My name is Dana Menard, and I am a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ (CFP®), Registered Life Planner® (RLP®), Certified Exit Planning Advisor® (CEPA®), Certified in Blockchain and Digital Assets (CBDA), Certified Digital Asset Advisor® (CDAA®), a fee-only fiduciary, and the Founder and Lead Financial Planner of Twin Cities Wealth Strategies, Inc. With over 20 years of experience in the financial services industry, I pride myself on providing trusted financial advice and guidance to busy professionals, business owners, entrepreneurs, and families so they can concentrate on the things that matter most to them. I genuinely believe everyone’s financial situation is unique, and they have a right to a trusted advisor who puts their interests first. When working with my clients, I focus on creating long-term relationships. Together, we collaborate to create a financial life plan that addresses their immediate and long-term financial concerns and empowers them to live a lifestyle they love. Twin Cities Wealth Strategies, Inc. is a tax-focused comprehensive financial life planning firm that offers investment management, retirement planning, tax planning, prep, and filing, as well as estate plan construction, all under one roof. When I’m not working, I spend as much time as possible with my closest friends and family, as they are the most important things to me. My wife, Sonja, our three daughters, and I enjoy reading books, watching movies, binge-watching Netflix, exercising, partaking in various family games and activities, and appreciating the outdoors and all that nature has to offer at the family cabin. I also volunteer my time between a couple of local non-profits. The first is the Maple Grove Lions Club, a service organization that sponsors many programs and events that raise money for our local community. The second is BestPrep, a Minnesota-based non-profit that prepares students with business, career, and financial literacy skills through hands-on experiences that inspire success in both work and life.

After spending more than 13 years in traditional wealth management, I saw first hand how traditional firms, regardless of their fee model - are designed to maintain the status quo. I created Luminous Money as an expression and reflection of my personal pursuit of the American Dream: from being a first-generation immigrant working minimum wage jobs, to slowly scrimping, saving and investing into achieving some of my biggest dreams. If you're a dreamer, you're one of us. At Luminous, we don't care about not being invited to the table.....we're building our own damn table. Luminous is designed to work with people across all income and wealth levels, because I know first hand that money in the hands of the right people changes everything. I am so excited to meet you!

Connor Oak is a financial advisor at Crane Capital Management LLC with three years of industry experience. He holds a Series 65 designation and has worked at several firms, including Larson Financial, Intrua Financial, and Work Optional Inc. Crane Capital Management is a state-registered investment adviser managing approximately $23.9 million in discretionary assets for a small client base. The firm provides investment advisory, financial planning, and portfolio management services with an emphasis on long-term, balanced portfolios and a willingness to use option strategies when appropriate.

Chad Rusten is Chief Financial Planner at Element Squared Private Wealth in Minneapolis, MN, holding the ChFC®, CLU®, CASL®, and CLTC designations along with Series 66 licenses. He has 23 years of industry experience, with prior roles at Park Avenue Securities, Guardian Life Insurance, Eagle Strategies (NY Life), and Nylife Securities. He also operates as a sole proprietor in insurance sales and services, dedicating approximately 5% of his time to this activity. Element Squared Private Wealth provides discretionary asset management and integrated financial planning to individual and high-net-worth clients. The firm employs a combination of fundamental, technical, and charting analysis to construct diversified portfolios tailored to client objectives, offering financial planning as part of its advisory services.

Eric Hutchens is a financial advisor with Allodium Investment Consultants, LLC, holding CFP®, CFA®, and Series 66 designations and bringing 18 years of industry experience. He has been with Allodium since 2015. Allodium Investment Consultants serves a diverse client base including individuals, foundations, endowments, pension and profit-sharing plans, trusts, estates, charitable organizations, and business entities. The firm offers discretionary investment management, financial planning, and fiduciary consulting, focusing on low-cost, tax-advantaged, passively oriented investments implemented via mutual funds, ETFs, and third-party managers, with customized portfolios and ongoing monitoring.

