Derek Kennedy is a CFP® with 24 years of experience and the principal advisor at Kennedy Wealth Management in Knoxville, TN, where he has worked since 2000. He holds a Series 63 license and leads the firm as its sole advisor. Kennedy Wealth Management serves individual investors, trusts, charitable organizations, businesses, and retirement plan sponsors with financial planning, investment management, and retirement plan advisory services. The firm operates as a fee-only fiduciary, uses diversified asset allocation based on fundamental analysis and Modern Portfolio Theory, and provides pension consulting and employee education services uncommon among similar independent advisors.

David Burnett is a financial advisor at Shepherd's Financial LLC in Knoxville, TN, with four years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and previously worked with Eagle Strategies LLC and NYLIFE Securities LLC. Outside of finance, Burnett serves as clergy at Old North Abbey and is an author of academic books on religious texts. Shepherd’s Financial serves individuals, clergy, churches, businesses, and charitable organizations, providing discretionary and non-discretionary asset management along with financial planning and consulting. The firm employs fundamental analysis, tax-aware techniques, and third-party model managers, with a focus on customized strategies for each client’s objectives and risk tolerance.

With high regard to our fiduciary duty, we exist to faithfully serve individuals and organizations who are eager to understand and take control of their finances. Deep, authentic relationships allow us to help our clients clarify and define what is most important and utilize that knowledge when making important decisions. Our comprehensive approach facilitates a proactive partnership rooted in accountability putting clients in position to Ignite Financial Momentum and create meaningful outcomes. Life is full of Momentum Moments, those times when decisions are most impactful. We proactively prepare our clients for those moments through: Life Planning, Financial Wellness, and Wealth Planning services. Skee began his finance career in early 2012 and has since served many individuals and organizations as their trusted advisor. Having a long family lineage of educators, he naturally has a passion for teaching and helping others. An interest in finance early in life led him to attain his Bachelor of Science in Business Administration degree focused in Financial Planning and Economics from Western Carolina University in 2010. After college, Skee served as Senior Financial Services Officer at a prominent credit union in his home state of North Carolina. He moved to East Tennessee in 2016 and has built strong relationships with individuals, families, and organizations, managing over $100,000,000 for many of them. One Knoxville non-profit organization he advised was recognized as one of four Plan Sponsor of the Year nominees in a well-known national publication in 2024. He holds designations of CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™, Accredited Investment Fiduciary®, and Accredited Tax Preparer. Skee enjoys serving his community through several organizations in the Greater Knoxville Area. Mission: To empower family stewards, people pursuing independence, and employee-centric organizations to achieve their full potential financially and personally, positively impacting their own circumstances and the lives of those around them. Vision: To grow organically through a commitment to our culture of providing high quality client experiences and by fostering community relationships. Our desire is to build and maintain a Destination Firm for both clients and employees. Along the way, we will make a positive impact on the communities where we live and serve through volunteering and giving back. Core Values: Influence, Competency, Trustworthiness, Boldness, Authenticity

Ramin Olson is a financial advisor at Nomad Financial with three years of industry experience. He holds a Series 65 designation and has worked at UBS Investment Bank and UBS Wealth Management, as well as the US International Development Finance Corporation. Olson also has a legal and regulatory background, including experience in regulatory and in-house counsel roles. Nomad Financial Advisors LLC provides investment management and financial planning services primarily to individual and high-net-worth clients. The firm emphasizes asset allocation with a preference for passive investment management, incorporating active strategies as appropriate, and offers various engagement options including ongoing wealth management, project-based planning, tax return preparation, and an Outsourced CIO service.

Steven King is a financial advisor at ICON Capital Management, LLC in Powell, Tennessee, with 21 years of industry experience. He holds the Series 63 designation and has been with ICON Capital Management since 1996. ICON Capital Management provides discretionary portfolio management, limited financial planning, and consulting services to individuals, trusts, estates, and retirement plans. The firm is noted for its work with pension and profit-sharing plan clients, including retirement plan consulting and ERISA fiduciary roles.

Nicholas Vantrease is a CFP® and Series 65-registered financial advisor with eight years of industry experience. He has been with Provident Wealth, LLC since 2017 and previously worked at Clayton Bank and Trust from 2010 to 2017. Based in Knoxville, TN, he is the sole advisor at Provident Wealth. Provident Wealth provides discretionary portfolio management, financial planning, and retirement-plan advisory services to individuals, high-net-worth clients, trusts, and charitable organizations. The firm offers ERISA plan services, including education and plan monitoring as a 3(21) fiduciary and the option to serve as a 3(38) investment manager, with investment strategies focused on tailored portfolios using fundamental and cyclical analysis along with modern portfolio theory.

