James Patterson

WHY JERRY CHOSE TO BE A FINANCIAL PLANNER: His lack of financial literacy was not by choice. It was because personal finance was not taught in school or in his community. As a first-generation wealth builder, Jerry's money journey has been shaped by a profound understanding of both cultural and financial expectations. His experiences have uniquely positioned him to empathize with the challenges faced by first-generation families, inspiring a distinctive approach to financial guidance. His moment of profound solitude occurred during his transition from the Marine Corps back to civilian life. In uniform, Jerry felt in control, with camaraderie, financial stability, and a consistent salary. However, the day he left, all that stability vanished giving way to a cascade of emotions - depression, anxiety, and fear. Jerry, who had grown up facing financial hardships, relying on food stamps, and public aid, knew it was time to stop merely talking about wanting to build wealth and start acting. The realization struck deep: He needed to make a difference not just for himself, but for others facing similar issues. Motivated by a desire to help his family and friends, Jerry decided to be the guide he wished he'd had. He obtained his license, college degree, and joined a firm not only to enhance his life but the lives of other 1st-time wealth builders. After a few years of helping high net worth individuals grow their assets, Jerry felt the firm wasn't built to help families like his. In 2024, Jerry took the leap and launched Confianza Wealth Management as a guide for aspiring wealth builders. Jerry is on a mission to empower 1st-time wealth building families. Jerry wants to bridge the financial planning accessibility gap by helping these millennial families take control of their financial futures.

Scott Weber is a financial advisor with WealthLynk, Inc., holding a Series 66 designation and 19 years of industry experience. He previously worked at J.P. Morgan Securities LLC and Tollminder before joining WealthLynk. In addition to his advisory role, he is an independent insurance agent. WealthLynk provides ongoing portfolio management and financial planning to individual, high-net-worth, and charitable organization clients. The firm offers tailored, non-discretionary investment recommendations based on long-term strategies and multiple analytical methods, conducting at least quarterly account reviews and implementing trades only with client consent.

Rick Alvarado is a CFP® professional with 35 years of industry experience. He has been with Wealth One Advisors since 2000 and has also worked with LPL Financial (formerly Linsco/Private Ledger Corp.) since 1993. His practice includes providing financial planning services and occasional work related to fixed annuities. Wealth One Advisors offers financial planning and consulting services to individuals, high-net-worth households, and certain pension and profit-sharing plans. The firm does not manage client assets or accept custody, instead focusing on written financial plans and hourly consulting, using both fundamental and technical analysis to support long-term asset allocation and other strategies.

Darren Schuringa is a CFA® charterholder and the sole advisor at Yorkville Capital Management LLC, where he has worked since 2006. He has 20 years of industry experience. Yorkville Capital Management provides discretionary portfolio management and investment supervisory services to high-net-worth individuals and various institutional and household accounts. The firm employs proprietary risk models and asset-allocation algorithms, tactical hedging, and short selling as part of its risk-management strategy.

Amy Sharp is the principal advisor at Amy T. Sharp, CFP, LLC, an independent firm based in Oceanside, CA. She holds the CFP® designation and has 30 years of industry experience. Prior to founding her firm in 2016, she worked at Investacorp Advisory Services and Investacorp Inc. Outside of financial advising, she co-owns a family business that produces sugar-free confections. Amy T. Sharp, CFP, LLC provides comprehensive financial planning and discretionary portfolio management for individuals, businesses, pension and profit-sharing plans, trusts, estates, and charitable organizations. The firm manages approximately $57.8 million in client assets and emphasizes broadly diversified portfolios with ongoing monitoring and formal reviews tailored to clients’ risk tolerance and time horizon.

Ahmet Turken is a financial advisor at Turken Investments LLC with five years of industry experience. He holds a Series 65 designation and has worked in finance roles at Becton Dickinson, Thermo Fisher Scientific, and DEI Holdings. In addition to his advisory work, he serves as Senior Finance Manager at Becton Dickinson, focusing on financial planning and budgeting for the Biosciences division. Turken Investments provides investment management and financial planning services to individuals including executives, professionals, entrepreneurs, retirees, and small business owners, with a client base that may include U.S. clients with family or business interests abroad. The firm emphasizes client-specific investment policies, asset-class allocation, and diversification, operating on a non-discretionary basis and offering both asset-based management fees and hourly billing for certain planning projects.