Joel Miller, CFP®, is the founder of Flames Financial Planning, a modern, fee-only, flat-fee financial planning firm built to help individuals and families confidently build their future. Joel provides personalized financial planning, investment management, tax planning, and estate-planning guidance designed to bring every area of a client’s financial life together. His approach is relationship-driven, transparent, and focused on helping clients make intentional decisions, set bigger goals, and think long term. Joel founded Flames to create a new-age financial planning experience—one that combines professional expertise, modern technology, deeply personal guidance, and transparent flat-fee pricing. His mission is to simplify financial complexity and help clients steward their wealth with confidence, clarity, and purpose.

Michael Bins is a CFP® professional currently affiliated with LPL Financial. LPL Financial provides advisory and brokerage services to a diverse client base, including individual investors, retirement plan sponsors, institutions, and high-net-worth households. The firm offers a range of investment solutions supported by an in-house research team and a large network of investment adviser representatives.

Nkozi Knight is a financial advisor at Thrivent Investment Management in Minneapolis, MN, with four years of industry experience. She holds Series 66 and Series 63 licenses and previously worked at Northwestern Mutual Investment Services LLC and U.S. Bank. Outside of her advisory role, Knight owns several businesses, including a sustainability-focused cleaning company, a healthcare consulting firm, and a creative media business, and serves on nonprofit boards such as the Marquette University Alumni Association and the Greater Galilee Community Development Center. Thrivent Investment Management provides Dedicated Planning Services to individuals, families, businesses, and nonprofits, offering goal-based financial analyses and planning without discretionary trading authority. The firm combines planning with managed-account options under a consolidated billing program called WealthPlan, while maintaining separate services for planning and account management.

Arch Spencer is the sole advisor at Spencer Financial Advisors in Plymouth, MN, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses with seven years of industry experience. He has been with Spencer Financial Advisors since 1999. Spencer Financial Advisors offers portfolio management and investment advice primarily to individual and high-net-worth clients. The firm employs fundamental analysis and a combination of long-term and short-term trading strategies, focusing on equities, mutual funds, fixed income, ETFs—including precious-metal sector ETFs—and may incorporate options and margin transactions within client portfolios.

Mark Austin is a financial advisor at Liniam Capital, LLC, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses with seven years of industry experience. He previously worked at North Sky Capital for eight years before joining Liniam Capital in 2018. Liniam Capital provides investment management and financial consulting to individual and institutional clients, including trusts, retirement plans, public funds, and Taft-Hartley accounts. The firm combines portfolio management with tax, estate, and insurance advice, often using ETFs, individual securities, and option strategies to generate income and manage risk, and integrates accounting services through an affiliated CPA.

Aimee Hatlestad is a CFP® with 12 years of industry experience and is the principal advisor at The Hatlestad Group. She previously worked at Bond & Devick Wealth Partners and Bgm Trunorth Wealth Partners, Llc. She serves as Treasurer for the Ripley Memorial Foundation, a nonprofit organization. The Hatlestad Group provides investment management, financial planning, and consulting services to individuals, including high-net-worth clients, as well as institutional and fiduciary entities. The firm employs a variety of analytical methods to tailor portfolios to client objectives and risk tolerance, offering both discretionary and non-discretionary services.

Donovan Carson is a Series 65-licensed financial advisor with Carson Capital in St. Louis Park, MN, bringing four years of industry experience. He has held roles at True Edge LLC and UnitedHealthGroup, where he worked as a senior product owner. Outside of advisory work, he owns and manages a small property management business. Carson Capital provides discretionary investment management, financial planning, consulting, and retirement plan advisory services to individuals, families, trusts, charitable organizations, and businesses. The firm employs a growth-oriented, data-driven investment process with an emphasis on risk-based asset allocation and integrates public education offerings as part of its client services.

Cody Wald is a financial advisor at First Class Financial with five years of industry experience. He holds the CFP® and Series 66 designations. His prior experience includes five years at Ameriprise and two years at Deloitte and Touche. First Class Financial is an independent firm offering discretionary and non-discretionary asset management as well as financial planning and consulting services to individuals, high-net-worth clients, and business entities. The firm combines various analytical approaches in its investment process and uses the Altruist platform for managing client portfolios, with options for model portfolios and sub-advisor management.

