Charles Kern is a financial advisor with Pilot Investment Services, LLC in Greensboro, NC. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and has 32 years of industry experience. Outside of his advisory role, Kern works as an auditor for the Department of Treasury in Charlotte, NC. Pilot Investment Services is a single-advisor registered investment adviser serving individuals, high-net-worth clients, trusts, and estates. The firm provides discretionary portfolio management and limited financial planning, focusing on individualized investment plans implemented through ETFs, stocks, bonds, and options.

We’re built for families! We focus on bridging generations to connect families and their finances. As Baby Boomers, you created more wealth than any generation before you. Now in your retirement years, the economic expansion that aided your careers doesn’t feel as robust. You worry about your savings lasting a lengthy life expectancy. You also worry that your children and grandchildren will be the first generation to not have it better than the generation before them. Our goal is to solve both problems. Our structure allows us to provide the same great advice whether you have a lifetime of savings or you are just starting out. That means we can work with multiple generations, and where appropriate, find opportunities to coordinate across generations while maintaining privacy and independence. I am a millennial myself with over a decade of experience helping retirees with personal finances. That combination of youth and experience gives me an advantage over many of the advisors out there. My youth, to retirees, means I am likely to be around for the entirety of your retirement. All those plans you made with your advisor, will be executed by the advisor that helped you plan them. If that includes an inheritance, good news because I want to work with your heirs too! To a younger generation, you get an advisor you can relate to who doesn’t treat your problems as less significant because you don’t have the same level of assets. Just because I’m young, doesn’t mean I’m green! I was previously the Practicing Partner of a wealth management firm focused solely on retirees. As the lead portfolio manager, I oversaw almost $500 million in client portfolios. That experience means I’ve guided and advised clients through every stage of a successful retirement. It also means I know what a successful retirement looks like. As I’ve always said, best laid plans begin with the end in mind, so my experience serves just as well early in your journey to financial independence. I started my own firm because I saw an increasing need to reconnect families and their finances. Grandparents are providing child care, children are providing elderly care, and everyone is chipping in to pay for education. As much as ever families need each other, and our program is specifically designed to be prepared when they do.

Mike took a different path, and every stop along the way shaped how Legs Financial works today. Mike started as a high school physics teacher, where he learned to take genuinely complex ideas and make them clear and actionable for people who had never encountered them before. That skill never left. Years at Vanguard grounded his investment philosophy in evidence, low cost, and long-term discipline. Working with advisors across a multi-state territory at LPL gave him a front-row view of the wide range of practices and offerings in the industry, what worked, what didn’t, and what was missing. Time at a tech startup sharpened his eye for the tools that actually help clients. And a stint at a trust company gave him firsthand experience in trust administration, the kind of operational depth that most advisors simply don’t have. The pattern across all of it: every role added a layer. And when it came time to build his own firm, he couldn’t reconcile the standard model. Charging someone twice as much simply because their portfolio had grown, even when the work hadn’t changed, felt fundamentally misaligned. So he changed the model. Legs Financial operates on a transparent flat fee, quoted upfront based on the complexity of your situation, not the size of your portfolio. Mike earned his ChSNC® (Chartered Special Needs Consultant) designation specifically to offer deeper expertise and better support to families navigating Special Needs Trusts, Achieving a Better Life Experience (ABLE) accounts, and the long-term coordination required to plan for two lifetimes. For him, it isn’t just a credential, it’s a commitment to carrying the heavy pack for families protecting a loved one’s quality of life. Mike and his family moved to North Carolina in 2003, settling in the Lake Norman area before relocating to Greensboro in December 2021. Outside the office, he volunteers as lead for Abilities Tennis in Greensboro, serves on the board of the Guilford Regional Tennis Association (GRETA), leads new Blind and Low-Vision tennis clinics, sits on the Mayor’s Committee for Persons with Disabilities, serves as Operations Lead for the Winston-Salem Open professional tennis tournament, and offers educational seminars to organizations across the area.

Travis Ray is a CFP® professional with three years of experience, currently serving as the sole advisor at BY Design Financial Planning in Greensboro, NC. He previously worked at Envestnet for ten years and owns By Design Consulting Services, LLC, a software consulting business. BY Design Financial Planning serves individual and high-net-worth clients with fee-only investment management and comprehensive financial planning, emphasizing asset allocation and passive investment strategies. The firm typically manages discretionary portfolios tailored to client goals and risk tolerance and uses technology to advise on held-away accounts.

