CFP®-certified financial advisors working with African American clients in North Carolina

Willie Myles is a financial advisor with Equitable Advisors in Cary, NC, holding Series 63 and Series 66 licenses and bringing 16 years of industry experience. He has worked at Equitable Advisors since 2016, previously serving at Axa Advisors and MSI Financial Services. Outside of advising, he is a co-chairman of a fundraising campaign for Alpha Light Fund Inc., a nonprofit focused on renovating the House of Alpha. Equitable Advisors serves a range of clients including individuals, pension plans, corporations, and charitable organizations, providing financial planning, retirement consulting, and asset management through a network of representatives and third-party managers. The firm offers various investment vehicles and ERISA fiduciary services, relying on third-party program sponsors and an affiliation with a publicly traded parent company.

Arjun Aggarwal is a financial advisor with Morgan Stanley in Raleigh, NC, holding a Series 66 designation and 18 years of industry experience. He has been with Morgan Stanley Smith Barney since 2009 and has worked at Morgan Stanley Private Bank, National Association since 2015. Morgan Stanley Wealth Management is an SEC-registered investment adviser and broker-dealer offering a wide range of advisory programs to individuals and institutions, including tailored financial planning services. The firm manages approximately $2.74 trillion in client assets and employs a structured planning process using firm-approved tools and economic modeling techniques.

Robert Pike is a CFA® charterholder with 20 years of industry experience. He is based in Winston Salem, NC, and currently serves as an advisor at Sheets Smith Wealth Management. Prior to joining his current firm, he worked for 16 years at Stratford Advisors, Inc. Sheets Smith Wealth Management serves individuals, families, trusts, foundations, endowments, and retirement plans. The firm customizes investment strategies based on each client’s risk tolerance and time horizon, typically employing a long-term, buy-and-hold equity approach combined with tactical fixed-income and alternative investments.

Mitchell Hodgkiss is a financial advisor with Ameriprise Financial Services who holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and has 28 years of industry experience. His career includes roles at Wells Fargo Clearing and Morgan Keegan & Company, LLC prior to joining Ameriprise. He serves on the Board of Directors for the Pi Kappa Alpha KK Alumni Association. Ameriprise Financial Services is a large, diversified advisory firm serving both individual and institutional clients. The firm offers a specialized Premier Retirement Income service that provides retirement income planning advice through a structured, non-discretionary process incorporating proprietary research and third-party data.

Andrew Driscoll is a financial advisor at Lake Effect Wealth LLC in Charlotte, NC, holding a Series 65 designation with six years of industry experience. He previously worked at Grandview Analytics from 2015 to 2019 before founding Lake Effect Wealth, where he has been the sole advisor since 2019. Lake Effect Wealth serves individuals, including high-net-worth clients, as well as corporations and businesses, offering discretionary portfolio management alongside project-based and comprehensive financial planning. The firm employs a passive investment strategy based on Modern Portfolio Theory, incorporating low-turnover, tax-aware portfolio construction, and distinguishes itself by providing business planning and employee benefits optimization services uncommon among independent solo advisers.

Glenn Evans is a Wealth Management Advisor with Merrill Lynch Wealth Management, specializing in providing personalized financial strategies to a diverse client base. His clients include corporate executives in pharmaceutical, technology, and real estate sectors, business owners, attorneys, medical professionals, widows, members of the LGBTQ community, and extended families across more than 20 states. Glenn’s approach centers on understanding each client’s unique goals and challenges, with an emphasis on planning-based wealth management and legacy strategies. Before joining Merrill, Glenn held senior corporate development and strategy roles at Fortune 500 companies and served as a mezzanine lender to middle market businesses. He holds an MBA from Harvard Business School and a Bachelor’s degree from Amherst College. Glenn’s professional credentials include the CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER® (CFP®) certification, Chartered Retirement Planning Counselor (CRPC™) designation, and Certified Plan Fiduciary Advisor (CPFA™) designation. He is an Advisory Member of the Association of African American Financial Advisors and serves as a Trustee of The Kappa Guide Right & Scholarship Fund of Montclair, supporting leadership development and scholarships for local high school seniors. In addition to his advisory work, Glenn contributes as a pro bono consultant to nonprofit organizations focused on arts and education and participates in the Harvard Business School Club of New York Community Partners Initiative. He resides in Livingston, New Jersey, with his daughter and enjoys activities such as biking, hiking, running, swimming, photography, music, genealogy, and traveling.

As a Certified Financial Planner®, my goal is to help you take charge of your finances without the lecture, just practical advice. My approach provides the tools and know-how to handle your money like a pro, no spreadsheets required (unless you’re into that sort of thing). You’ll walk away making confident financial decisions without second-guessing yourself. You’ll get a custom financial plan made just for you by a CFP® professional, but we don’t just hand it over and wish you luck. We’ll help you actually put it into action, so it doesn’t just gather digital dust.

Andy Loving is a CFP® with 26 years of industry experience. He is based in Louisville, KY, and has worked with First Affirmative Financial Network, LLC for 13 years prior to his current role at Natural Investments. Natural Investments is a values-focused advisory firm serving individual clients, including high-net-worth households, institutions, and charitable entities. The firm manages approximately $2.05 billion through a team of 24 advisors and emphasizes asset-class diversification and a long-term investment approach using socially responsible funds and community investment instruments.

