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!

Kory advises high-net-worth retirees and pre-retirees who seek tax efficiency and protection of the wealth they have built over decades. His practice is centered on a clear objective: reduce portfolio risks and minimize lifetime taxes paid. Unlike traditional advisors who separate investment management from tax planning, Kory integrates both into a unified retirement strategy. He understands that for affluent retirees, true success is measured by net after tax income and portfolio resilience across market cycles. Investment decisions are aligned with proactive tax planning to help clients keep more of what they earn while managing volatility. Kory specializes in retirement income planning, tax efficient portfolio design, and long term wealth preservation. His insights have been featured by Star Tribune, NBC, ABC, CBS, and Fox. New Generation Wealth Management provides financial planning and advisory services primarily to individual clients. The firm utilizes a single third-party manager for portfolio management, focusing on due diligence and client support rather than direct asset management or discretionary trading.

Sam Schuette is a seasoned wealth advisor with over two decades of experience helping individuals and families plan for financial security and life milestones. As Vice President and Wealth Advisor at GreenUp Wealth Management, Sam works with clients to develop financial strategies tailored to their goals — including retirement planning, investment guidance, and overall wealth management.  Before joining GreenUp, Sam spent more than a decade at Scottrade, Inc., where he built strong client relationships and led teams of investment professionals. He also served in financial advisory and wealth planning roles at several other firms, bringing a depth of practical experience across markets, financial planning disciplines, and client service.  Sam holds a Bachelor of Science in Agriculture & Food Business Management with a focus in Finance from the University of Minnesota. Outside of work, he enjoys time with his family, outdoor activities, and community engagement.

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.

Jeffrey Schuler is a CFP® professional affiliated with LPL Financial in Maple Grove, MN, with 34 years of industry experience. He previously worked for Financial Dimensions Group, Inc. and Osaic Wealth, Inc. fka Royal Alliance Associates, Inc. from 2005 to 2024. LPL Financial is a national SEC-registered investment adviser and broker-dealer serving individuals, retirement plans, banks, corporations, and charitable organizations. The firm offers a range of advisory programs and financial planning services, utilizing both discretionary and non-discretionary management supported by proprietary and third-party research.

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.

Peter O'Brien is the owner and sole advisor of MPM Financial Corporation, an independent firm based in Maplewood, MN. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and has 36 years of industry experience. Prior to his current role at MPM Financial Corporation since 2020, he worked at Purshe Kaplan Sterling Investments and Voya Financial Advisors. In addition to his advisory work, he is a licensed agent for fixed and traditional insurance products. MPM Financial Corporation provides discretionary asset management primarily for individual investors and qualified retirement plans. The firm uses a combination of fundamental, technical, charting, and cyclical analysis to tailor portfolios to client objectives and offers services including ongoing portfolio monitoring and financial consulting.

Justin Munger is a financial advisor at VIP Financial Associates with 16 years of industry experience. He has worked at Premier Capital Management, LLC dba VIP Financial Associates since 2016 and previously at Sawtooth Solutions LLC. In addition to his advisory role, Munger is an independent life and health insurance agent licensed in Minnesota and Wisconsin and owns a pet sitting and cleanup services business. VIP Financial Associates provides financial planning and discretionary portfolio management to individuals, high-net-worth clients, trusts, and estates. The firm’s investment process focuses on individualized asset allocation and uses a combination of fundamental and technical analysis, relying on third-party model managers and ongoing portfolio monitoring.

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.

Paula Lilly is a financial advisor at Ramsey Hill Asset Management LLC with 12 years of industry experience. She holds Series 63 and Series 65 designations and has been with Ramsey Hill since 2011. Outside of her advisory role, she is a non-voting member of Mojave Color, LLC, a technology and software development company. Ramsey Hill Asset Management provides discretionary investment supervisory and portfolio management services to individuals, high-net-worth clients, pension and profit-sharing plans, trusts, estates, charitable organizations, and corporate entities. The firm employs both fundamental and technical analysis and uses long- and short-term trading strategies to build individualized portfolios aligned with clients’ objectives.

Thomas Ottman is the sole advisor at Aquinas Capital Advisors LLC in Blaine, MN, with 44 years of industry experience. He has operated his advisory practice since 1990, establishing Aquinas Capital Advisors in 2016. His credentials include Series 63, Series 65, and Series 66 licenses. Aquinas Capital Advisors provides non-discretionary investment management, financial planning, and limited-scope ERISA 3(21) retirement-plan advisory services to individuals and charitable organizations, emphasizing client education through public seminars and workshops. The firm tailors recommendations to client goals, time horizon, and risk tolerance, using both fundamental and technical analysis.

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.