Jill Bertke

Kartik Patel is a financial advisor at Simplify Investments with eight years of industry experience and holds a Series 65 designation. He also serves as president of Data Express Inc., an information technology consulting firm where he provides business analysis and strategic advice to clients, including those in the financial sector. Prior to founding Data Express, he worked at Tech Karma Inc. for six years. Simplify Investments is an independent, fee-only registered investment adviser serving private individuals, families, and small businesses. The firm employs a fundamentally driven, value-oriented investment approach focused on U.S.-traded stocks, ETFs, and bonds, maintaining a concentrated portfolio and making limited quarterly changes.

Bryan Thomas is the sole advisor at Financial Solutions, LLC in Oak Hill, VA, holding a Series 65 designation with seven years of industry experience. He has worked at Financial Solutions since 2018 and concurrently serves as Vice President at Jones Lang LaSalle, Inc., specializing in commercial real estate services. Financial Solutions provides comprehensive financial planning to individuals and families, covering areas such as cash flow, retirement, education funding, estate and tax considerations, and risk management. The firm emphasizes a long-term, passive investment approach with fundamental analysis, offering written financial plans and educational workshops while clients retain full discretion over implementation.

Sunil Pai is a CFA® charterholder and the sole advisor at Proforza Advisors LLC, with 16 years of industry experience. He has led Proforza Advisors since its founding in 2012. Pai is also the managing member of Quantworks, LLC, a now dormant investment-related business. Proforza Advisors provides fee-based investment management primarily to institutional clients such as pension funds and endowments, as well as high net worth individuals. The firm utilizes a systematic, quantitative Active Risk-Based investing (ARBi) methodology that employs algorithms to construct and actively rebalance portfolios of liquid ETFs and stocks.

Uttam Bharwani is a financial advisor at SagePro Wealth Management with nine years of industry experience. He holds Series 65 and Series 66 licenses and has previously operated Bharwani Asset Management LLC for six years. SagePro Wealth Management provides discretionary portfolio management and financial planning services to individual investors, including high-net-worth clients, as well as pension and profit-sharing plans, trusts, foundations, and charitable organizations. The firm uses fundamental analysis, modern portfolio theory, and technical analysis with a mix of long- and short-term strategies, offering performance-based and asset-based fee arrangements tailored to client goals and risk tolerance.

Hilary Carroll is a CFP® professional with 35 years of industry experience. She has been with Lander & Associates Inc., an independent firm based in Oak Hill, VA, since 2005. Lander & Associates is a fee-only, SEC-registered investment adviser serving individuals, high-net-worth clients, and pension and profit-sharing plans. The firm focuses on strategic asset allocation and global diversification, using both active and passive investment vehicles tailored to clients’ risk tolerance and objectives.

Ravikanth Puttagunta is the sole advisor at RR Portfolios, LLC, an independent firm based in Herndon, VA. He holds a Series 65 designation and has eight years of industry experience, having worked at RR Portfolios since 2017. Outside of his advisory role, he owns and manages a commercial shopping complex in India. RR Portfolios, LLC provides discretionary portfolio management to individuals, high-net-worth clients, and other advisers, with approximately $30.5 million in assets under management. The firm employs investment strategies that incorporate cyclical, fundamental, and technical analysis across a broad investable universe, including equities, fixed income, alternatives, and derivatives.