Cindy Mota Rios is a CFP® with six years of industry experience, currently serving at Re Envision Wealth in New York, NY. Her previous roles include positions at Grid 202 Partners, Greenspring Advisors, LLC, and Quadrant Capital Management. Outside of her advisory work, she owns Sublime, a business focused on Mindset and NLP-related coaching. Re Envision Wealth is an SEC-registered advisory firm that serves individual and high-net-worth households as well as some institutional clients. The firm provides financial planning, investment consultation, wealth management, and discretionary portfolio management, emphasizing asset allocation combined with fundamental and cyclical analysis and due diligence on private-market opportunities.

Tarif Carson, CFP®, serves as the Director of Portfolio Strategy & Wealth Planner at 2nd Story Wealth Planners, LLC, where he blends nearly 20 years of portfolio management expertise with his passion for cultivating meaningful client relationships. He designs and oversees the investment portfolio models that guide clients toward their financial goals, while also working directly with clients to deliver personalized financial strategies that align with their values, aspirations, and long-term legacies. Throughout his career, Tarif has partnered with many clients—from high-net-worth individuals managing significant portfolios to underserved communities striving toward financial independence. His professional journey includes roles as a Senior Lead Planner at Facet Wealth, where he helped clients achieve major life goals such as early retirement, homeownership, and world travel, and as a Senior Financial Advisor at Vanguard, managing over $500 million in assets while collaborating with clients and their tax professionals to ensure tax-efficient decisions. Tarif’s approach to planning evolves as life changes, ensuring clients' financial plans remain flexible and forward-looking. In addition to his technical expertise, Tarif believes strongly in the power of personal growth and financial legacy. His guiding philosophy: "Your beliefs become your thoughts, your thoughts become your words, your words become your actions, your actions become your habits, your habits become your values, your values become your destiny," serves as the foundation for how he advises clients on building lasting legacies for their families. Outside of his professional role, Tarif is focused on planting the seeds of a meaningful legacy for his family and helping his clients do the same—building not just wealth, but values that endure across generations. His commitment to mentorship extends this philosophy, as he is dedicated to guiding and developing aspiring financial planners. Through mentorship, Tarif ensures that the next generation of financial professionals upholds the same standards of integrity, service, and the pursuit of financial empowerment. Tarif earned a Bachelor of Science in Finance from the first HBCU Cheyney University and holds the CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ designation. He is also a member of the Financial Planning Association, Association for African American Financial Advisors and a VITA Volunteer who helps income tax payers accurately prepare and file taxes

Sarah Currier Barrella is a CFP® professional with 26 years of experience in financial advisory services. She currently works at Santander Securities LLC and Santander Bank, NA, having previously held positions at TD Bank and Citizens Securities, Inc. Barrella is based in Boston, MA. Santander Securities LLC serves a broad retail client base with approximately $3.14 billion in regulatory assets under management across 10,800 client relationships. The firm offers investment advisory services, portfolio management through wrap-fee programs, and financial planning, operating both as a registered investment adviser and a FINRA-registered broker-dealer.

Elanna Gould is a CFP® professional with six years of experience, currently advising at Cambridge Investment Research Advisors in Cleveland, OH. Her background includes roles at PepsiCo and The Cleveland Clinic Lerner Research Center, as well as academic experience at The Ohio State University. She is also an independent insurance agent for various companies. Cambridge Investment Research Advisors serves a broad client base, including individuals, retirement plans, and charitable organizations, offering financial planning, investment management, and retirement advisory services through a network of independent professionals. The firm provides a range of portfolio management options, proprietary and third-party strategies, and various custody platforms tailored to client objectives.

Ethan Siekkinen is a CFP® and holds a Series 65 license, currently serving as a financial advisor with Plante Moran Financial Advisors. He has one year of industry experience and has previously worked at J Wilson Wealth Management and operated Rizzo Lawn Care. Plante Moran Financial Advisors, LLC provides investment advisory, financial planning, and estate planning services to a diverse client base including individual households, institutional clients, and sovereign wealth funds. The firm employs a multi-disciplinary investment process and offers both discretionary and non-discretionary portfolio management, manager search, and tax-lot accounting services.

Jace Hart is a CFP® with nine years of industry experience and currently serves as a financial advisor at Rockwall Wealth Management. His prior experience includes roles at Leo Wealth, LPL Financial, and Fidelity Brokerage Services. Rockwall Wealth Management provides portfolio management, financial planning, and consulting services to individuals, trusts, plans, charitable organizations, and businesses. The firm emphasizes diversified, low-cost ETF model portfolios with a focus on tax efficiency, liquidity, and systematic macro tilts, offering both traditional and advanced investment strategies tailored to client objectives.

Jeffrey Macdonald is a CFP® and ChFC® with 18 years of industry experience. He has worked at Investment Management & Planning LLC and LPL Financial since 2010, following two years at Wells Fargo Clearing. Investment Management & Planning LLC provides investment advisory and financial planning services primarily to individual and high-net-worth clients. The firm constructs tailored portfolios using mutual funds, ETFs, equities, and fixed-income securities, employing fundamental analysis and continuous supervision, and operates as both a wrap program sponsor and affiliated registered representatives of LPL Financial.