Leon Ebbert is the principal of Ebbert Asset Management, LP in Knoxville, TN, with 21 years of experience in financial advising. He holds the PFS™ designation and Series 63 license. In addition to his advisory role, he has been president of Leon E. Ebbert, PC, a certified public accounting firm, since 1997. Ebbert Asset Management provides personalized investment management and financial planning services to individuals and small businesses. The firm employs an active investment approach focused on equities, market timing, and trading strategies, and integrates investment management with tax and insurance services through its close affiliation with the principal’s accounting practice.

Kevin Alexander is the principal of Alexander Advisory Services, LLC in Knoxville, TN, with 12 years of experience in the financial industry. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and has a background that includes roles at Capital Retirement Planning, Creative Financial Designs, and operating his own independent insurance agency since 1998. In addition to his advisory work, he serves as president of Thriving Foundation Ministries, where he conducts workshops and communicates with missionaries. Alexander Advisory Services, LLC is an independent registered investment adviser providing discretionary asset and portfolio management primarily to individual clients, as well as charitable organizations and corporate clients. The firm builds portfolios based on fundamental analysis tailored to clients’ goals and risk tolerance and manages approximately $10.3 million across 179 accounts.

Hi, I’m Caroline (Murphy) Friedrich CPA, CFP®, a financial planner and founder of Hillvale Wealth Management. Growing up I was always brainstorming business ideas and loved organizing, which led to my first venture, “Caroline’s Closets.” My father, an accounting professor, suggested I become an accountant to organize numbers instead. Today, I organize much more than just closets and numbers – I help people achieve peace of mind through financial planning. A Knoxville native, I earned my accounting degree and master’s in taxation from the University of Tennessee. After graduation, I moved to New York City and spent a decade in public accounting at PwC and EY, reviewing thousands of personal tax returns as a CPA.  I then transitioned into wealth management, working at firms in Chicago and Knoxville, before launching Hillvale Wealth Management. Our Mission Many people leave meetings with financial advisors feeling overwhelmed by investment jargon and economic updates. When I transitioned into wealth management, I noticed a strong emphasis on investments, often at the expense of tax planning and client education. Leveraging my unique expertise in financial planning, investments, and tax strategies, I founded Hillvale Wealth Management to offer personalized recommendations tailored to your goals. My mission is to provide clients with clarity, understanding, and confidence in their financial decisions.

Patrick Carmichael is a financial advisor with Strategic Wealth Investments, LLC in Knoxville, TN, holding a Series 65 designation and 12 years of industry experience. He has worked with Strategic Wealth Management since 2014 and was previously with Wealth and Retirement Investment, Inc. Mr. Carmichael also serves as president and insurance agent at Strategic Wealth Management, dedicating approximately 40% of his time to insurance product sales and services. Strategic Wealth Investments provides discretionary asset management and financial planning to individual and high-net-worth clients, managing roughly $7.36 million across about 60 accounts. The firm employs fundamental, charting, and cyclical analysis, along with periodic rebalancing and tax-loss harvesting, and offers public educational seminars and insurance products through its affiliated insurance business.

Derrick Hanson is a CFP® and ChFC® with six years of industry experience. He is the sole advisor at Oppna Wealth LLC, where he has worked since 2025. Prior to founding Oppna Wealth, Hanson held roles at Elevation Capital Advisory, LLC, and M Financial Group. He also maintains an affiliated insurance practice, dedicating approximately 10% of his time to insurance sales. Oppna Wealth LLC is a state-registered investment advisory firm offering discretionary asset management and financial planning services. The firm serves clients with a focus on estate planning, taxes, qualified plans, insurance, and retirement income, operating with a single advisory professional and requiring discretionary trading authority to implement investment programs.

Donald Taylor is a financial advisor at Trendz Advisors with Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and 43 years of industry experience. He has worked at Greensview Wealth Management and TrustFirst, where he remains active. Taylor is also involved in managing several investment-related LLCs. Trendz Advisors is a state-registered investment adviser managing approximately $58.5 million for individuals, retirement plans, charitable organizations, and business accounts. The firm uses a patented, rules-based algorithm called Trendz for tactical asset allocation and offers both model-driven and customized portfolio management services.