Bradley Hesselberg is an investment advisor with Sword and Shield Solutions LLC in Savage, MN, holding Series 65 and Series 63 licenses and nine years of industry experience. He has worked with Gradient Investments, LLC and Gradient Wealth Management, among other firms. Outside of advisory services, he is a licensed insurance agent. Sword and Shield Solutions is a single-advisor independent firm offering non-discretionary asset management and financial planning services. The firm employs client-approved strategies including fundamental, technical, charting, and cyclical analysis, and may recommend and monitor third-party managers for portions of client portfolios.

I’m a financial planner who helps tech professionals with equity compensation take control of their finances and design a life that feels truly authentic. Life isn’t just about numbers or following a traditional path. It’s about figuring out what you really want and building a plan to get there. That’s why I started Authentic Life Financial Planning, to help people align their finances with their life, whether that means retiring early, launching a new career, or simply feeling more confident about your future. I offer personalized, one-time financial plans and ongoing planning services, helping people navigate the complexities of equity compensation, tax strategies, cash flow, and more, all with the goal of creating a life you love. When I’m not working with clients, you’ll find me sailing, checking out live music, or planning my next travel adventure with my wife Annie and our son. We live in Minneapolis, MN and serve clients virtually across the U.S. If you’re ready to explore what’s possible with your finances, I’d love to chat!

Joseph De Ziel is a financial advisor at TrustMerit Capital with 17 years of industry experience. He holds a Series 66 designation and has worked at firms including Edward Jones and Ameriprise Financial Services. De Ziel has managed his own firm, TrustMerit Capital, since 2021. TrustMerit Capital provides discretionary portfolio management primarily for individual and high-net-worth clients, creating tailored Investment Policy Statements based on clients’ income, tax considerations, time horizons, and risk tolerance. The firm uses a blend of fundamental, quantitative, and technical analysis along with modern portfolio theory to guide long-term allocation decisions and implements portfolios under discretionary authority.

Nathan Millerbernd is the sole advisor at MWM Wealth Advisory, LLC in Plymouth, MN, holding Series 63 and 66 designations with 26 years of industry experience. His prior roles include positions at Harbour Investments, Rivercrest Financial Group, and VOYA Financial Advisors. Outside of advisory work, he is involved in managing farmland through Greenfield Harvest, LLC, and oversees vacation property operations with N8 Vacation Properties, LLC. MWM Wealth Advisory provides fee-based investment management and retirement-plan advisory services to individuals, high-net-worth clients, small businesses, and qualified retirement plans. The firm operates primarily on a non-discretionary basis, managing approximately $130 million in non-discretionary assets and offering services such as investment policy development, monitoring, and participant education.

Kevin Boyd is a Series 66-licensed financial advisor with 15 years of industry experience. He has worked at UBS Financial Services, Inc. for 10 years before founding KMB Wealth Management, LLC in 2020. The firm provides investment advisory services to individuals, high-net-worth individuals, and small businesses through a wrap fee investment program that combines financial planning, portfolio management, and brokerage transactional services. KMB Wealth Management employs a Core + Satellite investment approach, blending indexed funds with actively managed positions, and integrates comprehensive financial planning tailored to client objectives.

John Bernstein is the sole advisor at Bernstein Financial Advisory in Minneapolis, MN, holding a Series 65 credential with seven years of industry experience. He founded and has operated the firm since 2019, with a prior three-year period away from the industry. Bernstein Financial Advisory provides portfolio management and financial planning services tailored to individuals, high-net-worth clients, entrepreneurs, small business owners, charitable organizations, and other business entities. The firm employs fundamental analysis, long-term purchase strategies, and option writing, offering both discretionary and non-discretionary account management, as well as free public educational seminars and workshops.

Judd Axelson is the principal of Paratus Wealth Management, LLC, an independent registered investment adviser based in Long Lake, MN. He holds a Series 65 designation and has 18 years of industry experience. Axelson also owns Axelson & Associates LLC, a consulting and recruiting business unrelated to investment management. Paratus Wealth Management serves individuals and high-net-worth clients, managing approximately $72 million across 44 accounts. The firm emphasizes tailored investment plans based on asset allocation and Modern Portfolio Theory, offering discretionary portfolio management, comprehensive financial planning, and periodic reviews.