Jamal Brooks is the principal of J. Brooks & Company, LLC in Greensboro, NC, holding a Series 66 designation with 15 years of industry experience. He has led his independent advisory firm since 2011. In addition to his advisory role, Brooks works as an independent insurance agent specializing in life insurance, annuities, and long-term care insurance. J. Brooks & Company, LLC provides portfolio management and financial planning services to individuals, high-net-worth clients, investment groups, and family offices. The firm combines fundamental and technical analysis in its investment approach and tailors financial plans to clients’ specific life stages and goals.

Joshua Scott is a Series 65-licensed financial advisor and principal of Eden Family Wealth Group, LLC in Greensboro, NC. He has experience in tax consulting through his firm, Joshua Scott & Associates, LLC, which provides tax preparation, planning, and IRS representation services. He is also the managing member of Sarabi Capital, LLC, a real estate holding company. Eden Family Wealth Group offers investment management, financial planning, and retirement-plan advisory services to individuals, families, small business owners, and qualified retirement plans. The firm employs fundamental analysis, asset allocation modeling, and tax-efficient portfolio construction, customizing strategies to clients’ specific goals, risk tolerance, and tax situations.

Andrew Lippert is a CFP® and CFA® with 12 years of industry experience. He is the sole advisor at Simplified Wealth LLC in Greensboro, NC. His prior roles include positions at Fidelity, LPL Financial, and XY Tax Solutions. Simplified Wealth LLC provides financial planning, investment management, and tax return preparation services to individual and high-net-worth clients, emphasizing integrated planning across financial, tax, estate, and risk management. The firm’s investment approach focuses on strategic asset allocation primarily through passive vehicles, with a notable emphasis on tax-aware planning and a substantial portion of non-discretionary asset management.

Egbert Davis is the president and chief compliance officer of 95 Impact Capital, Inc., an independent advisory firm based in Greensboro, NC. He holds a Series 65 designation and has nine years of industry experience. In addition to his advisory role, Mr. Davis serves as chair of the board for ShurTape Peru S.A., an industrial distributor in Lima, Peru, where he has been involved since 2001. He is also a licensed attorney in North Carolina. 95 Impact Capital provides specialized consulting to ultra-high net worth clients, family offices, and institutions, focusing on alternative investments such as private placements, private equity, real estate, and hedge funds. The firm offers tailored, non-discretionary advisory services including portfolio-level analysis and investment committee support.

Ryan Foster is a CFP® professional with 18 years of experience in financial services. He is the sole advisor at Crossroads Financial Services Inc, where he has worked since 2022. His prior roles include positions at Intercarolina Financial Services, Fund Direct Advisors, and Broker Dealer Financial Services Corp. Crossroads Financial Services Inc provides investment management and financial planning primarily for individuals, high-net-worth clients, and charitable organizations. The firm operates on a fee-only basis, managing discretionary portfolios that combine passive and active strategies tailored through ongoing client discussions.

Christopher Arena is a CFP® professional with two years of experience in financial advising, currently operating at Clef Financial, LLC. He also owns and manages Chris Arena, CPA, PLLC, a North Carolina-based CPA firm providing tax, accounting, and advisory services since 2015. Arena serves as Treasurer for Liberty Arts, Inc., a nonprofit focused on supporting artists and arts education. Clef Financial is a fee-only registered investment adviser offering discretionary investment management and financial planning services to individuals, high-net-worth clients, and businesses. The firm employs an investment approach based on asset allocation and Modern Portfolio Theory, managing diversified portfolios tailored to client objectives and risk tolerance. Its combination of in-house tax expertise and financial planning services distinguishes it within the independent advisor space.

Michael Quinlivan is a financial advisor at Pension Planning Solutions, Inc. with 24 years of industry experience. He holds the ChFC® designation as well as Series 63 and Series 65 licenses. Quinlivan has been affiliated with Presidium Retirement Advisers, Inc. since 2006. Pension Planning Solutions, Inc. provides individualized investment advice and portfolio management primarily to individual and high-net-worth clients. The firm operates exclusively on a non-discretionary basis, employing a mix of fundamental, technical, and cyclical analysis, and offers services including retirement-account rollover guidance under fiduciary standards.

Amit Hampel is the principal of Hampel Investment Advisors in Greensboro, NC, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses with seven years of industry experience. He founded Hampel Investment Advisors in 2018 and also owns a property management business, Always My Home, LLC. Hampel Investment Advisors provides discretionary investment management, financial planning, and consulting services to individuals, high-net-worth clients, and institutional-type accounts, including charitable organizations and corporations. The firm customizes investment policies and employs diversified asset allocation with a mix of strategic and active management approaches.