Charles Yurick is the sole advisor at International Discount Investors, an independent registered investment adviser based in Knoxville, TN. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and has 22 years of industry experience. Yurick has been with International Discount Investors since 1995. He is also a licensed insurance agent and may recommend insurance products to clients. International Discount Investors provides discretionary investment supervisory services and individual portfolio management to individuals, high-net-worth clients, charitable organizations, and corporate/business clients. The firm employs client-specific investment policies and a mix of asset allocation, fundamental and technical analysis, managing approximately $54.7 million in discretionary assets as of December 31, 2024.

Christi Shell is a Series 65-credentialed advisor with 13 years of industry experience, currently serving at Shell Capital Management LLC since 2011. She is based in Knoxville, TN, and works at a firm with a total of two advisors. Shell Capital Management provides discretionary portfolio management to high-net-worth individuals, trusts, pension, and charitable accounts through separately managed accounts. The firm employs quantitative, rules-based investment strategies focused on directional price trends and active risk management, and it operates both as a wrap-fee sponsor and a model manager on the Goldman Sachs Model Manager Exchange.

Thomas Sayres II is a financial advisor with Portfolio Audit, LLC in Knoxville, TN, holding a Series 65 designation and seven years of industry experience. He has been with Portfolio Audit since 2008 and has concurrently been a full-time college student since 2006. Portfolio Audit, LLC provides discretionary fiduciary investment management primarily to individual and high-net-worth clients, managing approximately $38 million across about 40 families. The firm employs a variety of investment strategies and offers an integrated economic planning service alongside a legacy fiduciary cash-management and bill-paying service.

Amanda Copeland is a financial advisor with NBZ Investment Advisors, LLC in Knoxville, TN, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and bringing eight years of industry experience. She has worked at Novinger Ball & Zivi PC since 2007, where she also serves as an administrative assistant. NBZ Investment Advisors provides discretionary investment management, financial planning, and consulting services to individuals—including high net worth clients—as well as pension and profit-sharing plans, trusts, and estates. The firm’s approach centers on asset allocation using mutual funds and ETFs, with most accounts managed on a discretionary basis.

Austin Mc Laughlin is a Series 65-licensed advisor at Retirement Planning Services with three years of industry experience. His prior work includes roles at Cru and Perrone Pharmacy, Inc. He is based in Knoxville, TN. Retirement Planning Services provides financial planning and discretionary asset management to individual clients, charitable organizations, corporations, and other business entities. The firm uses a collaborative, evidence-based approach that includes cash-flow and scenario modeling, behavioral coaching, and annual plan updates, with portfolios constructed from diversified equity and fixed-income allocations and access to specialized investment options.

Jackie Simpson is a financial advisor at CW Securities, LLC with 23 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 credentials. In addition to his advisory role, he is a partial owner of Pinkstaff, Simpson & Headrick, PC, a tax accounting firm, and PSH Audit & Assurance Services, LLC, a business audit company. He also owns PSHH Financial Services and holds interests in a payroll company and several commercial property partnerships. CW Securities, LLC provides investment supervisory and portfolio management services to individuals, pension and profit-sharing plans, trusts, estates, charitable organizations, and corporations. The firm offers personalized investment policies implemented across various asset classes and management styles, coupled with financial planning and consulting services.

Anthony Cosey is a financial advisor with Cosey Financial Services, Inc. in Knoxville, TN, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and bringing 26 years of industry experience. He previously worked at Silver Oak Securities, Inc. for 12 years and has been with Cosey Financial Services since 2006. Outside of advisory work, he founded The Running Foundation, which reviews and directs donations to local charities and assists with planning and marketing. Cosey Financial Services, Inc. provides advisory services to individuals, trusts, pension and profit-sharing plans, corporations, and banking or thrift institutions. The firm offers discretionary asset management across various securities and alternative investments, financial planning, retirement plan consulting, and corporate services, employing multiple analytical methods and strategies tailored to client objectives.

Brian Stivers is a financial advisor with Stivers Wealth Management in Knoxville, TN, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and bringing 32 years of industry experience. His prior roles include positions at CoreCap Advisors and USA Financial Securities Corporation. He is also involved in the sales and service of health insurance, life insurance, and annuities through Stivers Wealth Management. Stivers Wealth Management provides portfolio management and co-advisory services to individuals and high-net-worth clients, operating in partnership with a third-party manager that handles investment management and trade execution. The firm uses a combination of fundamental analysis, modern portfolio theory, quantitative and technical methods within a long-term trading strategy.