a CFP® with 19 years of industry experience, currently serving as Managing Partner and CEO of YLP Financial, LLC. He also leads Your Legacy Partners, LLC, which provides M&A advisory and valuation services to privately owned businesses, and Kospow Partners, which facilitates co-investments in private equity deals for family offices. His prior experience includes roles at DeVoe & Company and Shoreline Growth Partners. YLP Financial, LLC offers portfolio management and investment policy development primarily for individual and high-net-worth clients. The firm employs a blended investment approach that includes fundamental analysis, modern portfolio theory, and options trading, focusing on a range of securities including equities, fixed income, ETFs, and private placements.

Gary Hughes is the principal advisor at Hughes Wealth Management Incorporated in Hermosa Beach, CA. He holds Series 63 and Series 66 designations and has 33 years of industry experience. Prior to founding his firm in 2022, he worked at Concorde Asset Management, LLC and Concorde Investment Services, LLC for nine years. In addition to his advisory work, he is a licensed independent insurance agent. Hughes Wealth Management provides portfolio management, financial planning, pension consulting, and access to alternative investments and private placements for individuals, high-net-worth clients, retirement plans, and business entities. The firm employs a combination of fundamental, technical, and economic analysis to implement investment strategies and may engage sub-advisers, managing accounts mostly on a non-discretionary basis.

David Ross is a Certified Financial Planner® with over 20 years of industry experience. He has led Ross Financial Group since 2011 and previously worked as a business consultant. Outside of his advisory role, he acts as a business consultant for a long-term client and operates as an insurance broker. Ross Financial Group provides tailored investment advisory and portfolio management services to individuals and institutions, including trusts, estates, foundations, charities, and corporations. The firm offers a proprietary “Tides Portfolio” strategy focused on low-turnover, concentrated mid-cap index ETF holdings, with an objective to outperform the Dow Industrial Average over time.

Kamal Ramani is a CFP® professional with one year of experience in financial advisory services. He is the principal of REA Investments, LLC, where he has worked since 2023. In addition to his advisory role, Ramani is a CPA who operates Blue Lotus Services, providing tax preparation, and serves as CFO of Raw Brands Inc., an apparel wholesaler. REA Investments, LLC is a discretionary investment adviser serving individuals, high-net-worth clients, trusts, estates, and business entities. The firm constructs customized portfolios based on client goals and risk tolerance, utilizing a range of analytical techniques and conservative cash management strategies.

John Nuckel is the sole advisor at John Nuckel LLC in Hermosa Beach, CA, holding Series 63 and Series 65 credentials with 25 years of industry experience. Prior to founding his firm in 2020, he spent nine years at Coastal Investment Advisors and Coastal Equities, Inc. John Nuckel LLC provides discretionary portfolio management primarily to high-net-worth individuals, tailoring portfolios around insurance products, equities, and ETFs. The firm combines modern portfolio theory with charting, fundamental and technical analysis to implement long-term trading and model allocations based on documented risk tolerance.

Juerg Ciceri is a CFP® professional with 18 years of industry experience, operating through his firm, JC Financial Planning & Investments, LLC, since 2006. He holds a Series 63 license and serves clients from Long Beach, CA. Ciceri is also the owner and general partner of a Swiss investment holding company, Golden State Holding GmbH. JC Financial Planning & Investments provides portfolio management and financial planning services primarily to individuals and high-net-worth clients. The firm’s investment approach focuses on individualized advice, continuous account supervision, and diversified asset allocation, offering both discretionary and non-discretionary management along with flexible financial planning arrangements.

David Pedersen is a financial advisor at Hermosa Advisors with six years of industry experience. He holds a Series 65 designation and has worked at Hermosa Advisors since 2019. Prior to that, he was self-employed and also worked at Guess Inc. Pedersen serves as a part-time adjunct instructor at the University of California, Los Angeles Extension. Hermosa Advisors is a small, independent advisory firm that provides customized financial planning and advisory services to individuals, high-net-worth clients, and small businesses. The firm emphasizes modular financial plans and consultative advice, focusing on diversified portfolios built with ETFs and mutual funds using Modern Portfolio Theory.

Mario Nieto is a Series 65 licensed advisor at Desert Capital Management Group, Inc, with five years of industry experience. He has been with Desert Capital since 2020 and previously worked at GMI Sourcing, Inc. from 2015 to 2018. Desert Capital Management Group is a small advisory firm serving individuals and high-net-worth clients, managing approximately $5.39 million in assets across 127 client relationships. The firm provides individualized, primarily non-discretionary asset and portfolio management services across a range of public and private investments and operates under a level-fee fiduciary framework without accepting discretionary authority or proxy voting.

Ashkan Afrasiab is a financial advisor with Afrasiab Wealth Solutions, LLC and holds a Series 66 designation. He has 19 years of industry experience, including 16 years at Ameriprise Financial Services, LLC. Afrasiab also works as a licensed insurance professional, dedicating a portion of his time to insurance sales. Afrasiab Wealth Solutions, LLC provides discretionary investment management and portfolio supervision to individuals, high-net-worth clients, trusts, estates, businesses, and retirement plans. The firm employs a long-term, fundamental-analysis approach with an emphasis on diversified, low-cost funds and customized portfolio construction.

Cherie Putman is the principal of Putman Capital Management, Inc. in Torrance, CA, with 24 years of industry experience. She holds the CFP® and Series 66 credentials and has a background that includes roles at 1 St Global Insurance Services, 1ST Global Advisors, and maintains a CPA practice since 1995. Outside of her advisory work, she founded Women’s Wellness and Wealth, a resource and social group focused on supporting women in healthy lifestyles and financial matters. Putman Capital Management serves individual and family clients, including high-net-worth households, providing asset management and comprehensive financial life planning with a tax focus. The firm manages accounts primarily on a non-discretionary basis, emphasizing asset allocation, diversification, and academic research, and combines mutual funds, ETFs, and individual securities in its investment approach.

John Brajevic is a CFA® charterholder with 11 years of industry experience. He has worked at Amphora Capital Investors, LLC since 2022 and previously held roles at Twenty Four 7 Global Solutions, Inc., Scout Investments, Inc., and UMB Distribution Services, LLC. Outside of investment advising, he serves as managing director of Twenty Four 7 Global Solutions, a supply chain management firm. Amphora Capital Investors, LLC is an independent, state-registered adviser focusing on discretionary equity and balanced portfolio management for institutional clients and select high-net-worth individuals. The firm employs a disciplined, bottom-up investment process targeting profitable growth companies, using quantitative and qualitative research methods that incorporate valuation and intrinsic value assessments.

Jeffrey Muhle is a CFP® and CFA® with 28 years of industry experience. He is the sole advisor at Financial Planning Concepts, Inc., where he has worked since 1995. In addition to his financial advisory role, Muhle has served as a systems director leading project teams developing space systems at The Aerospace Corporation since 1987. Financial Planning Concepts, Inc. provides personalized financial planning and investment management services to individuals, pension and profit-sharing plans, trusts, estates, charitable organizations, and corporations. The firm focuses on a limited number of higher-net-worth and institutional clients, employing a written Investment Policy Statement and asset allocation strategies based on fundamental and technical analysis.