Laura Collins is a financial advisor with Provident Wealth Management in Burlington, NC, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and bringing 16 years of industry experience. Her prior roles include positions at Lincoln Financial Securities Corporation and ongoing involvement with Crossharbour Partners, LLC and Gulfstream Capital Partners, Inc. Outside of advisory work, she is a managing member and consultant for non-qualified deferred compensation strategies and co-owner and vice president of a real estate brokerage firm. Provident Wealth Management serves individuals, trusts, estates, and small business entities with investment advisory and financial planning services. The firm offers customized portfolios based on client goals, combining fundamental, technical, and cyclical analysis, and includes optional cryptocurrency exposure according to client preferences.

Christopher Jones is a CFP® with 13 years of industry experience and a CPA since 1982. He is a principal at Carolina Financial Advisors, Inc. in Greensboro, NC. Outside of his advisory work, he is involved in management consulting and accounting for two self-storage businesses. Carolina Financial Advisors, Inc. provides discretionary portfolio management and financial planning services to individuals, trusts, estates, corporations, retirement plans, and non-profit organizations. The firm emphasizes preservation of principal through quality and diversification, employing both fundamental and technical analysis, and offers a Values Based Investing option aligned with traditional Christian values.

William Poland is a CFP® with 22 years of experience in financial advising. He has worked at Carolina Financial Advisors, Inc. since 2017 and previously held positions at Raymond James Financial Services and Beacon Capital Advisors. Poland is also the owner and president of an insurance agency, Kingdom Vision Financial, Inc., where he oversees insurance sales and supervision. Carolina Financial Advisors, Inc. provides discretionary portfolio management and financial planning services to individuals, trusts, estates, corporations, retirement plans, and non-profit organizations. The firm focuses on preservation of principal through quality and diversification, using both fundamental and technical analysis, and offers a Values Based Investing option aligned with traditional Christian values.

Justin Smith is a CFP® and CFA® with 14 years of industry experience. He has been with Smith Partners Wealth Management, LLC since 2005, including its predecessor firm Jonathan Smith & Co. The firm provides investment advice, financial planning, and customized consulting to individuals, families, businesses, trusts, retirement and profit-sharing plans, and charitable organizations. Smith Partners Wealth Management constructs separately managed accounts tailored to clients’ life stages and risk tolerances, using a range of investment vehicles and tax-aware strategies, and engages an independent Outsourced Chief Investment Officer to assist with portfolio management while retaining supervisory responsibility.

Patrick Williford is a financial advisor with Carolina Financial Advisors, Inc. in Greensboro, NC, holding a Series 66 designation and six years of industry experience. Prior to joining Carolina Financial Advisors in 2024, he worked at Merrill from 2019 to 2023, and has experience in the outdoor industry with Pure Fishing as well as an academic background at Clemson University. Carolina Financial Advisors provides discretionary portfolio management and financial planning services to individuals, trusts, estates, corporations, retirement plans, and non-profit organizations. The firm emphasizes preservation of principal through quality and diversification, using both fundamental and technical analysis, and offers a Values Based Investing option aligned with traditional Christian values.

Jonathan Smith is a financial advisor at Smith Partners Wealth Management, LLC in Greensboro, NC, holding a Series 65 designation with 13 years of industry experience. He has been with the firm since 1988, including its previous iteration as Jonathan Smith & Co. LLC. Smith Partners Wealth Management provides investment advice, financial planning, and customized consulting to individuals, families, businesses, trusts, retirement and profit-sharing plans, and charitable organizations. The firm offers discretionary and non-discretionary portfolio management, utilizing separately managed accounts tailored to clients’ life stages and risk tolerances, with a focus on low-cost index funds, ETFs, and tax-aware strategies.

Stefan Lloyd is a financial advisor at Provident Wealth Management in Dallas, TX, holding Series 65 and Series 66 licenses with nine years of industry experience. His prior roles include positions at Morgan Stanley, Ovington Advisors, and several boutique firms. Provident Wealth Management serves individuals, trusts, estates, and small businesses with investment advisory and financial planning services. The firm offers customized portfolios aligned with client goals and risk tolerance, incorporating fundamental, technical, and cyclical analysis, and provides educational seminars and advice on cryptocurrencies and digital assets.

Katrina Stalls is a financial advisor at Provident Wealth Management with three years of industry experience. She previously worked at Wells Fargo Advisors and Wells Fargo Bank. In addition to her advisory role, she is involved with Provident Insurance Group as an insurance agent and holds a notary public commission. Provident Wealth Management serves individuals, trusts, estates, and small business entities with investment advisory and financial planning services. The firm offers customized portfolios and financial plans, educational seminars, and advice on cryptocurrencies, using a combination of fundamental, technical, and cyclical analysis tailored to client preferences.